MyAcuraTL04

I posted on this before, but want to ask again......

Coming up on 30K maintenance, the dealer wants $389 for the service. I saw the list, and most of it looks bogus to me. If it were your car, what would you consider acceptable both for price, and items.

The list I got from the dealer is:

Oil and Filter change
Check fluids
Lube locks, latches and hinges
Rotate tires
Inspect brakes
Check hoses and belts
Check lights
Inspect spark plugs
Check battery
Replace trans fluid
Replace dust and pollen filter
Replace air filter
Check and adjust parking brake
Replace brake fluid


To me, I would go for the oil, the trans, and the filters. I need tires anyway, so the rotation thing is out. As for the other items.....I think they are "fluff" to drive up the price. What does everyone think....am I nuts ?. I mean, I know about topping off your brake fluid, etc, but replacing it ?????......oh yeah, for another $100 they will "check" your wheel alignment and give you new wiper blades.

Last but not least......as I am down to onion skins on my original Bridgestones, someone suggested Pirelli P-Zero, but I am sure there are tons of other suggestions out there. I am looking for treadwear of 400, instead of the 260 rating on the EL42's. I pretty much drive "straight and level", so I don't need the performance tires, especially when they wear out so fast....all season is all I need......money is rather scarce if you know what I mean....

Thanks.

scrb09

Out of the list the following are where the money is...I dont believe in that check and inspect BS...

Oil + Filter Change
Replace Trans Fluid
Replace Dust and pollen filter
Replace air filter
Replace brake fluid

I think $ 389 for the above is NOT Ridiculous...the quote is not the best (you could fit in better products for same/cheaper price if you do it yourself or get it done @ some other shop) but again I think the price is not outrageous.

As far as tires I have 17,500 and my EL 42's are going bald, I am looking @ tires too... check out tirerack.com they have Yokohomas all-saeason (i forget the model) with a 500 AA tread wear...other options I gathered from the wheel sub-forum are Falken ziex 512's, Michelin Sport a/s etc; do a search on that sub-forum there are some good recommendations.

KilroyR1

Definately do the oil, trans fluid and brake fluid. In a pefect world, the mechanic would check everything and replace anything under warranty that is suspect. As a cynic, I believe they really don't do any of the inspections. Inspecting spark plugs seems like a recipe for future problems as I doubt they put anit-sieze compound on the threads as they torque them 30 ft-lbs beyond spec because they are too lazy to get the torque wrench out of the toolbox.

As for tires, you may be able to get EL42's from people on the board who change out early to other tires.

Thats my two cents.

Don

MyAcuraTL04

Do you know what is behind actually REPLACING the brake fluid ?. I just never heard of that....all the other cars I ever had called for just topping off.

Ron A

I had it done on my 1G TL. They have a machine where they actually pumped out the old fluid and then pumped in the new one. Moisture in brake fluid is very bad for the system, especially the ABS part, so it is not a bad idea.

The owner's manual says to replace the brake fluid every 3 years regardless of mileage, but I wouldn't do it in less than 1 1/2 to 2 years unless you live in a climate which constantly has great variations in temperature, which might cause condensation.

KilroyR1

The only reason to top-off brake fluid is if you have a leak. I can think of no brake use that consumes brake fluid. RonA is right on the money, moisture is the enemy of brake fluid as high brake fluid temps cause the water to vaporize to steam creating air in the system (which can be compressed during brake application). This can cause a spongy brake petal.

Also, water in brake fluid is bad for ABS components.

Don

Gadgets

Not true. As the pads wear down, the caliper has to move further to clamp on the rotor which in turn requires more fluid. My '01 CR-V has no leaks, but I did have to top of the fluid as the brake light kept coming on. I guess I will need brakes soon, but in the mean time, I topped it off and no more light.

Note. My local Honda dealer refused to top it off during one of my routine oil changes as that light signaled it was time for a brake job... Yeah, right. When I start hearing squeals when applying the brakes, then I'll get them replaced.

MyAcuraTL04

Thanks for all the input, guys. I think at this point, I will do the next oil and filter change, the tranny flush, the air, cabin and fuel filters, and also the brake fluid just to be safe. I won't do it at the dealer, though. I'll go to my trusty old mechanic, and save some money that can go towards a new set of tires.

Prolanman

There is no actual 30k scheduled maintenance for the 04 TL. The MID should alert you when certain items need to be changed. The spark plugs are supposed to be good for 105k miles. Why do they need to be checked? I would follow Acura's recommendations, not the dealerships. It seems to me that they're just looking to make some extra money for things that don't need to be done.

You can have you local mechanic do most of the work, just remember to make sure they get a new crush washer for the oil drain plug. I would also have Acura do the cabin filter rather than your local mechanic as it involves removing the glove box to get to the filter.

You may want to take the car to AAmco to have the tranny fluid changed. They have a $99 life time flush and fill special. You only need to pay for the filter and gasket. Your regular mechanic may not have the proper equipment to flush all of the old tranny fluid out.

TBone2004

I agree - those "inspections" sound like BS. I (all of us) can do them for free.


Tires: my father-in-law put on some Goodyear assurance I think they were called (700 treadwear rating!!!) on his Lexus, he loves em. I did a double take to see if that was what it said - yep 700.

ntaylor

I want to make sure I understand...the "but" in your sentence has me confused...are you suggesting that you agree with the owner's manual, but even for the super-cautious don't go sooner than one and a half years? Or don't go over one and a half years?

