TheMechanic

Hi all, like the title says what would you recommend to make the RDX last longer with less break fix and more preventive maintenance? I recently purchased a 2017 base (I know wrong forum) but figured more long term owners here. I plan on regularly treating the parchment letherette seats with Mothers VLR to hopefully avoid blue jean stains. Also I plan on regularly spraying the undercarriage with Fluid Film in addition to regular washing to keep the winter salt off and of course keep up with all maintenance. Any more suggestions?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^the 1st gen RDX had a different engine in it...
other than basic maintenance, there's nothing that you can really do...

the engine found in your RDX has been in production since 1996 and can be found in all sorts of Honda products...from Pilots to Odyssey's to Accords.
so, you would only have to look at those vehicles and see what they did...which usually is basic maintenance

Keep the car clean, well maintained and she will treat you with MANY MANY trouble free years

schen72

For cosmetic issues like keeping the car looking new on the outside, nothing beats having a garage. My RDX and RL have been garaged since day 1 and they both still look brand new. However, the RDX recently got booted outside, so I expect in a few years it's going to look noticeably worse.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I have two outside cars and I maintain them by washing them every week! and then a full detail once a year!
Looks better than brand new

mrgold35

I have 3 Acura vehicles with almost 360,000 miles between them (TSX: 136,000, RDX: 135,000, & MDX: 87,000). I would go crazy with the washing, waxing, interior conditioning; but, have really laid off in the last few years. I would keep checking in to this forum to use other folks experiences with issues to make sure you don't overlook something. What seems to be working for me for all three vehicles are:

Interior:
- all weather floor matts since purchase (keeps a new car from smelling like an old car as the miles pile up)
- cargo liner and cargo net (saved me a few times Grocery or Home Depot runs)
- folded 6X8 tarp under the cargo liner when you have to put the rear seats down (bikes, filthy and smelly flat tire, Home Depot runs, etc...)
- vacuum interior seat seams because sand/dirt can damage them
- condition seats 3-4 times a year with Lexol or Armor all for leather
- we don't have pets
- keep stuff out the car that can roll around or damage seats

Exterior:
- 3M clear bra on front end, front end of fenders, side mirrors, and headlights+fogs. Zero UV damage on headlights/fogs and clear bra helps with road rash and debris strikes
- wash once a week (by hand or drive thru places)
- wax once a year
- use trim restore on black plastic like Meguiars, Mothers, or Armor all a few times a year.
- clean engine 3-4 times a year at the U-Wash-It places (good way to spot fluid leaks if oily looking dirt is accumulating in certain spots)
- Sun shade when parked away from home, even in winter or cloudy days
- Window tint
- Park in garage at home

Suspension/Tires:
- Purchased from Discount Tires for lifetime balance, rotations, and flat repair (saves $$ compared to dealership)
- Purchased lifetime Alignment from Firestone and take back 1-2 times a year. The alignment can spot small problems early and give you time to fix before they cause bigger and more expensive issues

Engine/Transmission:
- purchase my own cabin and engine filters
- purchase my own oil from Walmart to take to dealership
- purchase my own spark plugs from Amazon when due
- follow M.I.D. for all other maint
- flush brakes every 3 years
- flush power steering around 100K
- use 91 Octane gas from Costco or Sams

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Great info, as always mr.Gold!!

TheMechanic

Good information. Thank you mrgold and all. This RDX might have to live outside like my 08 Subaru Forester. It's a bit worn at 127K but it is doing well. I wonder if the suspension and such will rust as much on the Acura as my Subi.

mrgold35

I haven't notice a lot of rust on my 06 TSX or 08 RDX. I live in the southwest and we only average about 4-6 inches of rain per year and extremely low humidity. My cars get hit with more water at the car wash compared to rain, snow, or road sands/salts. I did have to paint my calipers black on my TSX because they were getting covered by too much brake dust and started to look dirty and rusty in the hard to clean areas. The rusty color might have just been from metallic brake pads. I liked the painted look so much, I went ahead and did my RDX and MDX calipers also.

protoRDX

Storing in the garage is not an option if you are leaving in states/provinces with cold winter weather. The reason is because salt accumulation underneath your car will build up daily, and then it melts down along with ice and snow in a heated garage. This will skyrocket rusting process and you can do nothing about this.
So if this climate conditions are the case I would recommend to store the car outside. I would also recommend to do a rust proofing using greasy under the hood.

As for the paint protection, I would strongly recommend to perform a full paint conservation process: wash, clay bar, compound (you might not need this step as your paint condition should be almost like new), polish, paint sealer. It can take you about 16 hours to finish this job (depends on the paint condition) but it will keep your paint & clear coat safe next 2 years. As a paint sealer I would recommend to use either a ceramic coating (max 1 year protection) or a permanent solution such as Optimum Opti Gloss (2 years protection). It costs not that much but really helps you to preserve clear coat/paint.

Regarding parts and services / maintenance. As its been already said, the 1st gen is completely different in terms of drive train from the 2nd gen. However if you follow some common rules you should be fine:
1) change the oil according to your minder;
2) change ATF, transfer case and rear diff fluids 2 more often than is recommended if your daily commute involves a lot of city traffic with many stop/go's. This is what is called sever driving conditions.
3) Change/clear your airfilter depends on the mileage you make, at least 1 per year.
4) make sure you check and change brake fluid in time, this will help to prevent your brake system from premature corrosion.
5) try to use as high octane number gas as you can afford. This will help to extend the life time of your engine/exhaust system.

And my personal opinion, I would change original battery for Yellow Optima. Acura's OEM batteries suck.

Jdrum1

Lots of good info so far.

I'll second all weather mats (I have the Acura one's, and they're really good). Worn carpet really ages a car.

Proto mentioned a ceramic coating. I recently coated two of my cars (have yet to get around to my RDX), and am very pleased. Doubtful I'll ever use wax again.

I highly recommend 404 Aerospace Protectant for the plastic and rubber bits. It offers a very high level of UV protection, and doesn't look or feel oily (I'll never use an Armor-All type product on my cars).

Kaputnik

They are up to 404 now? If you mean 303, I agree (although Honda's shin-etsu grease is even better on the seals) that stuff is awesome. I use it on everything. It has kept my Honda S2000 original soft top looking brand new after 11 years.

Walfunk

Great info fellas.Thank you!

Walfunk

Quick question. Do you guys use drive thru car washes? If so, are there any particular ones to avoid?

Jdrum1

It's 100 better than the original!


Touchless only!!!!

Kevin125

I would stay far away from car washes unless not possible. I agree with the weather tech mats. One thing I would recommend is maintain the leather. It's a new truck but the seats can take a toll in a year or two if it is exposed to the environment and elements or if you spend a good amount of time in them.

Willowbeast

I'll be looking to get some weather techs this fall. I've had ours for two months now and it's been detailed by the dealership (part of the purchase agreement) I've washed it once and used IronX once. I'd wash it more often but we've been going to visit our puppy and to get there the faster way has a dirt road and it's been raining quite a bit. So it get dirty right away. I have conditioned the front seats, the kids seats are covered with a Britax seat protector and booster seat. I'll need to take them out to do their seats one day. I'll be coming back to this thread to get ideas of what to do.