Self Maintenance

FIrst of all congradulations on your purchase. I bought my 05 HCH in March of this year.
I can't help you on the CVT questions because I have a manual tranny, but here is a link about changing the oil.
http://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1879497

This is what I use for oil and the filters are what is recommended on the Mobil website, Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy Oil
Filter matches for the vehicle you selected:
Mobil 1 Model M1110
Champion Model PH2867
Fram Model PH7317
You can also purchase the Honda filter and oil directly from the dealer it you want to go that way.

Normally this is where I would direct you to at least 2 great articles over on www.cleanmpg.com but they are having server problems right now with so many new people so will tell you check over there when that clears up but there is also a pretty good article here at:
http://www.hybridcars.com/gas-saving-tips/maximizing-mileage-honda-civic...
Just looking at it briefly I only really disagree with the comment about using cruise control whenever possible. Unless you are driving on mostly flat land you can always do better with your foot.

Big three for best fuel efficiency is:
Up your tire pressure to max sidewall pressure, hopefully your HCH still has a LRR tire on them.

Slower is better, try to stay under 65 mph on any highway. I never go over 55mph anymore unless going downhill.

As Wayne says, drive hills like a roller coaster, don't be afraid to lose a little speed going up and let gravity give you a hand coasting down.

Good luck

Hi Beezak:

I hope you don't mind if I answer your question here instead of replying to your PM.

HemiSynch pretty much answered the questions regarding regular maintenance. I'll try to give you an answer for the remaining item.

RE: CVT
Since the vehicle has 28,000+ miles I would look into having the CVT fluid replacement done at a dealership. The reason why I say this is because maintaining the CVT competently involves more than a simple fluid replacement. In essence this type of maintenance has to be performed at least every two years or more frequently depending on the mileage accumulated. I would suggest you have them do the CVT fluid change every 32000 miles or more frequently if the operational duty justifies it (cold weather and frequent urban driving).

A dealership may elect to fill it and empty it twice or three times in order to ensure that it meets the criteria and unless you buy 2 or three iterations of the fluid this is something you will not do. The Gen 1 CVT's are VERY sensitive to HCVT fluid break-down and it is critical that you do not penny pinch in this area as it may end-up costing you a lot more in the not so distant future.
They may also apply a PCM (and other) software updates as part of that strategy and this is something that most owners neither know about nor can they perform competently.

Also, Honda's CVT fluid is the only fluid you can use on your vehicle. This pretty much means you have to acquire it from a local dealer or an online parts retailer. Prices may vary and so will the hassle factor in making sure you not only get the right stuff but also the latest. Honda has re-formulated their CVT fluid several times over the years.

Lastly, I would suggest you purchase the Shop Manual for your car. Especially, if you are planning on doing SOME of the maintenance on it. What this will do is show you how to do things right, in the right sequence and why they are done in that way. Additionally, it will also give you much insight as to when it is definitely above your head... and it is in your best interest to take it in. Since it is a 2005 and low miles, it should still have a fair amount of warranty coverage on so I suspect it is still a jewel of car and in great shape.

Cheers;

MSantos

Excellent. :)

My answers to your questions:
1- Under normal circumstances a dealers will only fill the CVT fluid once. However, if they see any degradation or signs that it should be "flushed" and refilled once or twice more then they may elect for that approach. In fact, this happens to be an intermediate procedure resembling a standard "CVT burnish". Some dealers, (the better ones) will let you know before performing this procedure and will request your consent. How do you know you are not being ripped off? Well, I suggest you keep an eye on them and watch for discrepancies and other tell-tale signs of greed and unprofessional behavior or recommendations. Ask here before agreeing to anything if you wish.

2- It varies, but I suspect is should be priced close to $100 or less ( if all else is reported as normal).

3- You can buy the shop manuals here:

https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/logon.asp

4- This one I cannot answer very well. You could do a search on the web especially if you can match the name and the tire model designation. A good tire shop may help you, as well as the folks at TireRack:
http://www.tirerack.com

However, judging from the mileage figures you report I would say the tires are pretty close to LRR if not that already.

Cheers;

MSantos

For anyone changing their oil & filter this month. Advanced Auto has a special going for all month, $26.88 for 5 quarts of Mobil 1 Synthetic oil & filter. That comes out to 5.38 a quart, which about what I pay for it at wallyworld and the filter for free, normall about $10. I know Honda charges over $7 a quart. So it is a good deal. I went ahead and bought 2 of them and have plenty for 3 oil changes since you only change the filter every other time.

For brand-new, first service, I would let Honda do it. Personally, and even though I did a lot of this sort of thing in the past, I would let Honda do it at least for the duration of the warranty. With the Maintenance Minder, it really brings the interval back to reality.

One thing, at least in our area, dealers tend to doggedly stick to changing filter at *every* oil change. This is contrary to the manual and Maintenance Minder, but you really have to stick to your guns.

One benefit of dealer service: there may be bulletins and software updates they will act on. Plus, it's good for the "paper trail".

Hi markmburrows:
You mean: using an aid in the removal of the oil?

I guess you could try, but I don't know about the benefits. The 0W20 is very thin and it should evacuate well on removal without the needs for traditional aids often used for poorer engine designs.

Cheers;

MSantos

Yes, the underbody aero cover can be a slight problem especially if you do not stock up on retaining clips or have the proper clip removal tool.

During the first couple of oil changes it is common to find much higher levels of Iron, Copper, Aluminum, Molybdnenum, Silicon, Magnesium and Boron. Obviously getting these out completely is a big thing. But after that... well, it depends on how well the "big boy topsider" can completely suck out the oil from the lowest part of the oil pan.

You can certainly give it a try and if you want to go one step further just get your oil tested once in a while and keep the lab report for future reference in case you ever need it.

Cheers;

MSantos

I found the plastic underbody cover really complicates my usual modus operandi. I've done one transmission fluid change myself, and other than that have left it up to the dealership.

My usual method is to jack up the front with a typical 2 ton jack, and put safety stands in at the 2 rocker panel front jacking points. That gets you enough clearance to crawl under, with a regular car. But not with the plastic underpanel.

The simplest way to get the plastic cover out of the way is to just remove the fasteners on the front portion, and then swing it down at a hinge point that's just a little back of the engine. But it's too long to swing out of the way properly. You need to boost it up maybe 6" more than typical shadetree mechanic height.