In the next several days, a class action lawsuit will be announced pertaining to the rear brake pads on 2008 - 2010 Honda Accords. Owners of affected models will receive information pertaining to this lawsuit in the mail. The lawsuit will enable customers who have paid for replacement of the rear brake pads on affected vehicles, with less than 36,000 miles at the time of replacement, to apply for a refund of up to 150.00. Dealers will no longer be permitted to replace the brake pads as a goodwill gesture.
It is worth noting that the total cost associated with replacement of the rear brake pads usually exceeds 150.00, leaving affected customers to absorb the difference. If you are planning on applying for the refund, check with your dealer to determine how they will be handling the difference. Some dealers might be offering credits and or refunds while others will be offering nothing
at all.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Do it all with Owner Link
If you have a Honda, you should have Owner Link.
Whether you have one or four Hondas, Owner Link provides you with a single destination for doing everything from making payments and retrieving radio codes to checking for recalls and even determining if you Honda will fit in your garage. And that’s just the beginning!
Payments:
If you are financing your Honda, you can make a payment online, get a payoff quote, make a principle payment, review previous statements and sign up to have your monthly statement emailed rather than mailed.
Vehicle Information:
Owner Link provides a wealth of information even the dealer can’t provide. Here some of many useful tools found under the vehicle information tab:
Check for recalls.
Learn about the Maintenance Minder and other systems via video tutorials.
Retrieve your radio or navigation code.
Order an updated navigation disk.
Read or download the entire owner’s manual in PDF format.
Obtain engineering specifics such as engine type, horsepower, torque etc.
Determine the interior and exterior measurements.
Store your service records in a central location.
Scheduling Service:
Forget calling the dealer to schedule service and ask for specials, who has time?
Use Owner Link to schedule service and make your experience a great one with
these online tools.
Choose a service provider that is convenient for you.
Schedule your visit online for service, recalls or repair and include all the details.
Coming in for a noise or vibration? Use the service prep for to provide the dealer
with all the details regarding your concern. There is even a glossary of terms.
View the service coupons and include them in your appointment.
You can also…
Shop and order accessories.
Learn what to do in the event of an accident and find a provider.
Obtain Trade-in value.
Have special offers emailed directly to you and much more.
Make life easier with Owner Link, I do. www.ahm-ownerlink.com
If you have a Honda, you should have Owner Link.
Whether you have one or four Hondas, Owner Link provides you with a single destination for doing everything from making payments and retrieving radio codes to checking for recalls and even determining if you Honda will fit in your garage. And that’s just the beginning!
Payments:
If you are financing your Honda, you can make a payment online, get a payoff quote, make a principle payment, review previous statements and sign up to have your monthly statement emailed rather than mailed.
Vehicle Information:
Owner Link provides a wealth of information even the dealer can’t provide. Here some of many useful tools found under the vehicle information tab:
Check for recalls.
Learn about the Maintenance Minder and other systems via video tutorials.
Retrieve your radio or navigation code.
Order an updated navigation disk.
Read or download the entire owner’s manual in PDF format.
Obtain engineering specifics such as engine type, horsepower, torque etc.
Determine the interior and exterior measurements.
Store your service records in a central location.
Scheduling Service:
Forget calling the dealer to schedule service and ask for specials, who has time?
Use Owner Link to schedule service and make your experience a great one with
these online tools.
Choose a service provider that is convenient for you.
Schedule your visit online for service, recalls or repair and include all the details.
Coming in for a noise or vibration? Use the service prep for to provide the dealer
with all the details regarding your concern. There is even a glossary of terms.
View the service coupons and include them in your appointment.
You can also…
Shop and order accessories.
Learn what to do in the event of an accident and find a provider.
Obtain Trade-in value.
Have special offers emailed directly to you and much more.
Make life easier with Owner Link, I do. www.ahm-ownerlink.com
Monday, December 14, 2009
Get to know your brakes!
