Has anybody seen "B" on their MID yet? I just got mine, so it's time to do the "inspect this that and the other" and fork over a $1000000 for it. What did it cost you guys for this service and is it something I can just take to a Midas and have them do a bit cheaper?

Also, I've been searching around for threads on types of oils you guys are using. I'm about to do my second oil change (after 14000 miles) and will be switching to synthetic. I had used Mobil 1 synthetic on my previous '97 Maxima, but of course they don't make a 5w20. I see some of you guys are using 0w20.

I'm thinking about using Motorcraft 5w20 syn blend (I think it's a blend) for my oil based on some comments by the poster named Road Rage who seemed to have been born in an oil drum.

Love to hear some costs for the B maintenance and for oils guys. Thanks!

 

I just got it as well Rocket. I looked in the book, and I am just gonna bring it in for a oil change and tire rotation. I can do a basic check myself on the others. I am just gonna bring it to my local mechanic. It is a lease.

 

On this particular forum and for those reporting the cost of a B service, people have been paying roughly $100. Frankly, IMO, that's way too high. The B service basically is an oil change and a tire rotation.

I've always taken my vehicles, when they did not have free preventative maintenance, to the trustworthy mechanic our family has used for years. He just performed the A service (oil change and top off fluids) and charged me $19 and didn't even give me those annoying greasy prints all over everything.

B service he said would cost me roughly $29 which means he would rotate tires and perform all the other checks and fluid tops for $10.

IMO, there's comfort knowing I'm going to have the same guy working on my car every single time as opposed to the newbie service tech of the week.

 

I just paid $155. I didn't peruse these particular threads before, but....that is a bit high for that kind of service. And this time they put me in a Grand Prix GT (e.g. base model)! (shudder) as a loaner instead of a TL or TSX! Never again!

Also had the 2nd gear oil jet placed for the tranny recall. Others have said their car feels faster, but mine feels just the same and that's fine with me.

 

I just had my B service light come on. My A1 service was at 4300 miles, now my B service is on at 8200? Seems too early to me!

 

The indicator is not mileage based. Its dependent on your driving habits.

 

While I have not actually had the B1 service done yet, the service writer quoted just under $100.

I went back and forth on the oil decision between the Motorcraft Syn blend 5W-20 and Mobil 1 0W-20. Local Autozone was running a special on Mobil 1 (5 qts + Mobil 1 Filter for $29.95) so I finally decided to go with Mobil 1. I am sure that if you decided to go with the Motorcraft you will do just fine as well. However, it was tougher to find at auto parts stores in this area so you might have to resort to a Ford dealership.

 

I had my 'B' service at 11,100 miles. Went to the dealer and it cost me $ 100.

 

I took it to my mechanic and had him use Mobil1

 

I was going to use Mobil 0W-20 until I read the information that's been provided by Road Rage regarding oil viscosity, what's driving the manufacturers to spec 20 weight oil - the EPA -, and his point about oil thinning down in use so that the effective viscosity goes down over time, I believe he called it shear effect, and gave it a second thought.

I am going to stay with Mobil 1, but have returned the 0W-20 and gotten 5W-30 instead.
Given the differences between highly refined dino oil and true PAO synthetic, I suspect Mobil1 5W-30 will be comparible to 5W-20 dino oil in terms of friction but much more stable over time and have better cold flow characteristics.

I'll be following the MID oil change program, but plan on changing the filter at the both the 50% mark and when the MID says to change oil. That method provides a clean filter at mid cycle and about 1/3 to 1/2 qt refresh of the oil and additives. This plan is based on the fact that my MID is showing 50% with 4000 + miles and 4.5 months driving which indicates my oil change will come some time this fall. So I'm tailoring my plan to the extended change cycle it looks like I'm going to have.

In the end it really comes down to what the owners preferences and experience not withstanding scientific testing and facts.

 

kosh2258, I was seriously considering what you said above in addition to RR's previous posts in other threads. Since I'm going to go for 3rd oil change soon, I decide it's time to start to use Synthetic for my car.

Thanks for your suggestions.



What's going to show on MID for 3rd oil change? Another "B" or "A1"...

 

i read somewhere that once you go synthetic, it's not advisable to go back to conventional. is this true?

 

No it is not true - the opposite is true, because the high detergency of synoils will often find small cracks in sealing gaskets that mineral oil has sealed up by its tendency to thicken and sludge as it vaporizes and oxidizes.

