When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So brought the wife's '18 Sport Hybrid into the dealer for the yearly state inspection, and her "yearly" oil change. We talked before the service to see if anything else made sense at this point since the wife "allowed" me to take her car for the day. :-) The car was built in Dec 2017, and we took posession in March 2019 as a CPO with 1200 miles. Today, the car has 14,300 miles. So mileage-wise there aren't a lot of bells going off for fluid changes, but time-wise, it made sense to just be prudent with changes. Here's what we did
Oil change. Given she drives about 3K miles per year, we're on an annual LOF cadence. No surprises.
TMU fluid change. The recommendation is 15k for the first change. We were close mileage wise, and given the 4.5 years the fluid's been in there, I opted to have the rear diff/TMU fluid change. And, yes, I made sure they used the right fluid :-)
Brake fluid change. Acura says every 3 years regardless of the mileage. 4.5 years made sense. I could have possily skipped this, but given this is her "forever" car.......
Alignment. Never been done, some slight wear noticed on winter tires. Toe was out slightly on RF and RR. Alignment done.
TSB for transmission shudder. It was subtle, but at various speeds you'd get a surging sensation when accellerating, especially when cold. TSB called for a fluid replacement and update of the SW. Had the work done, and it made a significant difference in the drivability. I recommend you consider this if your RLX SH feels odd when shifting.
So, I dropped about five bills on all that service, but the car drives like new and I figure that it's worthwhile $$ spent since she's keeping this as her retirement car :-) She's always had the high-end Acuras (93 Legend, 96 RL, 2012 TL SH-AWD and now this RLX. Every earlier one had its memorable characteristics (and frankly the TL was the sportiest out of the bunch) - but the RLX is making her the happiest by far. Happy wife,.... ;-)
I'm looking at the same exact maintenance for the wife's 18 RLX hybrid with 21,000 miles. I already did the TMU and oil change not too long ago (engine oil change because of 1 year limit; not mileage). I want to do the same alignment, replacement of almost 5 year old 7DCT fluid, and brake fluid flush pretty soon. I did the cabin and engine filters last year (put less than 5,000 miles since).
Throw me into the same very low mileage RLX owner camp. I barely broke 8K miles on my 2020 RLX-SH and that's with 4200 miles put on by previous owner. I also do only one "yearly' oil changes. Will probably do TMU,7DCT and brake fluid changes next year as she approaches 3 years old or around 12K miles. Service Manager advises me to not let those fluid sit for more than 3 years. Good thing you confirmed they used the right DW1 fluid. I will have to remember this next year and ask SA to take picture of fluid color to verify. West Coast roads are fairly good, I never had to do an alignment on any of my cars, except the Lexus GS when it got coilovers installed.
I usually had modified suspension, RSBs, endlinks, control arms, camber, brakes, and tire/rim from my previous Acura's. Always had lifetime alignment with Firestone and got my moneys worth driving them 150,000 to 200,000 miles. My 19 MDX and 18 RLX are the first without such mods. It can be really hard to feel alignment issues with these vehicles with all the Acurawatch stuff like RDM and LKAS. My 19 MDX came off the transport with 1/2 of the 14 alignment areas in the yellow or red (rear camber is always in the yellow). I've never checked my RLX alignment since purchase back in Dec/19.
Throw me into the same very low mileage RLX owner camp. I barely broke 8K miles on my 2020 RLX-SH and that's with 4200 miles put on by previous owner. I also do only one "yearly' oil changes. Will probably do TMU,7DCT and brake fluid changes next year as she approaches 3 years old or around 12K miles. Service Manager advises me to not let those fluid sit for more than 3 years. Good thing you confirmed they used the right DW1 fluid. I will have to remember this next year and ask SA to take picture of fluid color to verify. West Coast roads are fairly good, I never had to do an alignment on any of my cars, except the Lexus GS when it got coilovers installed.
I may need to check with another dealership: one I called I explained getting a cert '18 with 26k miles, and I am now at 32k, so I wanted to understand - what should I do as far as fluid change goes. He asked me if there was any maint. minder displaying on dash... nothing... so he goes, just follow that. You do not need to do anything extra, or additional but follow that... sigh... so, car being about 4 years old now, I want to believe it is that easy, but then again, I feel I need a second opinion... fluid swaps, I am firm believer that it does not hurt even if I do it more often than maintenance minder says / alerts on...