Continuing our series on lowering your overall cost of ownership, we now turn to the subject of brakes. Next to your tires, your brakes are the single most important component of your vehicle. If they’re not working, you’re not stopping. But yet, so many consumers place their safety in the hands of those that are not proper trained, lack the proper equipment or are more concerned about making a sale than providing a quality product. So I thought it would be fitting to spend some time on the topic of brakes, arming consumers with the accurate information they require to get the job done right the first time.
Inspection…
Make no mistake, proper and routine brake system inspections will save you time, money and maybe even your life. Too often, a brake inspection consists of a quick look, checking for pad thickness and rotor condition. This is not appropriate. A proper brake inspection consists of the entire brake system, not just the pads and rotors. This is why it is critical for you start with choosing a provider that highly trained and competent, rather than a provider that has special offer on “lifetime” brake pads. But we’ll come back to that later.
Depending on what your vehicle is in for (service or not) the various components of the brake system will be inspected in different orders. Either way, let’s start with the pads and rotors. A proper brake pad inspection consists of the removal of all the pads. Why? You cannot properly measure all the brake pads (four on the front) when they are in the calipers. You also cannot properly inspect the brake caliper piston. Not all the brake pads wear at the same rate. In fact, the inner pads (the ones that are hard to see) tend to wear faster than the outers. A common mistake of the amateur is to leave the pads in, measuring just the outside pads, which often have a much as 25% more than the inner. The result, the consumer gets bad information about how much longer they can drive on those pads. Back to the inspection; once all the pads are out, you use a gauge to measure all the pads from various areas to determine your lowest point. You take that number (measured in millimeters), let’s say 4.0mm which, on Honda pads, would be 40% remaining.
The brake rotors are just as important and require care when inspecting, along with proper consultation
with the driver as conditions such as warped brake rotors are not easily noticed during an inspection.
Many providers recommend a rotor resurfacing with every change of the brake pads. If this happens to
you, prior to the performing of the inspection, you should be concerned. Here’s why. Rotors take a lot
of abuse and will require resurfacing and eventually replacement. But rotors do not always require
attention. Again, inspection and consultation come first. Does your steering wheel vibrate when braking
under load or at higher speeds? If the answer is yes, the rotors are most likely warped from overheating, which is common in cities with traffic and hills such as San Francisco. Other reasons for resurfacing include; deep grooves from normal wear, pads worn beyond the service limit, light rust (not deep pits) as well as glaze, which is a byproduct of heat. It is worth noting that none of these conditions are related to the safety of the vehicle, but rather, impact how the brakes feel and sound. Every time a rake rotor is resurfaced, it gets thinner and warps easier, speeding up it’s replacement. This is why it is only performed when needed. A proper brake inspection will include a “run out”.
which is measurement of the rotor thickness. Brake rotors must be a certain thickness to resurface, otherwise, warping will come easy and cracking of the rotor is possible.
The brake master, booster, reservoir and lines all must be inspection during each brake inspection. Although brake pads and shoes that are worn beyond their service limit will diminish your braking ability, increasing stopping distance, a hydraulic failure due to a leaking brake master cylinder for
example, will often give you no prior warning, resulting in complete brake failure when applied.
Brake fluid…
Brake fluid is to be replaced every three years, regardless of mileage. This comes directly from the manufacturer. It is not to be flushed or replaced as part of brake pad or shoe renewal, despite what so called “experts” on the internet say. It is unnecessary and does nothing other than
increase your cost of ownership.
Replacement…
Replacement of the brake pads, rotors or any other component should be performed by a trained professional, not a shade tree mechanic who is between jobs. Additionally, high quality original equipment parts (O.E.M) should never be substituted for low quality replacement parts that will
cost you more in the long run.
