[mbaha]

So my 06 EX-P 2wd MT just got 32k miles and the dealer wants to sell me the $700 30k checkup!
I have always done my own maintenance, the E is the first car I had someone else change the oil because I wanted to stay up and up with the warranty , plus it is the wife's car so sometimes it is just easier.

Anyway, it looks like I'll be taking over maintenance. Here is what the dealer wants to sell me:

Tire rotation: I'll have that done for free at discount tires
Air filter: no brainer done that before
Cabin filter: never done but the power of EOC has shown me the way
Oil Change: Never done on on this car, what is recommended filter and oil?
MTF: Never done one, but read the how too. Looks easy enough but is that really a 30K item?
Brake fluid: I'm more of the leave it there sort of guy so i was going to pass until the 60K service
Coolant: Seems to be mixed reviews on this one, I do wish to keep the car for along time so some Honda coolant might be a good investment, heck it is only every three years.
I think that is all they really do, other than check a bunch a crap and try and sell me a $100 battery.
Any other 30k suggestions?

Thanks

 

[in2steam]

Well,
The following are my opinion and are not based on Honda recomendations.
I use these guide lines for all my vehicles, and vehicles I fix at my part time job.

I do air filter after 15-20k, typically I do it after 15K on my vehicles. I live in an area that is considered serve or rough service by must OEMs.

I do the oil changes for the first 60,000 at 3-4K intervals with regular oil, I do synthetic oil changes on the 5k mark. My E is on the 5K routine unless I feel the oil is clear enough. I use Wix, OEM, or Napa Gold filters only, Fram IMHO are junk, along with purolator, ams oil and a few others. After 60K I typically have increased the change interval to about 25% more. My New insight seems to be on a 7-8K oil change based on it Oil Life meter, but my E is lacking that. Also my Insight uses 0w20(I like to call it water oil) which scares me a little. I now use MOBIL 1 synthetic I pick it up at Costco($33 6 quarts) or Walmart ($22 for a gallon). I wil be getting my filters from HandA since both my vehicles use the same filter. Don't forget the crush washers, you can get away without changing them once or twice but you never know when it will weld itself to the drain plug.

MTF, I have never changed this on any vehicles I owned, and rarely on my work trucks. I cannot say I have ever seen a failure because of it, my E is an automatic and it takes like 2 minutes to do it. I do that on a 30K interval without regard to OEM recomendations on all vehicles. I would say 60K is early, when I worked for Ford the interval on most of the manuals was 90k or more. Others maybe able to provide insight on that item.

I say leave the brake fluid alone, it only causes problems. Its going to turn brown with time, I have vehicles that have had the same fluid in it for years and rarely have problems. Some people say change it but can see no good reason to, and in fact I never open the cap nor let people top it off for me. If you do make sure you put it to the exact same level unless you change your pads at the same time. If you really feel you must I would carefully lift it out with a turkey baster. If you drive your car like a race car then maybe you should take it out and flush it.

I do coolant at 60K on composite engines(iron and aluminum) and I really have never owned an all AL engine, I would think that 60K at least. The price I have seen on the internet for the honda coolant is about the same as the Napa stuff. I would get the Honda stuff, but IMHO all coolant is the same(except Dex cool or orange) and I doubt that Honda adds anything extra.

I am going to do my Dual Pump Fluid(AWD rear end) every 30K when I do the tranny fluid. I only buy Honda Dual Pump Fluid II, again HandA is good place to get it, and you also need the crush gaskets.

If your battery is no good, buy a die hard, exide or Walmart red label. I don't particularly like interstate or Remy, you get what you pay for with batterys and the Honda one is not worth the box it came in.

Plugs will come out at 95k even though they seem to be fine, I want to make sure they break away from the block more then anything else.


Chris

 

[ramblerdan]

You've checked the dealer's recommendations against your owner's manual?

 

[mbaha]

hmm that says do the brake fluid, something I would rather leave alone.
Well now my 30K is looking like a filter change!! I tend to do the air filter every 10-15k anyway because we often drive on dirt roads through the south west. I'm really interested to see how bad the cabin air filter is

 

[OTG]

My 30k was a filter change. I would've done cabin filters then, but did those at 20k, so not due until 40k (which is now).

Nothing else seems dirty enough to need replacement honestly.