For Your Honda Vehicle

SEVEN RECOMMENDED SERVICES

The best way to keep the Honda you love running like the day you first bought it is to keep up with maintenance. The following slides will detail some recommended maintenance procedures from Honda of Seattle.

1

Replace Engine Oil and Filter

It is always best to check your owner’s manual to know for sure how often the manufacturer recommends you take your car in for an oil change. The industry standard has in the past been 3,000 to 5,000 miles, but many vehicles today only require an oil change every 7,500 miles or so.1

Rotate Tires and Check Tire Pressure and Condition

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Using your oil change as a point of reference for your tire check and rotation is generally a good idea. If you drive less than 7,500 miles a year, you may want to go in every six months to rotate your tires.1

Replace Air Filter and Cabin Air Filter, Check Drive Belt

Most drivers should be able to go at least a year, if not two, without replacing their air filter.2 It is generally easy to see if the filter needs to be replaced, as you will be able to see black spots and discoloration.

The cabin air filter makes sure the air coming into the car is clean and should be replaced at least annually. This varies however based on your owner’s manual and where you drive most. Replacing both air filters at the same time is often the easiest way to ensure you don’t get off your replacement schedule.

While you’re replacing the filters, make sure to get the drive belt checked as well. If it becomes frayed or develops cracks, it could break and cause damage to the alternator, battery or other parts of your vehicle. Check your manual to see how often you should inspect the belt.

3

Replace Transmission Fluid and Transfer Case Fluid

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Checking your manual is always the best way to know how often to replace your transmission fluid. It is important to know when to do so because this fluid is what keeps your transmission cool and your gears shifting smoothly.

Hondas have their own transmission fluid so it is imperative to ensure you are using the correct kind, as others may cause damage to the vehicle.3

If your vehicle is four-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive capable, you should look at your manual for how often to change the transfer case fluid as well. The transfer case helps power the axles for the proper traction based on what drive mode you select. Fluid in the drive case acts much like the transmission fluid in assisting with lubrication and cooling of the transfer case.4

z5

Replace Spark Plugs, Timing Belt and Valve Cover Gasket and Inspect the Water Pump

Spark plugs should be replaced even if there are no signs of erosion, because if spark plugs misfire they run the risk of damaging the catalytic converters, which could cost you more than $1,000 to fix.5 Copper tip plugs can go for about 30,000 miles while platinum or iridium tip plugs can go for about 100,000.

The valve cover gaskets often seal the spark plug ports, so if you are replacing the spark plugs you may need to consider replacing the gasket as well.

It may not be a bad idea to replace your spark plugs and timing belt at the same time. For Honda vehicles, it is recommended to change the timing belt between 60,000 and 90,000 miles depending on the year and model.6

The timing belt on some vehicles hides the water pump, and can be difficult to remove. Gaining access to do so often requires opening up the water pump, which is why it may be recommended to replace the water pump at the same time to avoid any issues.7

Replace Engine Coolant

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Your engine coolant can become acidic due to antifreeze the longer it is in the engine. Having highly acidic contents in the coolant can cause your engine to corrode, damaging the cooling system. To prevent damage, you should test the coolant every 30,000 miles.8

Replace Rear Differential Fluid

Thereardifferentialmakesupfortheextraspaceyouroutsidewheelshavetocoverwhenturning.Thefluidkeepsthedifferentialwelllubricatedsoitcanfunctionsmoothly.Youshouldlookathavingitreplacedevery30,000to60,000miles.9

7

Visit Honda of Seattle Today!

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Come see the service professionals at Honda of Seattle to have your vehicle properly serviced. Our experts know exactly what to look for and use top-of-the-line tools to best take care of your Honda. Call 206.238.0260 to schedule your service today.

1 https://www.cars.com/articles/2013/05/how-often-should-you-rotate-your-tires/2 https://www.cars.com/articles/2013/07/how-often-should-you-change-the-engine-air-filter/3 https://www.cars.com/articles/2013/07/do-you-really-need-to-change-the-transmission-fluid/4 https://www.jiffylube.com/auto-services/drivetrain-services/transfer-case-service5 https://www.angieslist.com/articles/how-often-should-i-change-my-spark-plugs.htm6 http://automobiles.honda.com/information/frequently-asked-questions.aspx?Question=67 https://www.cars.com/articles/how-often-should-i-replace-my-water-pump-1420683869678/8 https://www.cars.com/articles/how-often-should-i-change-engine-coolant-1420680853669/9 https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-often-do-i-need-to-replace-my-car-s-differential-fluid