Let’s look at the Midas example. If you go to their site or have seen their commercials, you probably know about their lifetime guarantee. Here is my question; why would want a lifetime guarantee on something that is supposed to wear out? You don’t. Here is what you are not told. The brake pads and shoes are made out of a material that is nearly as hard as stone and will most likely last a very, very long time. But because the material is of low quality and is as hard as it is, it damages the rotors and drums. Providing a solution for a customer does not hold much value if you create a larger problem in the process. Honda O.E.M pads are made of a ceramic material that is easy on the rotors while providing exceptional braking. And by the way, if you want to know when you are supposed to replace your brake pads and shoes, here is the answer according to Honda who built the vehicle.
Brake pads (front or rear) should be replaced at 2.9mm remaining or 29%. Brake shoes are replaced when the lowest point measures 0.9mm. Rotor replacement varies depending on model and year.
Inspection…
Make no mistake, proper and routine brake system inspections will save you time, money and maybe even your life. Too often, a brake inspection consists of a quick look, checking for pad thickness and rotor condition. This is not appropriate. A proper brake inspection consists of the entire brake system, not just the pads and rotors. This is why it is critical for you start with choosing a provider that highly trained and competent, rather than a provider that has special offer on “lifetime” brake pads. But we’ll come back to that later.
Depending on what your vehicle is in for (service or not) the various components of the brake system will be inspected in different orders. Either way, let’s start with the pads and rotors. A proper brake pad inspection consists of the removal of all the pads. Why? You cannot properly measure all the brake pads (four on the front) when they are in the calipers. You also cannot properly inspect the brake caliper piston. Not all the brake pads wear at the same rate. In fact, the inner pads (the ones that are hard to see) tend to wear faster than the outers. A common mistake of the amateur is to leave the pads in, measuring just the outside pads, which often have a much as 25% more than the inner. The result, the consumer gets bad information about how much longer they can drive on those pads. Back to the inspection; once all the pads are out, you use a gauge to measure all the pads from various areas to determine your lowest point. You take that number (measured in millimeters), let’s say 4.0mm which, on Honda pads, would be 40% remaining.
The brake rotors are just as important and require care when inspecting, along with proper consultation
with the driver as conditions such as warped brake rotors are not easily noticed during an inspection.
Many providers recommend a rotor resurfacing with every change of the brake pads. If this happens to
you, prior to the performing of the inspection, you should be concerned. Here’s why. Rotors take a lot
of abuse and will require resurfacing and eventually replacement. But rotors do not always require
attention. Again, inspection and consultation come first. Does your steering wheel vibrate when braking
under load or at higher speeds? If the answer is yes, the rotors are most likely warped from overheating, which is common in cities with traffic and hills such as San Francisco. Other reasons for resurfacing include; deep grooves from normal wear, pads worn beyond the service limit, light rust (not deep pits) as well as glaze, which is a byproduct of heat. It is worth noting that none of these conditions are related to the safety of the vehicle, but rather, impact how the brakes feel and sound. Every time a rake rotor is resurfaced, it gets thinner and warps easier, speeding up it’s replacement. This is why it is only performed when needed. A proper brake inspection will include a “run out”.
which is measurement of the rotor thickness. Brake rotors must be a certain thickness to resurface, otherwise, warping will come easy and cracking of the rotor is possible.
The brake master, booster, reservoir and lines all must be inspection during each brake inspection. Although brake pads and shoes that are worn beyond their service limit will diminish your braking ability, increasing stopping distance, a hydraulic failure due to a leaking brake master cylinder for
example, will often give you no prior warning, resulting in complete brake failure when applied.
Brake fluid…
Brake fluid is to be replaced every three years, regardless of mileage. This comes directly from the manufacturer. It is not to be flushed or replaced as part of brake pad or shoe renewal, despite what so called “experts” on the internet say. It is unnecessary and does nothing other than
increase your cost of ownership.
Replacement…
Replacement of the brake pads, rotors or any other component should be performed by a trained professional, not a shade tree mechanic who is between jobs. Additionally, high quality original equipment parts (O.E.M) should never be substituted for low quality replacement parts that will
cost you more in the long run.
