Pilot Service Schedule A, etc.

[pfjohns]

Hello Piloteers:

I'm a new (happy!) forum member with a new 2011 Pilot Touring. The "Service A" light just came on, and I wanted to see what that meant (beside oil change). I checked the owner's manual, along with this forum's maintenance and 2009-2011 forums and failed to find any info. I ask, b/c I want to make sure that I do what Honda recommends (and not necessarily the local dealer's recommendations). Am I missing something? Is there somewhere I can see what the regular service maintenance schedule looks like? TIA, Pfjohns

[RSQ Pilot]

Originally Posted by pfjohns

Hello Piloteers:

I'm a new (happy!) forum member with a new 2011 Pilot Touring. The "Service A" light just came on, and I wanted to see what that meant (beside oil change). I checked the owner's manual, along with this forum's maintenance and 2009-2011 forums and failed to find any info. I ask, b/c I want to make sure that I do what Honda recommends (and not necessarily the local dealer's recommendations). Am I missing something? Is there somewhere I can see what the regular service maintenance schedule looks like? TIA, Pfjohns

Open the owners manual, go to the index, find the sections under "Maintenance-Minder ... schedule". Look at those pages they explain everything. You can also register at the Honda Owners Link web site and its there also under maintenance.

[pfjohns]

Thanks, RSG Pilot! I'm already a member of the HRCA, so I logged on, added the Pilot and found the maintenance schedule right away! Much obliged, Pfjohns.

[samc]

I personally change the filter regardless of what code comes up. A = change oil AND FILTER. B = change oil and filter.

[RSQ Pilot]

Originally Posted by samc

I personally change the filter regardless of what code comes up. A = change oil AND FILTER. B = change oil and filter.

+1, As does my dealer with my concurence. Not sure what Honda is thinking in this aspect but...it meets warranty standards! Honda must have a lot of respect for their OEM filters!!!!

[whizmo]

Originally Posted by RSQ Pilot

Honda must have a lot of respect for their OEM filters!!!!

The respect is well-placed - an oil filter has a certain capacity to hold debris and very few owners will overload a filter in two oil change cycles. There is no advantage to replacing a filter prior to it reaching capacity - in fact, the filter does a BETTER job of filtering as it loads, right up to the point the filter is loaded to capacity and the pressure loss across the filter trips the bypass valve.

I replace filters at every oil change simply because I'm not thrilled about leaving a filter's worth of dirty oil in the engine.

- Mark

[pfjohns]

So my wife took in our new 2011 Pilot for Honda Service A to Ourisman Honda in Bethesda, MD (where we bought it). At the dealer, she asked for "Honda Service A", per the Maintenance Minder on the dashboard. "We are Honda," they told her. They proceeded to perform THEIR recommended Service A instead of the Honda-recommended service A (free oil change). They then presented her with a $148 invoice at day's end. She objected and took the bill to the salesman who'd sold us the Pilot in February. He intervened and all charges were waived. He also advised us to use a particular service advisor--not the one my wife landed on when she delivered the Pilot for service. So that's why I asked about the Honda-recommended service, and my concerns were validated by the events. I appreciate seeing the maintenance minder schedule in the owner's manual and my wife will take that in with her on the next service call. Stay tuned!

[mmm666]

A1 is oil change/rotate tires.. it should cost no more than $70 with the dino oil. Always do your homework before taking your car to the dealer for services.

[whizmo]

Originally Posted by pfjohns

So my wife took in our new 2011 Pilot for Honda Service A to Ourisman Honda in Bethesda, MD (where we bought it). At the dealer, she asked for "Honda Service A", per the Maintenance Minder on the dashboard. "We are Honda," they told her. They proceeded to perform THEIR recommended Service A instead of the Honda-recommended service A (free oil change). They then presented her with a $148 invoice at day's end. She objected and took the bill to the salesman who'd sold us the Pilot in February. He intervened and all charges were waived. He also advised us to use a particular service advisor--not the one my wife landed on when she delivered the Pilot for service. So that's why I asked about the Honda-recommended service, and my concerns were validated by the events. I appreciate seeing the maintenance minder schedule in the owner's manual and my wife will take that in with her on the next service call. Stay tuned!

Unfortunately, it is pretty much SOP at most dealers to supercede Honda's maintenance recommendations with their own which recommends more frequent service and/or extra services. For example, many dealers still recommend you do Jiffy-lube-style 3K oil changes even when Honda's recommendation is typically more than double this and many of the Euro mfgs are out to 15K+.

Their justification is typically the catch-all "severe service may require more frequent servicing" clause that is in most schedules - they will argue that most owners subject their cars to severe service and that their "extensive experience" shows that more services are required for "optimal performance". Non-savy owners who just throw their keys at the dealer get taken in all the time by this.