I may need to check with another dealership: one I called I explained getting a cert '18 with 26k miles, and I am now at 32k, so I wanted to understand - what should I do as far as fluid change goes. He asked me if there was any maint. minder displaying on dash... nothing... so he goes, just follow that. You do not need to do anything extra, or additional but follow that... sigh... so, car being about 4 years old now, I want to believe it is that easy, but then again, I feel I need a second opinion... fluid swaps, I am firm believer that it does not hurt even if I do it more often than maintenance minder says / alerts on...
Said it many times....I'm an "old school" maintainer. I do it on mileage and do not trust the sensors in the car to get it right! Happily attaching my schedule for your use.
TSB for transmission shudder. It was subtle, but at various speeds you'd get a surging sensation when accellerating, especially when cold. TSB called for a fluid replacement and update of the SW. Had the work done, and it made a significant difference in the drivability. I recommend you consider this if your RLX SH feels odd when shifting.
So this is probably a dumb question but does the dealer typically cover the cost of the TSB service? Assuming they do but does it matter if the car is out of warranty period? I have that shudder issue currently and figured I just needed to change the transmission fluid but hoping this will cover it.
So this is probably a dumb question but does the dealer typically cover the cost of the TSB service? Assuming they do but does it matter if the car is out of warranty period? I have that shudder issue currently and figured I just needed to change the transmission fluid but hoping this will cover it.
Just had it done on my 2018 Sport Hybrid. Usually under warranty but the car went into service in later 2017 so the four-year span had elapsed, and I was charged. Then they realize that the warranty on this fix has been extended to eight years, so got the charge reversed.
Said it many times....I'm an "old school" maintainer. I do it on mileage and do not trust the sensors in the car to get it right! Happily attaching my schedule for your use.
So took the car and specifically asked what fluid will be used for transmission and twin motor unit... pause... they checked... said "Acura standard ATF fluid" ... I said this is a Sport Hybrid model, are you sure? Yes, that is what their parts tech said... asked me what trans is it in the car, 9spd? Urgh... I said it is not, it is 7spd DCT... and specifically said, the owner manual calls for ATF DW-1... nothing else... he says they will make sure that a correct fluid is used... I said as long as DW-1 fluid is used for trans and TMU... ended the call...
They finished the service... called me... went to pick it up... got the paperwork, went back home... got home... looked at the paperwork: well, (sigh) not sure if they just HATE me there, but ... paperwork says they used ATF-Z1.... says it has a 9spd transmission... used the same fluid for TMU...
I wrote an email to the service manager explaining, and asking him to let me know when to bring the car, so they can flush Z1 out and use it as owner manual calls for DW-1...
I already expect to hear "Z1 is exactly the same fluid, just a different symbol..." but I cannot accept that in good faith because the owner manual calls what it calls for... when the transmission goes bad and breaks in 5 years maybe because of this shit, it ain't gonna be under warranty...
IS IT THAT DIFFICULT TO READ OWNERS MANUAL?!?!?! So frustrating... may need to switch to another dealer.
Wow. Unacceptable for sure. I’d ask for a comp change and note in the invoice stating the dealer mechanic error was on them. Always have the paper trail…
Wow. Unacceptable for sure. I’d ask for a comp change and a note in the invoice stating the dealer mechanic error was on them. Always have the paper trail…
Got the email back from the manager who provided me with the part number of the fluid they use (DW-1), and assured me the correct fluid was used on the car. I have his e-mail stating they used the right fluid...
If I notice anything in the next few days, I will go to the Acura dealer in another town and get those services done again properly in the case transmission or TMU starts to act differently. So far drove the car for a couple of days and had no issues whatsoever. If anything it feels smoother
Fact: I am no longer going to go to this dealership... First, they screwed up my rear spoiler install and made it right after a couple of months of waiting for all the parts...
