We purchased our Honda Civic this past January. We had the dealer do a 1,000 mile check, and we have brought it in to Jiffy Lube for oil and filter changes and fluid checks. I cannot figure out what the regular maintenance schedule should be. I used to bring our old 1998 Civic in to the dealer for pre-winter and post-winter routine maintenance. Should I still be doing this, or do I just wait for a warning light to flash?
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There is no 1,000 mile check for an '06 Civic. The computer tells you when the car needs maintenance. I just brought mine in for its first oil change at 7,800 miles and 7 months.
Keep your H> We purchased our Honda Civic this past January. We had the dealer do
Why are people so upset with Jiffy Lube and the other lube places?
I have read the manual and cannot figure out what the maintenance schedule is. In the old days there was a schedule that had a grid indicating what maintenance needed to be performed at various milles. Where in the 2006 manual is the new grid?
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Those places tend to use the wrong fluids (e.g. generic instead of manufacturer-specific) and overcharge for their services. In fact, there was a news story recently about some of these places charging for services that were never even performed.
They are a gamble. It's possible they will do a competent job of changing the oil, but there is a real risk they will do some nasty damage. Cross-threaded oil plugs are legion with the Quickie-lube shops and replacing the oil pan to fix that will set you back a couple hundred dollars. I don't know if anybody has succeeded in getting the JL places to pay for that. More rarely they will put the entirely wrong fluids in or fail to put oil in the crankcase at all. Those cases often show up on the TV news "consumer advocate" spots. There have also been lots of complaints about shops that claim to change the filter but clearly don't.
Personally, I do my own work and keep cars long past the point they have any trade-in value. But if you expect to trade the car in when it is still new enough to have value, you may find yourself many dollars ahead to have the dealership or your regular mechanic change the oil and routine maintenance. Verifiable service records are a crucial part of the difference between a car that is in "good" condition and one that is in "excellent" condition, and that can mean a thousand dollars or more in Blue Book value. Beyond that, establishing a relationship with a shop before major trouble comes along can pay off in many ways. Also, if they *do* cross-thread the drain plug you can be sure they will make good on it without being asked. Shops protect their business a whole lot more than fast lube places do.
Although... a bunch of years ago I heard about a place (in redneckland IIRC) that offered topless oil changes (yes - women doing the work topless). It was called "Boob and Lube." Kind of a specialty thing, I guess. Dunno how that would look in the old service record.
"Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote in news:elmop- snipped-for-privacy@nntp1.usenetserver.com:
I can be lenient with noobs on almost any subject, except this one. You don't know to read the manual? The salesman should have gone over the maintenance stuff at delivery.
Thought it was pretty straightforward and my 06 Accord. Per the manual, at
15% oil life you get an indication of the service needed which is cross-referenced in the manual. The "maintenance minder" apparently will keep bugging you as your "oil life" decreases. In the end, it would seem that you should have had a service done arounf 7500 miles. In my Accord, I am at 20% oil life at 6300 miles, so I would think that I should have it serviced at my Honda dealer at 7000-7500.
Putting generic fluid in Honda power steering will destroy the seals in the pump and rack. The same applies to the automatic transmission or manual transmission, but the destruction goes deeper there. Honda coolant is compatible with some others, but it isn't hard to get ahold of coolant that will kill your water pump which could lead to engine destruction through overheating or timing belt failure. The trend to manufacturer-specific fluids is growing; Hondas and Toyotas will last a long time, but won't last long at all if care isn't taken in ensuring the right fluids are used.
Maybe I should call it a resurgence. In the 60s several parts manufacturers (notably Girling) used natural rubber seals that would not last long if generic brake or hydraulic fluid was used. I killed the brakes in my Lotus because I listened to a parts guy in a store and used DOT 3 fluid. Duh!
Anyway, I've taken to getting all my fluids except motor oil at the dealer. It's cheaper in the long run.
Because most of them do not do a very good job. They cut corners, charge for services that they never perform, sell you services that you don't need. Basically, unless you know what YOU are doing, I would never trust them. I use a local place for oil changes, but I watch every step that they take, and make them fix anything that I see them do wrong. I would do the work myself, but it isn't worth the $5 savings for me to climb under a car. I'll just monitor their work...
The manual is very clear. You just haven't read it right. There is no set schedule, except for maximums. When things need to be done, the maintenance minder will generally tell you.
I had my first oil change in my Civic Si at around 5500 miles, when the MM system told me it needed to be done. That's just the way it works now.
If you are nervous about such, use the old ways. Set up your own schedule. Change oil at 3000 and rotate tires at 5000. Change tranny fluid at 10000 if you wish. Change the brake fluid every 3 years.
But, likely, you are better off doing it when the car tells you. The manual does have certain maximums in it (like that brake fluid suggestion), and I would follow those, but otherwise, don't worry.
As long as you use stuff that is to spec, it should be fine. There was just a discussion about Honda's MTF, and replacing it with a comperable Synthetic.
What is the difference with Honda Anti-Freeze? What do they use that is different than everyone else?
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