Let’s look at the Midas example. If you go to their site or have seen their commercials, you probably know about their lifetime guarantee. Here is my question; why would want a lifetime guarantee on something that is supposed to wear out? You don’t. Here is what you are not told. The brake pads and shoes are made out of a material that is nearly as hard as stone and will most likely last a very, very long time. But because the material is of low quality and is as hard as it is, it damages the rotors and drums. Providing a solution for a customer does not hold much value if you create a larger problem in the process. Honda O.E.M pads are made of a ceramic material that is easy on the rotors while providing exceptional braking. And by the way, if you want to know when you are supposed to replace your brake pads and shoes, here is the answer according to Honda who built the vehicle.
Brake pads (front or rear) should be replaced at 2.9mm remaining or 29%. Brake shoes are replaced when the lowest point measures 0.9mm. Rotor replacement varies depending on model and year.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Flushes, Additives & Nitrogen filled tires, say "NO"!
On September 26, 2006, American Honda sent a letter to all the dealer principals. In this letter with the subject line of “Honda’s Service Policies”, they clearly stated that oil additives, fuel injection cleanings, engine flushes and the use of nitrogen in tires are all practices that the dealers should not engage in.
The following is an excerpt from that letter.
“Honda engineers have conducted exhaustive tests to create specialized maintenance standards that support the performance and longevity of Honda vehicles. Not following these maintenance schedules -or performing services not recommended by Honda-can have adverse consequences on our vehicles or, at minimum, offer no benefit.”
So, if your service provider tries to sell you a power steering, coolant, transmission or any other kind of flush as part of regular maintenance, I suggest you turn around and walk out the door.
I am all about preventative maintenance, not just for your vehicle, but for your house,
personal health and so on. But there is such thing as overkill, and these flushes and additives are
just that, wasted time and wasted money. I’m sure you don’t go through the trouble and expense
to have a plumber come out and snake the drains in your house just in case, as part of preventative maintenance, that wouldn’t make sense and neither does performing all these unnecessary flushes.
I’m not saying these products and services don’t do anything, sure they do something, but they
either do not produce measurable results in terms in performance gains or they fail to extend
the product lifecycle long enough to justify the compounded expense of performing such services.
Radiator Flush...
Let’s look at the radiator as an example. Based on my eleven years with the Honda product,
I see original equipment radiators from Honda last anywhere from 10-15 years plus, and that
is conservative. Now, if we look at the average cost to flush, power flush or whatever to your
radiator, once per year (what seems to be the norm) at an average cost of $80.00, that is $ 800.00 in flushes in just ten years, and they tend to last a lot longer than ten years. Did you know that it costs between 600-800.00 dollars to actually replace the radiator with original equipment part once it does fail? Did also know that the top half of these radiators is made of plastic and there is nothing you can do to stop them from failing over time? See, the heat does a job on the plastic. Hot cold, hot cold, it stresses the plastic out with time, it develops cracks and then leaks. But that’s ok because after ten to fifteen years of driving, it is expected. I mean, nothing lasts forever, right? So do yourself and favor and don’t do it! Service your vehicle according to the manufacturers recommendations. The coolant these days is replaced every 7-8 years!
Nitrogen...
The practice of selling nitrogen in place of free air during tire replacements has gained
a good foothold. And there is good reason, it is very profitable. But the down side is, there is no upside for you, the consumer. Did you know that regular, dry, compressed air is approximately 80% nitrogen already? So what are you paying for? 20% nitrogen that once again provides no measurable gain. Just say no!
Fuel injection (induction) cleanings...
This is a big one. Seems like everyone is selling these. Why?
Because in most instances the cost is about 100.00 dollars or more and very little is performed,
making the service highly profitable. The problem is, this cleaning does nothing to increase fuel economy or make the vehicle run better and certainly does not increase the life span of the component. Sometimes this is used to resolve a symptom, but rarely does it work. When you are having problems in this area (fuel injection system), you address the specific concern. This usually means replacement of the throttle body or fuel injector(s).
