2013 Civic - just follow the maintenance minder?

[gorb]

I've got a little over 30,000 miles on my car. I've been having my car serviced as directed by the car's maintenance minder with the exception of engine and cabin air filters which I change every ~15k.

The dealership is recommending I change my transmission fluid now that I'm at 30k. I would just do it myself since they'd be charging over $100 for what I think is just a simple drain and fill of ~$30 worth of fluid. I can't seem to find the interval in my manual for the transmission fluid change but I believe it's 60,000 miles so I'm only halfway there.

I guess there's no harm in doing it early, but I'd rather not waste my time or money if I don't have to. Thoughts? Thanks

 

[NutBucket]

Couldn't hurt but you'd better make sure you can use generic fluid. Otherwise I would use OEM fluid just to be safe.

 

[pauldun170]

I've got a little over 30,000 miles on my car. I've been having my car serviced as directed by the car's maintenance minder with the exception of engine and cabin air filters which I change every ~15k.

The dealership is recommending I change my transmission fluid now that I'm at 30k. I would just do it myself since they'd be charging over $100 for what I think is just a simple drain and fill of ~$30 worth of fluid. I can't seem to find the interval in my manual for the transmission fluid change but I believe it's 60,000 miles so I'm only halfway there.

I guess there's no harm in doing it early, but I'd rather not waste my time or money if I don't have to. Thoughts? Thanks

Just stick to the schedule unless you plan on keeping the car for 20 years 300K.

 

[gorb]

I would not use other brands/generics. I'd be using honda atf-dw1 purchased from a dealership or something like that.

 

[MiataNC]

Use the schedule in the owners manual. Dealers will often up sell services that are not in the factory maintenance schedule.

If you do it yourself, buy your fluids/parts from Honda, and document everything with pictures, receipts, etc. If you end up needing warranty repair, you want to have solid proof maintenance was performed according to the factory schedule and with factory parts.

 

[Zivic]

they are saying do it and it's not coming up on the minder?

I have an 09 honda van. about 68k on it now. about every 30k it is coming up with a trans fluid service. it costs me about 100 bucks just in fluid to do the service. I do a 3x drain/fill. yours may not be the same, but if it is, it takes a lot of fluid. it is something you can do yourself, but I would only do it if the minder calls for it

 

[gorb]

Yes Zivic they are saying do it and it has not come up on the maintenance minder yet. They do the same crap with the cabin air and engine air filters. If it really does take 3x drain & fill to get all the old fluid out and the new fluid in, I might just pay them to do it because it is around ~$10/quart for genuine honda atf. My car holds 2.5 qts - I'm guessing your van probably holds a little more.

MiataNC I have been documenting everything in the maintenance logbook I haven't been taking photos but I do have receipts and stuff. I'll start taking photos too though.

Thanks again everybody

 

[Kaido]

I just follow the reminder system (transmission fluid is maintence minder sub-item #3). btw, a searchable PDF manual for the 2013 Civic is available here: (my wife has the non-hybrid sedan)

http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/OM/R31313/R31313OM.pdf

I didn't see any set time in the manual, but it says to do a visual inspection on the dipstick monthly (page 277 has the procedure for the automatic transmission fluid check).

 

[gorb]

Yeah, I have that manual and I did look through it. I know it's sub-item 3. Thanks

 

[Kaido]

Yeah, I have that manual and I did look through it. I know it's sub-item 3. Thanks

Eh it was more of a reminder link for me...I was too lazy to go out to the car & check it myself

 

[dguy6789]

Dealers are salesmen first and foremost. Following the maintenance minder and your manual is satisfactory. I prefer to buy a car from a dealer and then have nothing to do with said dealer from then on out so I don't have to deal with all the nonsense maintenance they try and upsell.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yes Zivic they are saying do it and it has not come up on the maintenance minder yet. They do the same crap with the cabin air and engine air filters. If it really does take 3x drain & fill to get all the old fluid out and the new fluid in, I might just pay them to do it because it is around ~$10/quart for genuine honda atf. My car holds 2.5 qts - I'm guessing your van probably holds a little more.

MiataNC I have been documenting everything in the maintenance logbook I haven't been taking photos but I do have receipts and stuff. I'll start taking photos too though.

Thanks again everybody

It would surprise me if your trans only holds 2.5 quarts of fluid.
That might just be the drain and refill amount.

I would have thought 8 or 9 quarts total capacity.

 

[MiataNC]

Dealers are salesmen first and foremost. Following the maintenance minder and your manual is satisfactory. I prefer to buy a car from a dealer and then have nothing to do with said dealer from then on out so I don't have to deal with all the nonsense maintenance they try and upsell.

^This

Dealers make more money in service than in car sales.

Most dealers use the "extreme conditions" service intervals when recommending service regardless of how the car is driven. That is why you should use the owners manual intervals that match how you use your car, not the dealer recommendation.

 

[Zivic]

It would surprise me if your trans only holds 2.5 quarts of fluid.
That might just be the drain and refill amount.

I would have thought 8 or 9 quarts total capacity.

on my van, I think it is around 8 and when you drop it, you get about 4 out at a time. the 3x drain fill I think ends up replacing about 80% of the fluid.

 

[LTC8K6]

^This

Dealers make more money in service than in car sales.

Most dealers use the "extreme conditions" service intervals when recommending service regardless of how the car is driven. That is why you should use the owners manual intervals that match how you use your car, not the dealer recommendation.

Yes, but we are talking about a Honda automatic transmission.

 

[gorb]

It would surprise me if your trans only holds 2.5 quarts of fluid.
That might just be the drain and refill amount.

I would have thought 8 or 9 quarts total capacity.

Yeah, the manual just says "change 2.5 qts" so you are probably correct that it's just the drain and refill amount. I dunno the actual total capacity.

 

[NutBucket]

Most dealers use the "extreme conditions" service intervals when recommending service regardless of how the car is driven. That is why you should use the owners manual intervals that match how you use your car, not the dealer recommendation.

Anything short of open highway cruising are "extreme conditions" usually. I would definitely drain/fill more often than recommended.

 

[NutBucket]

Yes, but we are talking about a Honda automatic transmission.

There's no V6 involved

 

[gorb]

According to the dealership the transmission holds 7 quarts. Their $113 transmission service consists of a single drain and fill of about 3 quarts and wiping off the shavings on the magnetic drain plug.

I'll just do it myself. Can't hurt to do it more often and they sell the fluid for $8.95/quart.

I'm sure I would fall under extreme driving conditions too. Lots of traffic here in the metroplex and I've been driving ~1600 miles a month. Car only had 54 miles on the odometer when I bought it in the middle of January 2013 and I'm just about to hit 32,000 miles.

 

[Squeetard]

I up the maintenance schedule on my vehicles. My silverado has scheduled maintenance every 10,00km, I do it every 8,000. Coming up on 40k so I'll be doing the 50k maintenance. Manufacturers do not want you keeping your vehicle for 300k.