Frequency of Fluid Change Intervals
 

My wife has a 2017 RDX AWD with about 27,000 miles on it.

Previously, she had the rear differential fluid replaced when A126 popped up.

This time she had A123 come up and was told the "3" required her to replace BOTH the transmission fluid AND the front transfer case fluid.

The service advisor told her that she will probably have to replace the differential fluid again before too long.

This seems extremely frequent and involved compared to other vehicles that I have owned, and I'm wondering if this is necessary. I figured that this was the place to ask the experts.

Thanks,
Bill

Maintenance does seem frequent compared to other brands.I have done all the required maintenance and My RDX runs like new at 80,000 miles.I do most maintenance on My own.You can find DIY help on this forum.I have not heard of anyone on the forum Who has skipped doing maintenance.I would make sure that You do,or keep records of maintenance, for warranty.After warranty You can do what You like.JMO

Bill,

Yes, the Acura fluid maintenance is more frequent than most other manufacturers. To be sure to keep your warranty intact, I think you should follow the maintenance minder.

I have always been especially faithful to the transmission fluid changes on all my prior Honda drive-trains, as they are known to have longevity issues if not well maintained. I think that helped me get 150K plus miles on all of them without any issues. I always use the Honda/Acura ATF fluid, although others in this forum like particular aftermarket brands.

As Brown13 said, these fluid changes are pretty simple for the average DIY-er if you want to reduce costs vs. the dealer. You could also ask your local trusted mechanic to do these services and he would likely be less costly than the dealer, but be sure that the correct fluids are used.

Frank

Our RDX is only 2wd so no rear diff but it popped the A123 code at just under 30k miles. It does seem pretty early to change trans fluid but I got a case of DW-1 from Amazon and did the 3x drain & refill on the trans. The old fluid looked almost new but I was (pleasantly) surprised at how much smoother it shifted, even my wife noticed. It was pretty easy altho the dipstick/filler tube is kind of a PITA to access...a funnel with a hose is pretty much a must.