Question re first 3 month service

I got an email from Honda saying my new 2007 Honda LX is due for it's
first maintenance, an oil change.

Do I have to do this maintenance after 3 months, despite the fact that
I only have 1000 miles on my new car?

I thought you were supposed to do the maintenance when the oil light
came on, on the dashboard?

No? What's the deal here?

I want to do the scheduled maintenances in order to keep my warranty
good, but an oil change after only 1000 miles???

 

From Honda, or from your Honda dealer?

Those are two VERY different entities.

 

The deal here is that you can't differentiate between American Honda
Motor Corp, which doesn't sell or service cars, and your dealership,
which does sell and service cars.

Your dealership has an automated system that begs people to come in
every 3K miles and spend money.

American Honda Motor Manufacturing built an automated system into the
car that tells the driver when it's time to spend money.

Two very different things, with two VERY different goals.

If you can't differentiate between Honda, the manufacturer and your
Honda dealership, you're ripe for getting fleeced.

 

Okay, so which one is it that controls when I have to get maintenance
in order to keep my Warranty valid?
Basically, what you seem to be saying is that the local Honda dealer
is trying to pull a fast one and convince me that I need to do
maintenance that I do not need to do, according to American Honda
Manufacturing.
So according to American Honda Manufacturing I do not need to do the
maintenance until it comes up on my dashboard?

 

@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:

That is correct.

However, you may want to peruse the Warranty booklet that came with your
shiny new car. This booklet (published by American Honda) will tell you
what exactly you need to do to the car in order to keep your warranty
valid, this being entirely independent of what the franchised dealer wants
you to do.

The dealer, of course (being an independent company from Honda), would like
you to give them more money than you might otherwise bestow. What they want
you to spend will certainly do the car good and not harm, but is it really
necessary? Not if Honda doesn't say it's necessary. Clear as mud?

 

to clarify, it specifies the service schedule, and to keep the warranty
valid, the service schedule needs to be observed correctly. but
legally, the work doesn't need to be done by the dealer - you can even
do it yourself. simply keep records of the work done, the mileages at
which it was done, and keep receipts. if you change the oil yourself
for instance, keep receipts for its purchase and make a note in the
service schedule accordingly.

the warranty booklet kinda sorta dances the tightrope of saying the work
should be done by the dealer, without actually saying it in a way that
breaks the law, the law being that warranty /is/ legally maintained if
the schedule is properly observed. there are benefits of having the
work done by the dealer of course, but economy isn't one of them, and in
the case of san francisco honda [for example], they'll try and rip you
for spectacular amounts of unnecessary work.

to the average driver, the cost benefit of taking an evening course in
basic car tech, is HUGE. even if they never intend to pick up a wrench
ever again, they can thereafter walk into a shop and have some knowledge
of what's going on and often avoid substantial expense because of it.

 

The latest cars do not have service schedules listed in their Owner's
Manuals. You are supposed to go entirely by the dashboard's Maintenance
Minder.

The Warranty booklet will list the required mileage/time-based warranty
services that are to be performed.

This is very important, especially if you do the work yourself.

 

Correct. In fact, your manual specifically advises you to NOT change
your oil early, for your first oil change.

You'll get service reminders all the time. Just ignore them until your
vehicle tells you it needs service.

 

No. Just follow the maintenance minder and keep an eye on any
overriding conditions per the owner's manual. For example, the manual
might say to change the oil at least once per year even if the minder
hasn't come on.

The email is simply marketing trying to get you to spend money at the
dealer.

John

 

Thanks to all for the clarifications! Now I get it!
Will look over my manual to make sure I understand completely.

 

This whole 'Maintenance Minder' thing is still a struggle for me! We
have about 4700 miles on our '07 Odyssey and the 'oil life' is still
at 20%! I'm taking it in this week, just can't wait any longer.....
Besides, I have 4 free oil change coupons that the dealer gave me as
part of the sale of the car.

I've always changed the oil at 1500 miles then every 3k after that (5k
with the synthetic in my Audi). So this is new territory for me. OTOH
the car is leased, so in 2.5 years Honda is getting it back, so.....

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA

 

If you got a letter from your dealer it is probably automatically generated
based upon average mileage/usage to solicit or perhaps remind you that
service may be imminent. Below is a copy/paste of what Honda interprets the
codes on your maintenance minder system.

Howard

From the factory recommended maintenance:
2007 ACCORD - Maintenance Main Items


'06-07 Models

If message ''SERVICE'' does not appear more than 12 months after the display
is reset, change the engine oil every year.

NOTE:


a.. Independent of the maintenance messages in the smart maintenance
display, replace the brake fluid every 3 years.

b.. Inspect idle speed every 160,000 miles (256,000 km).

c.. Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2 or 3 if they are
noisy.


