VTM-4 Fluid change

[cwelty]

Last week I had the B16 code come up on my 2011 Pilot with 12,400 miles. Over the weekend I did the service. I went to my local honda dealer to get the oil drain washer, vtm fluid and washers. The parts guy took a long time looking up the crush washers. When he came back with them he brought 2 identical washers for the vtm. I questioned it and he said he looked it up and he's right. I have read the maintenance sticky a couple times and I thought it said the fill and drain bolts were different sizes. It turns out he sold me two fill bolt crush washers. It would have been better if it was both drain washers.

The more I think about it I feel I have 3 options:
1) Do nothing and not worry about it. It's not leaking and there are lots of people that don't change the crush washers and are fine. I flipped the washer and torqued it to spec. I didn't just put a big ass wrench on it and tighten the crap out of it like the gorilla robot that installed it.
2) Call and complain but still not worry about it.
3) Call and complain and try to get something out of them. I kind of feel like they should give me the correct washer and new fluid because they screwed up and I have to drain it to put on the new washer. Heck I'd even buy the $0.50 washer.

What do you think? Is it extreme for me to want new fluid from them? This vehicle is a lease and from what I understand I have to turn in maintenance receipts. I doubt they would even look at it close enough to notice but I think it's the principal.

[RSQ Pilot]

Originally Posted by cwelty

Last week I had the B16 code come up on my 2011 Pilot with 12,400 miles. Over the weekend I did the service. I went to my local honda dealer to get the oil drain washer, vtm fluid and washers. The parts guy took a long time looking up the crush washers. When he came back with them he brought 2 identical washers for the vtm. I questioned it and he said he looked it up and he's right. I have read the maintenance sticky a couple times and I thought it said the fill and drain bolts were different sizes. It turns out he sold me two fill bolt crush washers. It would have been better if it was both drain washers.

The more I think about it I feel I have 3 options:
1) Do nothing and not worry about it. It's not leaking and there are lots of people that don't change the crush washers and are fine. I flipped the washer and torqued it to spec. I didn't just put a big ass wrench on it and tighten the crap out of it like the gorilla robot that installed it.
2) Call and complain but still not worry about it.
3) Call and complain and try to get something out of them. I kind of feel like they should give me the correct washer and new fluid because they screwed up and I have to drain it to put on the new washer. Heck I'd even buy the $0.50 washer.

What do you think? Is it extreme for me to want new fluid from them? This vehicle is a lease and from what I understand I have to turn in maintenance receipts. I doubt they would even look at it close enough to notice but I think it's the principal.

As long as it is not leaking the reused drain washer will be fine.
I'd still call and let the Parts Manager, Dealer Management or both know of the incompetence of the parts clerk. Recouping something out of it might worth discussing...maybe a free oil change

[theirishscion]

Seconded, if it's not leaking then don't fret about it. Lots of folks (and quite likely dealerships) reuse the washers and get away with it. I'd say the biggest issue is around straining the threads in the diff by not having a nice soft washer to crush, but since you're only torquing to spec anyway, that shouldn't be an issue.

And from a morally relativistic point of view, if you're handing the truck back in at the end of a lease, I don't imagine you could care less what sort of lifespan the threads in the drain plug for the back diff have anyway.

It would be satisfying to give parts-counter-dude's boss a call though, that's a pretty ridiculous mistake for him to make.

[whizmo]

At lease turn in, nobody is going to be checking whether you used a new crush washer during a fluid change.

Somebody made a (minor) error at the parts counter; worth reporting if you want, but keep this in perspective - in the realm of dealer mistakes, this is tiny and non-consequential.

- Mark

[94eg!]

Well here is the picture the guy was looking at to pick out your parts. You would have to be pretty special not to notice there are different part numbers for the two plug washers (26 & 18)...

[theirishscion]

Originally Posted by whizmo

Somebody made a (minor) error at the parts counter; worth reporting if you want, but keep this in perspective - in the realm of dealer mistakes, this is tiny and non-consequential.

You're not wrong, the consequences of the error aren't Earth-shattering. But it isn't inconsequential either, considering it was the incorrect drain plug washer that was sold, you're either forcing the customer to trust that their existing washer will remain properly sealed (against the manufacturer's recommendation, and who knows how many times the existing washer has been reused already) or forcing them to bring a different vehicle back to the dealership to get the correct washer (if the parts counter is still open), or forcing them to change their VTM fluid a 2nd time to get a fresh washer.

Now considering the customer even had the presence of mind to question the parts man about what appeared to be the wrong part, I'd call it pretty damned weak that he walked out of there with the wrong part in hand. Autozone? Wouldn't surprise me. Honda? I expect better for the price. {edit} On calm reflection, I don't actually expect better, which is sad, but I think it's entirely reasonable to expect better. Excusing this sort of behavior on their part just cultivates an environment in which it may flourish. Ironically enough, as much as my old Ford is a noisome POS, the men on the Mac Haik parts counter are damned good at their job. I'm guessing this is at least in part because they get more practice, but even so. This whole conversation mostly just serves to highlight what seems to be a pervasive apathetic complacency among at least some of the franchised Honda dealers out there, mine included.

[mmm666]

IF you have any questions, you can ask theirish or other members.. this forum have alot of information.

for normal driving, vtm fluid change at 15k, 30k, 60k.
transmission fluid at 45k, and 75k according to Honda. Many people do every 30k miles.