Anyone know exactly what this involves and how much I should pay? Going on a 1K mile trip and want to have it done beforehand.

2010 SH-AWD Tech
Thanx

 

B is the Oil and Filter change plus inspection. I could not find a listing in my maintenance journal for what #6 was.

 

It's B sixteen. not six

 

It's B - 1 - 6. The "6" refers to changing the oil in the rear dif.

 

For something like that, I thought I read somewhere around here that the going rate was about $250.

 

If you look at what's done on the B16 service, you'll see there's only two items that are "of value". The oil/filter change and the rear differential fluid change out. The rest of it is inspect this, inspect that. I doubt things will go wrong on a fairly low mileage TL so the inspection part is really just bogus.

Instead of paying the package deal, just ask for an oil change and a rear diff fluid change out, a la carte so to speak. My memory may be off but the B16 package was in the upper $200.

The rear diff fluid change out was $99 for me and I had a coupon for free oil change (would have been $35). My dealer didn't pressure me to take the entire B16 package.

 

Winter special at my dealer $59, oil/filter/wiper change, tire rotation, wash, inspect, now gotta get their price for rear differential flush/change, Hopefully, $99 is about the going rate!

 

To the OP, for future reference, I think the maintenance minder codes may be in your owners manual (it was in my 3G). I believe you can also get them from Acura Owner Link (online) (again, it was there for the 3G).

 

Thanks for the tip, didn't occur to me to look either place ;-)

 

Yes, the codes are in your manual.

 

Just got my rear diff changed at the local Honda dealer in Cypress, TX for $79. The Acura dealer near The Woodlands, TX wanted around $109 to do the same.

Acura dealer on the west side of Houston wanted something like $300 for the package deal and I said no way can an oil change, tire rotation, and rear diff FLUID change cost that much so I told them to do just the oil change and tire rotation. They didn't quote me the reduced service charges for just the oil change and tire rotation and then when it came time to pay they wanted $150. I was very upset when the lady at the cashier quoted this price and I refused to pay for that and asked for the service manager. He explained all that they did and "checked" and I said that I could get the same done at Walmart for $70 total WITH synthetic oil where they had used a blend. They backed down to $90 and I paid and told them I'd never be back to them for anything. Charging about one hour of a certified mechanic's pay to "check" this and "check" that was way too high when that's all included at Walmart. Do you really need a certified mechanic to check tire pressure and brake fluid level, etc?... I should have asked if I make the check out to "Highway Robbery"... ('80's commercial reference)

 

At mileage does the B16 Maintenance take place?

 

Depends on your driving style/habits. I'm averageing between 9 and 10,000 miles between services, and I'm currently at 36,000 miles with the indicator telling me I'm currently at 30%.

 

Was this John Eagle Honda? I'm assuming the west side acura dealer was John Eagle Acura.

 

Yes and yes. They were both John Eagle dealerships now that you say that. It's funny how there can be a difference between the Acura and Honda dealers owned by the same people. I guess they figure Acura owners are less price sensitive and don't have any idea on how much any particular service should cost.

 

I'm more concerned about the rear differential fluid change.
You mean it has to be changed every 9 -10,000 miles?
That seems like alot. I don't even change it that often on my 4Runner. This is also the case with the SH-AWD?

Thanks

 

Rear diff fluid is around 15k miles for the first time and then 30k miles after that. I got mine around 15k. My 15% reminder just flashed on nearing 30k miles and it's only an A12 service. Oil change and engine filter. So it's not every 10-15k miles.

 

my first service indicator was A16. I thought this was a bit odd, but I figured that the computer isn't used to seeing service intervals as spaced out as mine are/will be, and therefore the "6" came on at the 9k interval as opposed to waiting for the first "B" service. I don't think you can go strictly on mileage anyway, as other variables come into play (driving conditions, road conditions, mountaneous driving vs flat highways, etc).

 

Thanks Kingmeow that's good to know. Now that makes more sense.

 

Yeah. You showed'em!! Take your $40K car to Walmart and have a sophmore in high school check it out.

 

I believe the maintenance minder indicates service periods based on RPMs. RPMs reflect driving habits, miles don't.

The only thing I don't trust an outside car center to do for me is the real differential fluid change. So I'm thinking of getting that done at Acura. However, I have an extended warranty with Acura, so I'm worried that if they don't do all their required checks (as trivial as they may be), they won't honor my warranty if something goes wrong.

Any thoughts?

 

I doubt it for checks. I can see if you didn't do the service, like didn't change the oil for 50,000 miles and the engine blows. But if you didn't check the engine timing (for example) and something goes wrong with the engine, I doubt they can used that against you.