If you are going syn, I still say skip the 5w30 and go 10w30. It will still flow down to the minus 30's and beyond, but provides higher protection than a 5w30, which would be my second choice, as it will usually also have some polymeric thickeners susceptible to shear. Plus, Mobil tends to formulate at the low end of the API grade scales by the way. Its cSt is at the very low end of the 30weight. In 10w30 I like Lubrication Engineers 8130. www.le-inc.com

The Motorcraft 5w20 is an absolute steal, and a very good choice if you have any concerns at all about warranty coverage. It is a very well formulated synblend, costs about $2/quart and has shown outstanding UOA's. I would use it with no worries at all, but based on my experience and knowledge, I am willling to lose a fraction of a MPG and go with the PROVEN protection of 10w30. There is not adequate field reporting of the long-term performance of the 5w20's, in US driving conditions. It has proven successful in Japan, but as we say in the Old Dominion "that ain't here".

 

My B service will be done tomorrow. Service writer quoted around $100. I asked why so high and his reply was that besides oil change and tires, they check major components such as transmission, brakes including parking brake functionality, and just the overall health of everything under the hood. Still seems high price though.

 

Just brought my B service to the local mechanic. Oil Change/tire rotation....$40 I never bring my car in to Acura-overpriced. And alot that they do, I can do myself. Plus it is a leased car.

 

I happened to talk to the service advisor at my dealership and they said the same thing (about the stuff they check). According to him, they flush the transmission, check the brakes, adjust suspension... etc. They quoted over $300 for that!

 

Why would they replace the transmission fluid at the B service, which is probably between 6,000-12,000 miles depending on driving habits, when it is not scheduled to be done until the "3" service, which will probably come up somewhere around 75,000 miles, or later, under normal conditions?

What would "adjust the suspension" consist of? Where is that mentioned in any of the services, and why would it be required at the B service, and why would it not be covered under warranty?

Check the brakes? Don't they do that anyway?

 

Beats me. I'm just relaying what I heard... I think he may have misunderstood my request.

 

I'm at 2485 miles and the MID tells me i have 50% oil left... I been driving like a granny ...

 

$120 bucks... Seems excessive to me: $12 for oil $83 for labor.

 

now with that said. as you can see its all INSPECTING!!!!! basically only thing thats being done is oil change with filter and tire rotation. here at my dealer ESSERMAN they chage 98.90 for B service. think its worth it? all this inspection stuff? or should i just go in and tell them to do my oil change and thats it. and do my rotations myself? I got a lease.. so will they care later on that i didnt really check all these things? hmmmmmm

one more thing..
i have these things right now.

1. rattle of right door dome light... thingy...
2. steering wheel slightly to the right
3. rear deck rattle when i go though little bumps..

these things SHOULD be covered as in i SHOULD NOT PAY FOR NOTHING RIGHT? NOT EVEN CHECKING FOR THESE THINGS?

thanks alot for your help guys..

 

Most services are overpriced. They consist mainly of checks while no actual work is done on your car. I remember taking my wife's Siena in for a 60,000 miles check which consisted of oil and transmission fluid change and something like 200 point check for $250. I slipped out and got a jiffy lube oil and transmission change for less than $100. The flip side of this is that the dealer can bitch about not having proper service for your warranty work should you ever need it. In my haste, I've yet to take my TL for service except for routine oil change. Should I be afraid? I've saved lots of money so far at 14,000 miles.

 

i did my B 3 days ago. it cost me $96 including tax. i'm at 13K miles and it's only my second service. my first service was the A service which i did back at 6500 miles. i know you can get it done cheaper by either doing it yourself or taking it to another place. it's the hassle that you're paying for IMO. so to me it's worth it. besides if i were to save money on maintenance by taking short cuts, i shouldn't have bought the car and kept my civic

 

why not just go with 5w-20 castrol syntec its pretty good i think says made for honda and fords....

 

I did my B last week and paid $120, had 11,040 miles. Also dealer changed my brembo pads and turned my rotors for squealing fix.

BTW, I was stranded on the highway on my way back from dealer, since my gas tank was empty like in DRY EMPTY. It seemed that dealer test drove it more than I expected to see sqealing and I already had driven 20 miles below 0 when I brought in the car. I thought it will cause some problems in fuel system but so far have observed none.