Mostly its a mechanism (some would say a scam) to pad out their service bills with high-profit services that are often done in a cursory manner if they're done at all. For example, in my experience, very few of the "inspections" in the standard service schedules are ever done and the ones that are done tend to only be the ones that often can generate further service revenue (e.g., checking brake pads).

If you want just the service that Honda recommends, you often have to explicity ask for it and hold your ground when they try and talk you out of it. Many dealers play the game of only doing the Honda-recommended services À la carte and charging in a way that causes these services to be at or near the cost of the dealer-recommended packages.

You can usually negotiate your way to more reasonable service costs, but it is annoying you have to do this.

I want to emphasize that not all dealers and not all mechanics engage in these tactics. There are some excellent shops out there with very fair prices, but they tend to be the exception. With consumers being so savy about new car purchases these days, the burden of profitability has shifted to used cars and service departments so many are under a lot of pressure to increase their bottom line.

- Mark

[chihuahua83]

Originally Posted by pfjohns

So my wife took in our new 2011 Pilot for Honda Service A to Ourisman Honda in Bethesda, MD (where we bought it). At the dealer, she asked for "Honda Service A", per the Maintenance Minder on the dashboard. "We are Honda," they told her. They proceeded to perform THEIR recommended Service A instead of the Honda-recommended service A (free oil change). They then presented her with a $148 invoice at day's end. She objected and took the bill to the salesman who'd sold us the Pilot in February. He intervened and all charges were waived. He also advised us to use a particular service advisor--not the one my wife landed on when she delivered the Pilot for service. So that's why I asked about the Honda-recommended service, and my concerns were validated by the events. I appreciate seeing the maintenance minder schedule in the owner's manual and my wife will take that in with her on the next service call. Stay tuned!

HI Pfjohns
I may have the same like you, schedule A but I can't find any thing from manual , saleman said I have lifetime oil change but I am not sure for this. Called him thise days but can't see answer, He may quit that job. I have a camry, very clear about this benefit. So , first time is A, then B then A ? I guess, Did you ask them how is the next time , A or B, I got my car from Herson MD , not far from yours.

[whizmo]

Originally Posted by chihuahua83

So , first time is A, then B then A ? I guess, Did you ask them how is the next time , A or B,

Not necessarily. Just do the services as specified in the manual when the dash says to - you don't have to keep track of anything. Don't overthink this or let the dealer confuse you.

It's all covered in the Owner's Manual.

- Mark

[pfjohns]

Whizmo and RSQ Pilot are correct; the information IS in the owner's manual (search index for "Maintenance-Minder ... schedule"). However, it's deeply buried and hard to find the first time you go through the massive book!

I recommend that you actually take the owner's manual in with you, open to the "Schedule A" description, show it to the service writer and tell him/her specifically that this is what you want. And no more!

Good luck, and report back to us what happens!

[mmm666]

yeap. Oil change is follow by MM or once a year. You can take it to the dealer or DIY..

[pfjohns]

Well, the B16 service light came on just below 10,000 miles, so I took it into Ourisman Honda in Bethesda, MD again for $ervice. Lots more smoke and mirrors when the service writer told me what he wanted to do instead of what I asked for and Honda Maintenance Minder indicated. My favorite: "I was a Honda customer before I was a Honda service writer." We cut out a lot of crap (like gas AND oil "treatments"), and that trimmed quite a lot off their recommended $ervice. When I got the bill, I saw that they did manage to nail me with a $7.99 charge for washer fluid top-off. I have buckets of the stuff at home in my garage (@ $3/gal) and will know to top it off before service in the future. Gotta be vigilant...Nail me once, shame on you; nail me twice, shame on me!

Still looking for an honest, ethical Honda dealer in the DC area; if anyone knows one, please let me know!

[tangotango99]

Originally Posted by pfjohns

Well, the B16 service light came on just below 10,000 miles, so I took it into Ourisman Honda in Bethesda, MD again for $ervice. Lots more smoke and mirrors when the service writer told me what he wanted to do instead of what I asked for and Honda Maintenance Minder indicated. My favorite: "I was a Honda customer before I was a Honda service writer." We cut out a lot of crap (like gas AND oil "treatments"), and that trimmed quite a lot off their recommended $ervice. When I got the bill, I saw that they did manage to nail me with a $7.99 charge for washer fluid top-off. I have buckets of the stuff at home in my garage (@ $3/gal) and will know to top it off before service in the future. Gotta be vigilant...Nail me once, shame on you; nail me twice, shame on me!

Still looking for an honest, ethical Honda dealer in the DC area; if anyone knows one, please let me know!

Jim Coleman ask for Cliff and Sport Honda