rojasj

Hi all,
I have a 2010 Civic LX that has been my workhorse everyday car for the past five years. It has 91,000 on it and working flawlessly. The goal is the keep it working flawlessly by maintaining it properly (I usually get 15-20 years out of my cars).

I usually service the Civic at the dealer since they are the most convenient time wise and the shops are me charge almost the same amount of money if I ask them for a quote using original Honda parts.

Anyway, upon the last service the dealer recommend that I do a throttle body cleaning, an "emissions service", change the spark plugs, serpentine belt and flush the brakes and power steering. I've done the transmission fluid changes every 30K as well as one brake and power steering flush. However, is the throttle body and emissions service basic maintenance and should the be done or is this just dealer based "maintenance" that is not officially Honda recommended?

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Brake fluid every 3-4 years.
Power steering 4-5 years.
Plugs & serp belt 100k. And you may consider coolant change also.

Would avoid the TB cleaning myself.

rojasj

Is there a specific reason why I should avoid the TB cleaning?

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Not a mechanic..... but have heard that there is some factory setting/value/adjustment/parameter that can change with cleaning.

rojasj

Got it, thanks. I wasn't sure if you had come across a specific issue with a TB cleaning. I looked online and based on Honda's maintenance schedule I see no mention of a TB cleaning or emissions service.

ezone

If you don't have the equipment (scanner) to recalibrate the throttle-by-wire system, I'd say don't attempt to clean it.

We (at my shop) quit recommending the service after getting burned by a few cars that refused to act right afterwards.

rojasj

I agree, nor do I feel comfortable with the dealer cleaning it. I can't find an official Honda service recommendation for it either.

Is the TB cleaning service more of a "dealer recommended" service?

ezone

Honda doesn't list it at all, and never did AFAIK.

I'm torn on this one.

It is a valid service on sooo many cars. Not only for the sticking gas pedal, but idle problems too.

OTOH I also think it's too often just another service that's oversold by those that flush and can't fix.


I will gladly recommend it on older cars that actually have a sticking throttle because a driver can definitely tell a difference after it's done. It's tangible at that point, not mysterious hocus-pocus.. They can tell that you really did something and it's better.

===========

Newer cars can set fault codes for the electric throttle system, mostly in the P21xx series IIRC. Several of the trouble charts say to clean and relearn the throttle as a diagnostic step.

We have many Hondas with well over 200k, 300k that have not had any issues with their electric throttles..... In fact, I only remember ONE car with an electric throttle related problem at all in the last 13(?) years I've been at this dealer.