Now with this paperwork, I just see there is no discipline, and I will no longer take my business to that place. With all due respect, know your shit... if not, then lose business... end of the story.
rlx015, it might be worth making a call/sending an email to Acura Corporate and tell them what happened. They should insist that you take your car to the Acura dealership of your choice and have the transmission and TMU flushed and refilled with the correct DW-1 fluid. Unless the service manager at the dealership you took you car to was beside your car when the service was being done, he has no idea what fluid was used and the technician may have just lied after the fact to cover his behind.
I've had my share of issues with service technicians over the years and my current "plan" to avoid future issues is this:
1. I have gone to the same Acura service centre for at least the last 10 years and have developed a relationship with the Service Manager.
2. I request/insist on only senior technicians working on my vehicle. Because the RLX Sport Hybrid is such a rare vehicle, I want only the most experience and capable technician working on my car. I sure DON'T want some rookie working on my car when it is the first RLX he/she's seen or the first Sport Hybrid he/she's seen.
The problem with any "plan" is that the pandemic has decimated the workforce including Acura service centres and a lot of the top service managers and top technicians are no longer around meaning that we are all at the mercy of the newbies who have no idea what a Sport Hybrid is.
My RLX is low miles and haven't spent that much time in the shop for service. I had a good relationship with my old service manager since my first Acura back in 2006. Unfortunately, people move on and there is a new crew recently and I have to start all over again. I do the same thing and triple check the service ticket to make sure the correct fluids are being used now (bring my own fluids when I can). My MDX hybrid has +35,000 miles and had some issues with service departments:
- My first MDX oil change was due and I was out of town in San Antonio. Service tech put 5.7 qts of oil in my ICE instead of 4.5 qts at Gunn Acura (tech didn't notice, know, or didn't care it was a hybrid). Had to take it back 3 times for them to get the oil level right. On the third try, I purchased 4 individual qts of oil told them to use that and I will top it off. The tech did not acknowledge their mistake saying they put in the correct amount and insisting it looked correct on the dipstick.
The oil level with 5.7 qts of oil:
- took my MDX for an oil change before a +900 mile round trip the wife needed to make to Denver. The local tech check the engine air filter; but, forgot to latch it back down. She ended up driving +1000 miles with the air filter box unlatched. I didn't notice the issue until I was hand washing the bugs off the MDX and pop the hood to dry off the plastic covers. She said the engine did sound a little louder when she was on her trip (she usually drives the RLX).
rlx015, it might be worth making a call/sending an email to Acura Corporate and tell them what happened. They should insist that you take your car to the Acura dealership of your choice and have the transmission and TMU flushed and refilled with the correct DW-1 fluid. Unless the service manager at the dealership you took you car to was beside your car when the service was being done, he has no idea what fluid was used and the technician may have just lied after the fact to cover his behind.
I've had my share of issues with service technicians over the years and my current "plan" to avoid future issues is this:
1. I have gone to the same Acura service centre for at least the last 10 years and have developed a relationship with the Service Manager.
2. I request/insist on only senior technicians working on my vehicle. Because the RLX Sport Hybrid is such a rare vehicle, I want only the most experience and capable technician working on my car. I sure DON'T want some rookie working on my car when it is the first RLX he/she's seen or the first Sport Hybrid he/she's seen.
The problem with any "plan" is that the pandemic has decimated the workforce including Acura service centres and a lot of the top service managers and top technicians are no longer around meaning that we are all at the mercy of the newbies who have no idea what a Sport Hybrid is.
Just my two cents.
I will take your advice and call them... I am still thinking about going to another dealer and doing this the right way - $150-200 value for both should be covered by Acura, but I do not want to deal with the same dealer who already screwed this up... I may even do it and pay again, just for that piece of mind.
Next time have them drain and take a picture of fluid coming out as proof that they used the correct fluid. I believe DW-1 is cherry red in color and older Z1 fluid is cream color. It's sad we have to do this, but Acura made the Sport Hybrid and regular ICE cars so similiar that most technicians don't know that SH takes different fluids and have different top-off levels. I cringe when I have to do a oil change. Always double check levels before i leave dealership.
Next time have them drain and take a picture of fluid coming out as proof that they used the correct fluid. I believe DW-1 is cherry red in color and older Z1 fluid is cream color. It's sad we have to do this, but Acura made the Sport Hybrid and regular ICE cars so similiar that most technicians don't know that SH takes different fluids and have different top-off levels. I cringe when I have to do a oil change. Always double check levels before i leave dealership.
