I am due for an oil change in about 800 miles at about 98,800 miles. I have an 07 TL-S. I am very busy and drive frequently, but for the next week or so I have some time off so I am going to go ahead and get the 105K service done. I got an estimate today and my cost is $1094.10. This is for the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, serpentine belt, valve cover gasket, and transmission fluid flush. So now this brings me to my two questions.

First, he was very busy at the time that I went in for my estimate and he left spark plugs out of the estimate. I am on a budget of about $1200, and I'm wanting to leave a little room just in case something is found wrong when he starts to job. So is it really necessary to change the spark plugs at this time or would it be okay to go another couple months or so? I want to be sure I get the most important things out of the way first.

Second question is he has quoted me $150 for the transmission fluid flush. I am an avid reader on here, but I do not post much, and see many people speaking of the 3x3 refill when referring to transmission fluid changing. What is the difference between a flush and a 3x3 refill and why is one recommended more than the other? If I request to have the 3x3 done, should it cost the same, more, or less than the $150 I was quoted?

I understand his prices are not the cheapest, but I do not want the cheapest in town when referring to my car. I plan to keep this car til it will go no longer and want to do what is best for the car. I am entering college next year, so I don't want to do something to negatively impact the car, costing me more money. I did attempt to search this topic but could not find an answer that was able to specifically answer my question. Thanks in advance!!

 

The term transmission FLUSH generally means that a machine is used to *force* fluid through the trans, and Honda specifically says NO to that.

Honda recommends only that the trans ATF be drained and refilled, just like doing an oil change. No machine is to be used. That would be a 1x3 meaning a single drain and refilll of 3qts of ATF. That will only replace about 1/3 of the total ATF in your trans.

3x3 means three drain and refills of 3qts of ATF. That would replace about 80% of the ATF in your trans. But it also requires a short drive between each 1x3, to mix the new fluid with the old fluid, so that you are not just redraining the new fluid just added.

You should discuss this further with your mechanic to understand what exactly he wants to do for your trans.

You can search further on this forum, to read what others have to say about doing a 3x3 on a high-mileage trans, that possibly has never had a 1x3 done at all.

 

You might be able to save a bit of money if you bought the parts yourself and brought them to your mechanic. I was quoted at $600 for labor, $510 for a timing belt kit, and $162 for spark plugs. The OEM timing belt kits on eBay range from $230 to $390 depending on what you need, and my spark plugs were $10 each on eBay as well. The only downside is waiting for them to ship though.

 

The plugs are generally ~ $8 per unit, so roughly $48-50 and swapping them yourself is actually quite easy. The tranny drain and fill (3x3) shouldn't cost $150 and as above, the tranny shouldn't be 'flushed'. What I would do is have a 1x3 tranny fluid drain and fill, drive a few thousand miles, do it again, and then do it a 3rd time after a few more thousand miles. After this, do a 1x3 every other oil change to keep the fluid fresh.

The TB service should otherwise be ~ $600 or so including the parts (had mine done at a Honda dealer for $587 pre-tax), so I'd shop around for a better price. Also, unless the MID shows the '4' to indicate need for the TB service, you can wait a bit to get it done if cost is a consideration.

 

dcmodels summed it up for the TF. as for the spark plugs, buy them from advanceautoparts and should cost you around 30-40 bucks.

 

This seems like as good a thread as any to relay the info/opinion I just gathered from my city's two independent Honda/Acura shops. Both are extremely well regarded by the public and both have been servicing Hondas for over 25 years.

Both indicated they always use a fluid exchange machine when performing a transmission service. Both indicated this was not the older type of pressurized flush machine some are familiar with.

I mention this not to cause arguments, but to illustrate why this is a difficult topic for some new Acura owners to wrap their head around. Trusted, independent, brand dedicated shops rely on their reputation more than anything, and would not be willingly sending time bomb transmissions out their doors. Just a counter point.

Full disclosure: I opted to not let them perform the exchange service, at least at this time.

 

I think these posts from IHC can put some perspective on the "flush" issue being discussed...

The2007TL, perhaps those two shops do it this way??