Ron A

I meant I wouldn't do it in less than 1 1/2 to 2 years, unless you live in a climate with great variances in temperature. Phoenix comes to mind, because when I was there it was sometimes 30-40 degrees in the morning and 100 in the afternoon.

Even the super cautious could wait for 1 1/2 years and not have a problem IMO. I looked up my records on my 1G TL, and I did it at 45,000 miles with 4 years on the car, because the dealer suggested it at that time. This was in 99 and the cost for the change was only $39. Probably at least double that now.

Fuddpucker

What does your owner's manual say? Never go by the dealer's recommended procedure. Service is where they make the majority of their money, so they'll pad it as much as you'll let them get away with.

I generally do most "small" maintenance on my cars (oil, filters, etc.) myself. But for the bigger things I don't feel like tackling anymore I will tell the dealer that ANYTHING done outside of the manufacturer's recommended procedures wihtout my consent will not be paid for. I even make sure to mark this in the comment section of the quote as well.

Follow your manfuacturer's recommended services and intervals and you'll be fine.

P.S. Replacing the brake fluid at 30k miles is plain silly, and a waste of your money. I've been driving for 24 years and it was never necessary on the cars I had back then.

SodaLuvr

Here's what should be done IMO:
1. Oil/Filter Change (Duh, $25-$30)
2. Drain and Refill of ATF (3 quarts of Pennzoil Multi-Vehicle ATF should cost you $10, pay a mechanic $20 labor to drain and refill. Remember that the TL has NO pan, so they shouldn't charge you $30+ for labor. So figure $30 for ATF Drain/Refill)
3. Replace Air Filter (DIY, takes about 10 minutes and you can get a Fram, Purolator, Supertech, or Napa Air Filter for $10-$15)
4. In Cabin Micro (Part should be less than $30, pay a mechanic $20 or so dollars to change it if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself)
5. Replace PCV Valve (Preventive Maintenance, $10 or less for the valve and takes less than 5 mins to install)

Brake Inspection...get it done at a Midas for free and you can get tires rotated if necessary at Big O for free if you're an AAA member of Costco if you're a Costco member.

Michael

SodaLuvr

BTW, Brake Fluid replacement should probably be done periodically, and I'd wait 2-3 years before doing it.

Michael

KilroyR1

My bad, I didn't think of that.

Don

KilroyR1

WTF? This is poor advice, with no support that should not be followed. From Pat Goss's website...
I called Pat's shop and they recommend yearly brake fluid changes (admittedly overkill, although I change brake fluid yearly on my motorcycles as they see track duty).

Do yourself a favor and have the brake fluid flushed.

w1n78

my MID is my master. whatever it says, i follow unless i notice otherwise

i'm at 38K miles and the most i've ever paid for service is $260 i think and it was for B2. i replaced my EL42s coz one of them blew out on me at 27,000 miles. i now have yokohamas NS100. treadwear is under 200 though. can't remember exact number, probably 180 which sucks coz i drive alot. might go with michellins next since i saw one of them have a tread rating of 600 but were $220 a piece . at first i was happy that i get free wheel balance and rotation from the shop i bought the tires from, but now when i take my car to the dealer and tell them i don't need any rotation during oil change, they totally ignore the tire and brake inspection.

if it ain't one thing, it's another :sigh:

Brettg

They often recomend brake fluid changes on cars designed and sold in countries
where they can go real fast (not the US).
All bmw, Jaguar, audi, etc cars will have a recomendation to replace the brake
fluid every 2 or 3 years to get the moisture out.
All you need to do is bleed the brakes while adding new fluid till you run about
2 cups through each wheel, that is what I always did.

And you should never have to add fluid to a car, as the pads wear, the level drops,
and if you get low enough to get the alarm, you need new pads, not more fluid!

If you add fluid, then instal new pads, the fluid will overflow unless you
open the bleed nipples when pushing the pistons back in, which is a good idea,
as you dont want to push old dirty rusty brake fluid back into the abs system.

Anyone who has ever seen the fluid that comes out of a 5 year old caliper
would not ask if it was needed to replace the brake fluid!
Sometimes it looks like mud.

Brett

Gadgets

Not right away anyway. I did the above and have plenty of time before I will need replacement. I bet the parts suppliers love people like you.

Just use a turkey baster to suck some of the fluid out. Monitor the level as you push the piston back in. Much easier than opening the bleed nipples.

How are you going to get rusty brake fluid replacing it every 2 - 3 years. Must be some extreme climate you live in. Honda recommends three years regardless of mileage and that covers all climates AFAIK. They made the car so it would seem they would be the authority to dictate how often to replace the fluid.

empathy

ziex's get a from me. they are cheap and work really well. i forgot who, but some big company thing rated them as the best all season tire 2 years a row a couple years ago.

KilroyR1

From what I understand, you should always open the bleed nipples when pushing back the pistons in ABS systems. Contaminants in the fluid can damage the ABS mechanism if allowed to travel back towards the master cylinder.

Gadgets

If you are replacing the fluid like Honda says, you really shouldn't have any contaminants in there.

leeherman

You risk scoring your drums and rotors if you wait for squealing brakes. At that point your drums and/or rotors will have to be cut which thins them and makes them more prone to future warping, which ultimately tends to result in replacing drums or rotors.

You're far better off keeping an eye on your brakes and replacing them before they're completely worn.

Just my

Regards,

Gadgets

I agree. Driving with you brakes squealing is not a good idea. I had my indicators break off the pads on one of my previous cars which lead to metal on metal and ZERO stopping power. Thank goodness for the emergency brake...

Anyway, I was saying that my brakes are not squealing yet, and when they do, that's when I'll replace the pads.