My brother has a six month old rsx. He is planning on doing some extensive driving this summer, out of his home state of new york.
Question, I have is, he will be going to some pretty unpopulated states as well(dakotas, montana), and he wanted to know, that if his car needed servicing, either repairs that needed to be made under warranty, or just general maintenance, would he be able to bring the car to a honda dealer, since he figures an acura dealer may be much harder or impossible to find in some places where he might be at, while finding a honda dealer would probably be much easier.
He will probably put close to 10,000 miles on the car. Any suggestions(any remember this is a smaller car then the tl) on anything special he should bring with him in the car, for the car on a trip like this(besides a supply of all fluids, and some flares)? He will be getting it maintenced before he leaves, and will put on a new set of wiper blades , and will give it a good wax.

Sorry if this is off topic, but wasnt sure which category to post.

Stay safe out there.

 

Make sure he has a jack, spare, and lug wrench to get a tire changed if he has to. Make sure the wheels aren't over torqued and on too tight from teh dealer (maybe rotate them before you leave) and make sure the spare has air in it.

A headlight bulb or two would be good to have too.

 

I'd call the Acura client services 800# and ask them to be certain.
1-800-382-2238

 

I wouldn't expect him to need warranty repairs on such a new car, but you never know.

Unless the warranty repairs hinder the proper operation of his car, I would hold off on them while he's on the road and wait until he gets back home.

Servicing in this situation, is best done a Jiffy Lube type outfit. In order to regulate the quality of the parts, he should bring oil and filters with him.

Since he'll only be putting 10,000 miles on the car, he'll only need 2 oil changes, at most. My advice to him would be to bring 12 qts of synthetic oil (if he is intending to use it), but more importantly, have him buy two high-quality oil filters, such as a Napa Gold/Wix. You can have your oil changed at a Jiffy Lube and you can be assured that they use Pennzoil or Quaker State, but the quality of their filters are so-so.

 

I'd just make sure he has his oil squared away for the trip...on my road trips I bring my jack and tools along to take care of it...dont forget the wheel lock if he has them, maps are impt. in general. I agree with Michael about going to the Jiffy Lubes...if you can try to find all the corp. ones instead of franch...just personal preference and experience. Hope he has a nice trip.

 

Honda dealer is a fair substitue for Acura dealer in most instances imo. I agree that a newer car should not need much more than an oil change or two. I would just take 2 good filters with me, they sell acceptable oil everywhere.

Does he have Acura TLC or 3A membership and a cell phone? Other than that, just minimal tools and a credit card; hope he enjoys his travels.

 

Your question comes up occasionally on this forum. He should be able to get service at any Honda dealership as there are clearly fewer Acura dealers than Honda. Hopefully, as stated above, he won't require service on such a new car.

After all, our TLs ARE Hondas and use Honda parts....Acura is just an artificial construct for Americans who require a status symbol.