 

True statement. Point being, the in line exchange described by IHC and used by these shops is not as pernicious as a power flush, but receives the same negative connotations by some who paint with a broad brush. The in line exchange places no more 'pressure' on the trans system than normal driving.

 

Sorry for starting this thread and abandoning it. I have been really busy with school work and traveling to tour University of TN!
I know the price I have been quoted may be a little high, but I feel the peace of mind of trusting my mechanic makes up for the extra money I am paying. I know it will be done right and I know if for some reason he messes something up, he will make it right. My budget is $1200 but it doesn't matter if I wait a year from now because my budget will still be $1200. I am saving up money for college, so I am trying not to go over what I have budgeted to spend on the car. I am also about to spend another $800 on tires.
Regarding the transmission fluid, I am going to take it to someone I know who specifically works on transmissions and he is very reputable but expensive. Like I said before though, I don't mind it being a little more expensive knowing it's done right!

 

After just having this done myself, then single biggest thing you can do to reduce cost and not sacrifice quality is have a Honda dealer do it and not an Acura dealer. Probably the next biggest thing, is buy the timing belt and water pump package from an online source and make sure they are genuine Honda parts. Then have your Honda dealer install it. You can do the same with the spark plugs too or DIY. Mother wise just keep shopping around to get the best price. I paid 1350 for B14 service that included oil change and tire rotation.

 

If you can change your oil you can change your transmission fluid. There are very nice write-ups here on Acurazine. Save yourself the money since you are saving for college. You can get redline D4 & racing ATF on amazon for $12/quart or your local parts store. Clearly a 1x3 @ $36 is better than $150 quoted by your guy.


I really hope this is a reliable car for you.

 

So I went ahead and got it done today.
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Thermostat
All drive belts
Valve Cover Gasket
Transmission Fluid
Valve Adjustment
Oil Change

Problem is after about 20 miles of driving I noticed the orange service engine light was on. My indy was closed so I couldn't go back. Is the light probably with something I had done today? What could it possibly be if it has to do with the service done today? The car seems to drive perfectly fine to me still! Any thoughts?

 

The only way you'll know is to have the code(s) read- it could be coincidental or associated with the work done- you're up there in mileage so an O2 sensor is a possibility, but again, that would be guessing without the CEL code.

 

I'm going to be up early in the morning and skip class to go have the codes ran by him. I hope it is associated and a quick fix as I have an important business meeting I have to be at. If it were to happen to be the O2 sensor, how much would I be looking at?

 

Don't worry about the sensors yet- get the codes read first

 

I just left the indy where they read the codes. He said that the check engine light wasn't on when he went out to it, but the light was on on my way there. He said he still hooked it up and showed something about a vacuum leak but he couldn't find one. He then ask me the last time I got gas, which was Tuesday. My step-dad is very cheap when it comes to gas and put in WalMart Premium. He said the gas could be the problem and I should run it out and put some better gas in and see if it comes back. I'm going to run it out today and put some BP non-metal 93 octane and see if it comes back!

 

If it comes back, you will clearly need the numerical code to figure out what to do next, otherwise, it's all just a guess. I wouldn't go randomly replacing parts like O2 sensors either until the specific fault is found (assuming the CEL comes on again). Did the mech. clear the code?

 

They code was cleared! Hopefully everything will remain to be good! I'm loving the car so far!

 

So last night as I was leaving a meeting, I noticed my check engine light was on again. I know the light was not on before the meeting because I remember sitting in the seat waiting for someone to show up and I looked at the dash panel. I had my step-dad take it to the mechanic this morning. It showed up as a vacuum leak again. Also, they said a gasket was pinched. First off, what does that mean exactly? I wasn't there so I couldn't ask them to explain it to me, and my step-dad knows nothing about cars. Secondly, could this be a result of something they wrong or didn't put back together right when changing the timing belt? I know they did the valve cover gaskets when I did the timing belt, but I don't know if the gasket he is referring to is even related. Please help me understand is you can. Also, he is charging $200 to fix it. Is that about right? I'm tired of spending money after just spend $1100 for the timing belt and other small things, $200 for a blower motor and transistor this weekend, and now $200 for this.

 

Also, keep in mind the light came on the first time after driving less than 20 miles from when the timing belt was changed!