my honda van is due for its 105,000 mile service. It seems overly expensive given the amount of work they do, mostly checking stuff. If the car is running well, we’re doing the maintenance (oil, etc.), and we took care of the belt, can we skip this expensive service and move on.
Are you taking it to the dealer? If so find a local independent mechanic, you will save a lot. Check your owner’s manual and it will tell you what is needed. Do everything listed there. Don’t buy more than is listed there unless there is some real reason to do so. The 105,000 mile service IS maintenance.
The answer to your question lies in your response to this question:
Are you planning on keeping this van or are you planning on getting rid of it?
If you are planning on keeping it, then you need to maintain it. And, as Mr. Meehan said, an independent mechanic can likely do the required maintenance for far less money than the dealership.
Maintenance is invariably cheaper than repair, so if you want to avoid unnecessary repair costs, you need to maintain it.
ATF ever been changed in it?.
I’d say Oil, engine and Gearbox (complete flush on G-box if more than 30K), plugs, Check the brake pads, replace as necessary. Change the Powr steering fluid if older than 30Kmls
Does this engine have a belt of chain and if belt what’s the change interval and when last changed.
“checking” stuff, you should be doing yourself anyway.
Wherever you take the car for maintenance, it is really important to follow the manufacturer’s list of maintenance procedures, not the list offered by the dealership, or the well-meaning but incomplete lists offered by people on this site.
The engineers who designed the vehicle certainly know more than anyone else regarding what is necessary. The dealership will invariably try to sell additional services that are not necessary and individuals who don’t have the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule for reference will leave out some necessary items.
If you intend to keep this vehicle, do everything listed in the Owner’s Manual for the 105k maintenance. Where you have it done is up to you, but you are likely to save a whole heap of money if you go to an independent mechanic.
Agree that the first stop is the owner’s manual; it will list what is to be done. Personally, I ususally do somewhat more than what is listed in a US car manual, since cooling system service and transmission fluid/filter changes are often missing.
Honda, on the other hand, is very realistic about its maintenance requirements, and the manual should be followed.