Symbol
Maintenance Main Items

A
Replace engine oil.

Engine oil capacity without oil filter: 4.0 L (4.2 US qt).

B
Replace engine oil and oil filter.

Engine oil capacity with oil filter: 4.2 L (4.4 US qt).

Check front and rear brakes.

a.. Check pads and discs for wear (thickness), damage, and cracks.

b.. Check calipers for damage, leaks, and tightness of mounting
bolts.

c.. Check wheel cylinders for leaks.

d.. Check brake linings for cracking, glazing, wear, or
contamination.

Check parking brake adjustment.

Check the number of clicks when the parking brake lever is pulled with
196 N (20 kgf, 44 lbf) of force.

With rear disc: 6 to 9 clicks

With rear drum: 4 to 7 clicks

Inspect tie-rod ends, steering gearbox, and gearbox boots.

a.. Check rack grease and steering linkage.

b.. Check boots for damage and leaking grease.

c.. Check fluid lines for damage or leaks.

Inspect suspension components.

a.. Check bolts for tightness.

b.. Check condition of ball joint boots for deterioration and
damage.

Inspect driveshaft boots.

Check boots for cracks and boot bands for tightness.

Inspect brake hoses and lines including ABS.

Check the master cylinder and ABS modulator-control unit for damage
and leakage.

Inspect all fluid levels and condition of fluids.

a.. Engine coolant

b.. Manual transmission fluid (MTF)

c.. Automatic transmission fluid (ATF-Z1)

d.. Power steering fluid

e.. Brake fluid

f.. Clutch fluid

g.. Windshield washer fluid

Inspect exhaust system*.

Check catalytic converter heat shields, exhaust pipes, and muffler for
damage, leaks, and tightness.

Inspect fuel lines and connections*.

Check for loose connections, cracks, and deterioration; retighten
loose connections and replace damaged parts.


NOTE: According to state and federal regulations, failure to do the
maintenance items marked with an asterisk (*) will not void the customer's
emissions warranties. However, Honda recommends that all maintenance
services be done at the recommended interval, to ensure long-term
reliability.

 

i don't mean this to be facetious, even though it sounds it, but why are
you abandoning science and research for tradition and superstition? put
another way, why can't you trust the engineers that poured millions of
dollars and years of research into developing this stuff? if it's fear
of the unknown, what do you know about metal fatigue and do you still
fly in planes?

 

i could not see how it could hurt as long as you don't put synthetics
or a synthetic mix in.
me thinks no point to change the oil filter though.

wow. i'm glad i'm not buying a used honda not that i'd want
a toaster on wheels with a slushbox anyway :^)

 

I didn't say I was NOT following the Maintenance Minder - I actually
am - just that I'm having a hard time adjusting to it. My last new
car, a 2004 Audi A4, has a traditional schedule of oil changes and
service, especially with it's turbo 1.8T engine.

And it may be 'science and research', but when Audi first came out
with the 1.8T engine, they recommended regular dino oil and 10k change
intervals. That changed in 2004 after having severe sludge issues -
they went to synthetic and a larger oil filter, along with decreased
change intervals. Those that maintained a 'traditional' 3k/5k oil
change schedule tend to have fewer sludge issues. So, sometimes in the
quest to cut maintenance costs, the manufacturers can get their
science and research messed up by bean counters.

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA

 

Another fine nail in the reliability coffin of Audi. I cannot imagine
in my wildest drunken side walk knuckle dragging episode of buying the
fact of a 10K change interval using dino oil in a turbo engine of any
kind...

Geeeeeeez..

JT

 

Wow, are you out of date! Slushboxes were contemporary to the Beatniks and
maybe Hippies. Although the term "slushbox" has been applied wrongly to
automatic transmissions since I was a kid, it actually only fit the ancient
Buick Dynaflow... although the 2-speed GM Powerglide came close in
operation. Conceited stick jockies have used it to carelessly or mindlessly
denigrate the entire gamut of automatic transmissions, good, bad and ugly,
ever since. Modern automatic transmissions are mostly very much the same as
modern manual transmissions but with controls (including lock-up torque
converters) built in.

Mike

 

My second car was a 1950 Buick Roadmaster. To increase fuel mileage,
one would start in low then shift into drive. Gotya about 11 instead of
the typical 10 mpg.

Even though, I love that biiiiiiig car! Wish I still had it..

JT

 

That's the thing! A manually shifted two speed meant to be used mostly as a
single speed. A sister-in-law had some lesser Buick with a Dynaflow (aka
Fluid Drive) when she and my brother first met. Doug said stepping on the
gas would cause the engine to roar to life, as the car started moving slowly
forward. Not the sort of transmission to mate with a small engine!
Roadmasters were supposed to be quite the ride, though. IIRC they had enough
power to make the Dynaflow useful.

Mike