 

I wouldn't say you need a certified mechanic to do an oil change, brake job, rear differential fluid change, tire rotation, or any other number of the "checks" that the dealerships do. If you're taking it in for a mechanical problem... then sure... but to do simple maintenance no way. The only reason I wouldn't do any of these things myself is due to time and or equipment needed to get into the tight spots.

[rant]
Dealerships charge way too much for unscrewing a bolt, standing there and letting gravity drain the fluid out, rescrewing the bolt back in, and topping it up with whatever fluid is being changed. Total parts for this with a good synthetic is under $40 and takes them about 5 minutes, yet they charge over $50 in labor. Maybe I need to be a mechanic cause I don't see anything there that needs more than a basic understanding of "lefty loosey", "righty tighty", torquing the bolt correctly, and filling with the proper amount of fluid. If you're claiming that the reason we need to take our $40k cars to the dealership for basic maintenance is because only dealerships know how much fluid to refill it with then maybe you should continue to pay their outrageous rates for labor and "trade secrets" that only dealerships have... the rest of us will continue to be educated consumers. The reason I drive a $40k car is because I'm not stupid and don't pay for stuff I don't need or can do myself.

You must work at a dealership. [/rant]

 

I agree dealership prices are big time inflated. We all know that Why not do it yourself? If you cant thats fine but choosing Walmart to do your routine maintenance is foolish IMHO. Walmart??? "C'mon Man!"

 

just so were clear on something...

its not b sixteen....

its B for oil change and multipoint inspection
its 1 for tire rotation
its 6 for rear diff fluid change

each number/letter represents some service required...

furthermore, there is
A, B, and a 1-6...these codes can be found on myacura.com

 

The eastside dealer here in Portland wanted $300 for the first service on our RDX. I immediately called the Seattle dealers and was quoted less than ½ that price. I then called the westside dealer and told them I wouldn’t pay more than $125. They sold me a lifetime oil & filter change for $100 and did the tire rotation and inspections for free.
The moral of the story is to shop around, and don’t be afraid to ask for a better price.
As far as getting your vehicle serviced at Walmart or Costco, there is no warrantee requirement that specifies you must have your car serviced at an Acura dealership. They are human, not perfect, and they make mistakes just like the 18 yr old at Costco (they have on my car). But they primarily work on just Acura’s all day long. They also regularly stock those parts like your filter and crush washer. So it is worth paying a little extra for the experts (not double).

 

Speak of the devil. At ~14,000 miles, I just got the B16 service light "due soon" come on. Time to call the local shops and get a few quotes.

 

Don't know if this is well known or not, but the "3-6" service indicators are not necessarily tied into the A/B services. My B1 came on yesterday at 36,750 miles, and based on my having the "6" service done along with my first A1, I was expecting to have the "6" done today also. For earlier AWD models, Acura recommended every 30K miles, but the determination as to when the "6" is needed is totally based on the computer analysis/assessment. So, don't be surprised if just the "6" shows up. I won't be surprised if it happens to me sometime during my upcomig round trip to Texas over the holiday.

 

Mobil 1 5-20W Extended Performance Oil from Walmart: $28

Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filter from Advance Auto Parts: $12

3 quarts Acura (or Honda) ATF Z1 from Amazon $20

Cost for oil, oil filter, and rear diff. fluid change at neighborhood Valvoline oil change center (with my own fully synthetic oil, high-quality filter, and genuine ATF): $75

Avoiding Stealership costs: PRICELESS

 

the rear diff is a simple drain and fill....i bought the fluid on ebay for 14 bucks for a case, its 4qts in a case, you only need 3....bought a screw on to bottle fill hose at autozone for 3 bucks....drain, and fill....

 

Adding up everything you mentioned here comes out to $135. Sounds fair. I got my B16 done at the Honda dealer close to work and paid ~$147. The extra's I had done (not mentioned above) were a tire rotation & balance as well as replacing the wiper inserts. The Honda dealer had to call the nearby Acura dealer regarding the rear differential fluid and they insisted on using DPSF fluid as Acura has changed to that for the newer models. Using ATF-Z1 is ok as it was factory fill to begin with.

 

The dealer doesn't use fully synthetic oil or premium oil filters. You can use DPSF instead of ATF-Z1 if you want to (no price difference, and DPSF came out after 2009, when I got my TL). My dealer (North Shore Boston area) has never offered B16 (or A16) service for less than $250, and I'm not going to travel out of state to find a dealer that will.

 

Glad I have the free maintenance from Acura Canada....

 

..... but only lasts for 25 months.