bellacivic

I bought a civic anticipating low maintenance costs, but inevitably, I go to the dealer and leave with a $300+ bill every time. Today, I decided to do some research before letting them take my money.

I bought my 2010 Honda Civic in the Summer of 2010. I currently have about 37,000 miles on it (I drive a lot). I have been to the dealer every time the oil level was at 15% and done exactly what they said each time. Today, they told me my fluids were "dirty" and needed to change the brake fluid ($109), power steering fluid ($125), and transmission fluid ($180). Anyone have any suggestions to get this done cheaper? Do I really need to change all these now?

Thanks in advance for the help,

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

those are necessary to change at 30k miles, but not for that much. total ripoff. i remember not more than 5 yrs ago, the trans fluid change at the dealer was only $50. all they do is take a bolt out, let the fluid drain out, then put the bolt back and add new fluid. its even easier than engine oil change. power steering is the easiest. open the reservoir cap, use a turkey baster to suck the old fluid out, then pour in the same amount of new fluid. that changes 1/2 the fluid and after driving around a bit, you can change it again if its still dirty looking. changing power steering is about a 5 min job, and trans is 15 mins. i would recommend using the honda brand fluids for power steering and trans tho. you can buy them from parts dept and take it somewhere else. the brake fluid is a bit more complicated to do correctly and that is the only one that is actually worth paying for. if you were around the reno, nv area i would do your trans and ps fluid changes for $20. i doubt it would take more than a half hour and im not even a mechanic.

ezone

You getting hit with a $300 bill every time is your own fault. I'd like to hear what all you got sold (needlessly?), and for how much. The car shouldn't have needed much more than oil changes and tire rotations to reach this mileage. 7 oil changes at the most, I'd imagine, under the worst conditions of 5k intervals. Filters at 25k, and maybe ATF changed. Maybe a set of front brakes if you really drive in stop and go situations.
(Edit: And a set of tires, if it didn't come with Michelins.)
Don't you keep records of what has been done to your car?

The dealer is trying to UPSELL you some fluid flushes to generate revenue this time.
Ignore most of them.

Fluid that "looks dirty" is subjective, and not a good indicator of needing service. Fluids change color during their useful life. This is normal.


All of the service reminder info is explained in your owners manual. RTFM, be informed.
This is about those letters and numbers that pop up with that 15% warning.

Your manual says nothing about servicing the power steering fluid. (Let me know if it does though.)
It WILL say to replace brake fluid every 3 years. Is your car at 3 years old yet?
I'd recommend the ATF services every 30k though, or even more often.

Cheaper?
Shop around for someone honest. The recommended trans service is only a drain and fill with 3 quarts of Hondas ATF DW-1, and is simpler, faster, and easier than an oil change. $180 is a rip off IMO. Hondas printed policy is to NOT use a machine ("strongly discouraged") and chemicals to flush their transmissions, and that 180 sounds like the price for that type of service.
Same for PS fluid. Empty it and fill it with the proper fluid.

bellacivic

Thanks for the info.

The car is only about 2 years old, but it has 37,000 miles on it and I bought it basically new (it was used as a demo car and had about 5,000 miles on it when I bought it).

Which of the three services are most important? Sound like the break fluids, correct? From what I gather, the power steering is not necessary.

ezone

IMHO, considering the track record of Hondas automatic transmissions, I'd do the trans fluid. Drain and fill only.

I do the ATF on my moms 02 Accord with every other oil change. So far, so good on her car.
Those Accords have serious trans issues, you can do your own searches for this.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i like to do them more often, in fact some people will tell you to change brake fluid each year, or every 2 yrs max. honda says 3 yrs, but by that time ive found fluff and other debris start to form in the reservoir, in addition to the fluid turning dark. its worth avoiding costly brake system repairs down the line. i change the auto trans fluid yearly as well, sometimes more often if i do lots of highway driving. ps fluid whenever it looks dark. and engine oil once a year (with lc20, redline oil, and amsoil filter). the only fluid that needs to be completely flushed is the brake fluid, because it does not mix around like all the others. the rest can be drain and filled to change 1/2 the capacity, then drive around for a week and do it again. you may also want to look into doing these yourself. if you have an 06+ civic, the dw1 atf is prolly the best bet, and honda ps fluid. the rest like engine oil and brake fluid doesnt have to be honda brand. dont forget the external atf filter, which should be changed yearly (or three years max) for best performance.

naquadah1

Not long ago I had my 2010 civic at the dealer for state inspection and they said my brake fluid and transmission fluid were both dirty/contaminated but to delay costs I put off until I need oil change (which just got to 15%) . And they say all 3 will be ~ $200. I don't put a lot of miles on the car but I bought I used 3 yrs ago and doesn't get garaged much. Guessing that contributes to moisture into fluids but I have wondered how it would get contaminated with so few miles I put on the car. Could staying outside all the time really have an affect on life of those fluids?

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

^^^$200 sounds pretty fair for all 3... you said dealer, so it should get OE stuff.
The brake fluid draws moisture over time & is 3 years interval regardless of mileage. And, ATF should be done before MM calls for it, so 30 k is good and if never changed they are 6 years old.