 

Psssstttt. Motorcraft's synblend 5w20 is a much better product - pass it on.

 

How did you end up getting back into your car? Did you call Acura TLC? If so, what'd they charge you for the gas?

 

how come its better on the box it says made for hondas and fords i dont see why a syn blend is better than a fully syn oil it says on the box that verything else is just oil

 

my local dealer quoted me for US$200 for a freaking service B!

i got so mad and then I went to a firestone which I have taken my 96 civic to for the past 7 yrs.

by the way... I am using Castrol Syntec 5w-20 and later I found out about RR's comments on Castrol's syntec oil... i was a bit disappointed... next time I am going to use motorcraft synblend

 

Does tire rotation include wheel balancing? If it does NOT include balancing, that is INSANE. Why dont you guys just rotate your own tires? All you have to do is use a jack and a tool to take the lug nuts off. This way you don't have to be scared that the mechanic will scratch up your rims! Did I miss something?

 

I am all for the idea of doing it myself, but it takes more than "a jack and a tool". You will also need 3-4 jack stands, and if you use the car's jack you will have to jack up each wheel and put a stand under it, one at a time, which is a lot of work.

Many people do not have a garage, or a place to store a large floor jack and 4 jack stands, and others don't have the time or the inclination to do their own tire rotation.

For those that do their own, as I do, it is easy with the right equipment and a place to do it, but not everyone is that fortunate.

 

I see what you mean. I guess it sucks for them.

 

I just called my dealership to schedule a B service. First of all - he says their booked up for 3 wks .... it should take hour and half. That they don't give loaners unless work will be over 2 hrs!. Now I'm pretty sure the salesman told me over one hr you get a loaner.

How are your dealers?

I wanted it done before i go on vacation in 2 wks. Considering going to a local guy I use to use on my old car.

 

DAMN!! I have 3100 and I am @ < 20%......although I drive like a bat outta hell

 

I've changed my tranny fluid twice.

When I was a young mechanic, we had a term called a "wall job". That is where a nerdy guy with a Jag pulls up, with photocopies of a 30k service, which ran on for pages and pages. It probably cost $500 at a Jag dealer. So he drops it off at the Sunoco where I learned shop skills from a cranky, but lovable, mechanical genius. After another 5 minutes of lecture, the guy leaves.

Stan looks over at me and says "College (my nick name) - do a wall job". So I dutifully change the oil and filter, check the brakes and air filter, all the fluid levels, top them off as needed, and park it near the side wall of the shop. $100. It is a wall job because it spends nearly all its time against the wall. We would have charged the guy $50, but then he would not think he got his money's worth (believe me, we actually had that happen - The Placebo Effect is strong).

So what is the point? - dealers make plenty on those "vague repair orders". They can charge $240 for an oil and filter change, but do a lot of checking. On hondas, most everything is always good, so there is little risk, and a lot of profit. Occasionally, some nimrod like me would mark an inspection point with a china marker, so if the tranny oil bolt were not loosened, it would show. No rpoblem - the Service Advisor just says "We are so sorry - the tech must have missed that part of the inspection", and the car is quickly dispatched to the back, where it "wall jobs" for about 10 minutes, so you think it is getting the full once over.

I am telling you - you want it done right - do it yourself. When i reach the age where i cannot do all the work, I will lease a car, just so I have peace of mind that it does not matter if my car is getting hosed - it is someone else's.

I am sure there are shops where all the stuff in the book gets done, but mostly we 'nics look for gross anomalies, not little twitty stuff.

Funny anecdote: When i bought my NSX, the shop foreman came over to me and said, "Rage, we all know you know a lot about cars, and take care of them yourself, but this one is different - it takes special knowledge, training, and equipment to maintain the NSX properly". So I said, "Let's take a ride". We go over to my garage where I do restorations, and I hand him what looks like a giant "T", with what appears to be (and is actually) a Honda brake reservoir on the top. He says "what's that?". It is an NSX brake bleeder - a special Honda spec'd tool that fits into a special valve way down low, where the NSX had its ABS reservoir. The long tube fits into the valve, and pushes the fluid up into the reservoir, bleeding and flushing. He said "We don't even have one of those!". I said "Exactly - now no more lectures on maintaining my "X", okay?". Never heard a word again.