I have recently replaced rear struts, gotten new tires, and had the alignment done. I notice I have neglected the standard maintenance for my car for a bit, and want to give it the attention it has been missing… It has just over 125,000 miles on it, what is the usual maintenance at this point?
I expect to change air filter, spark plug, and put in fuel injection cleaner. I know there are other things I can/should be doing, just looking for advice on what else I should do for my maintenance. Thanks.
It would be difficult to come up with a better maintenance schedule than what is provided in your Owner’s Manual. Since these maintenance schedules usually only go up to ~120k miles, and since you may have skipped some of the vital maintenance that was supposed to have been done at the very major 90k mile service, I would suggest that you have everything on the 90k list done.
And, if the maintenance schedule doesn’t specify adjusting the valve lash and changing the transmission fluid & filter, I would suggest that you add those items to your list.
Just my 2 cents . . . . transmission fluid/gear oil, bleed all brakes and replace brake fluid, siphon out power steering fluid and replace with Honda fluid, plug wires and distributor cap. I’ll post more if I can think of anything else. Just follow the schedule in the manual, my '89 Accord went to 585,000 doing just that, maybe a little more, but just maintenance really. Rocketman
Transmission fluid if it is an automatic transmission. Brake fluid should be flushed and bleed every time you have a brake job done. Coolant needs to be changed about every 5 years, do not flush, just drain and refill with either Honda coolant or a universal long life coolant.
Valve lash should be checked per maintenance schedule, you will need a new valve cover gasket when this is done.
Really, open the owners manual and read the maintenance schedule. It covers everything. One thing often skipped is looking for fluid leaks. This is critical as it can head off major repairs in the future.
Did you ever replace the timing belt? If not than it needs to be done asap. Also, flush the brake fluid. It absorbs water and can damage your braking system.
This car doesn’t have a timing belt. Just drain and refill with genuine Honda Automatic transmission fluid, have the valve lash set and spark plugs if not done. Brake fluid flushed , coolant changed and have your mechanic look it over.
OK, sounds like a consensus to check the owners manual and it will cover all the bases. Of all the things mentioned thus far, are there any that are highly recommended against DIY? I prefer to do my cars maintenance personally. I have the patience necessary to research and gather information before taking apart my car, but I know there are some jobs with special tools that make DIY a bad idea.
The trickiest might actually be the valve adjustment. It all depends on if you can easily get a feeler gauge in there, of if you need a set that is very narrow and has an angle
Another word of advice on the valve lash. Check it, even if the valves aren’t noisey. Valves often get tighter over time, which leads to burnt valves, low compression, misfires, hard starting, and all sorts of bad stuff. The owner’s manual may very well say to only check them if they’re noisey. That would be bad advice.
I highly recommend using genuine Honda coolant. Mix it 50-50, if it isn’t already
Use only the spark plugs specifically named in the owner’s manual
I’d take a good look at the accessory drive belt, while the hood’s open. You’ve reached the mileage where it might be glazed and/or chunking. If you need one, I recommend Honda, or at least a Gates
Also look at the CV boots. You’re at the mileage, where they might start to split