Thank you for additional details.
I exchanged emails with general manager of the dealership who confirmed that they do not even have Z1 in stock, but rather use DW1 for all vehicles and obtain it in drums. He did say they will check system and ensure updates are made to avoid the confusion in the future.
While I get it, it is still weird someone would go out of their way to type in Z1 when that fluid has not been in production for years... Also putting in 9spd transmission adds to the overall confusion ... Just frustrating what we have to deal with with these issues.
I think most dealership POS system for the technicians only had Z1 fluid listed for all cars regardless if Sport Hybrid or not. In my case my receipt did show Z1 fluid was used but when they drained and took a picture, it was cherry red. So that confirmed they used correct DW1 fluid. Don't get so hung up about what your receipt said. Best to check the actual fluid if you're mechanically incline or have a mechanic friend check it for you. Having Sport Hybrids you do have to be extra careful they're using correct fluids and levels. You could buy your own fluids and bring to them for changes next time.
Next time have them drain and take a picture of fluid coming out as proof that they used the correct fluid. I believe DW-1 is cherry red in color and older Z1 fluid is cream color. It's sad we have to do this, but Acura made the Sport Hybrid and regular ICE cars so similiar that most technicians don't know that SH takes different fluids and have different top-off levels. I cringe when I have to do a oil change. Always double check levels before i leave dealership.
Have you ever found the fluid levels to be incorrect? I admit that I've never done this -- always trusted that they knew what they were doing!
Yes, way overfilled my last couple of oil changes. I brought it right back to them to drain excess engine oil. Running too much oil will damage your valves in the long run.
Bellanova, I would normally agree with your "trust that they know what they are doing" statement, however, because the RLX Sport Hybrid is so rare, many of the service technicians are NOT familiar with working on the car and can be prone to assuming that it is the same as the PAWS RLX. Giving the service people a friendly reminder when you take the car in and then double checking when you pick up the car is simply a prudent precaution to take, in my opinion. I have found that the service assistant doesn't mind at all typing a "just a reminder that this car is the Hybrid version of the RLX" note on the service order. I've also had them type a reminder that the RLX uses synthetic oil.
You can remind them all you want, but most tech don't give a S*** and will do whatever they're trained to do. I printed out pages from manual and clearly highlighted section for oil change to 4.5QT. Reminded SA to tell tech to be extra careful not to overfill. They of course ignored everything and overfilled anyways. Happened not just once. Each and every single time I go in for oil changes, it's overfilled. They use the regular ICE which I think is 5.7QT...way too much for our Sport Hybrids.
Next time I'll bring my own oil and give them 5 QT only. I'll probably drain out 1/2 QT to make sure they don't overfill. I can always top off fluids on my own when I get home.
Sucks we have to do this. This car is super rare and most tech are clueless.
You can remind them all you want, but most tech don't give a S*** and will do whatever they're trained to do. I printed out pages from manual and clearly highlighted section for oil change to 4.5QT. Reminded SA to tell tech to be extra careful not to overfill. They of course ignored everything and overfilled anyways. Happened not just once. Each and every single time I go in for oil changes, it's overfilled. They use the regular ICE which I think is 5.7QT...way too much for our Sport Hybrids.
Next time I'll bring my own oil and give them 5 QT only. I'll probably drain out 1/2 QT to make sure they don't overfill. I can always top off fluids on my own when I get home.
Sucks we have to do this. This car is super rare and most tech are clueless.
Spot-on... They simply don't give a shit...
After I checked Oil level, it is definitely overfilled... Sigh...
The proof is in/on the dipstick. I will be checking and double checking my oil level before and after every future oil change.
Thanks to jdpdata for the heads up and to rlx015 for the confirmation.
The proof is in/on the dipstick. I will be checking and double checking my oil level before and after every future oil change.
Thanks to jdpdata for the heads up and to rlx015 for the confirmation.
This to me looks likely to have 5qts used, still too much, but not as much as upper post from mrgold35 has shown with the red arrow.
05-27-2022, 09:28 AM