So in closing, the manufacturer knows best. Read your manual and know what is supposed to be done. Find yourself a provider you can trust, one that will service your vehicle according to the manual, saving you money and making you a happy Honda Owner.
The following is an excerpt from that letter.
“Honda engineers have conducted exhaustive tests to create specialized maintenance standards that support the performance and longevity of Honda vehicles. Not following these maintenance schedules -or performing services not recommended by Honda-can have adverse consequences on our vehicles or, at minimum, offer no benefit.”
So, if your service provider tries to sell you a power steering, coolant, transmission or any other kind of flush as part of regular maintenance, I suggest you turn around and walk out the door.
I am all about preventative maintenance, not just for your vehicle, but for your house,
personal health and so on. But there is such thing as overkill, and these flushes and additives are
just that, wasted time and wasted money. I’m sure you don’t go through the trouble and expense
to have a plumber come out and snake the drains in your house just in case, as part of preventative maintenance, that wouldn’t make sense and neither does performing all these unnecessary flushes.
I’m not saying these products and services don’t do anything, sure they do something, but they
either do not produce measurable results in terms in performance gains or they fail to extend
the product lifecycle long enough to justify the compounded expense of performing such services.
Radiator Flush...
Let’s look at the radiator as an example. Based on my eleven years with the Honda product,
I see original equipment radiators from Honda last anywhere from 10-15 years plus, and that
is conservative. Now, if we look at the average cost to flush, power flush or whatever to your
radiator, once per year (what seems to be the norm) at an average cost of $80.00, that is $ 800.00 in flushes in just ten years, and they tend to last a lot longer than ten years. Did you know that it costs between 600-800.00 dollars to actually replace the radiator with original equipment part once it does fail? Did also know that the top half of these radiators is made of plastic and there is nothing you can do to stop them from failing over time? See, the heat does a job on the plastic. Hot cold, hot cold, it stresses the plastic out with time, it develops cracks and then leaks. But that’s ok because after ten to fifteen years of driving, it is expected. I mean, nothing lasts forever, right? So do yourself and favor and don’t do it! Service your vehicle according to the manufacturers recommendations. The coolant these days is replaced every 7-8 years!
Nitrogen...
The practice of selling nitrogen in place of free air during tire replacements has gained
a good foothold. And there is good reason, it is very profitable. But the down side is, there is no upside for you, the consumer. Did you know that regular, dry, compressed air is approximately 80% nitrogen already? So what are you paying for? 20% nitrogen that once again provides no measurable gain. Just say no!
Fuel injection (induction) cleanings...
This is a big one. Seems like everyone is selling these. Why?
Because in most instances the cost is about 100.00 dollars or more and very little is performed,
making the service highly profitable. The problem is, this cleaning does nothing to increase fuel economy or make the vehicle run better and certainly does not increase the life span of the component. Sometimes this is used to resolve a symptom, but rarely does it work. When you are having problems in this area (fuel injection system), you address the specific concern. This usually means replacement of the throttle body or fuel injector(s).
So in closing, the manufacturer knows best. Read your manual and know what is supposed to be done. Find yourself a provider you can trust, one that will service your vehicle according to the manual, saving you money and making you a happy Honda Owner.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Service, don’t over do it!
This is the beginning of a series of blog entries I’m creating on how to lower the cost of your car ownership over the lifetime of your vehicle. I’m going to get down to nuts and bolts as we work through the topics in this series (which will include things like Tires, Brakes, and Flushes and additives, etc.). This entry is meant to be an overview about how to approach servicing your vehicle. Please feel free to post any questions or comments here if you have them, I’d be happy to help.
If you are driving a Honda and it is a 2006 or later model, it is equipped with the Maintenance Minder system. This system was developed by Honda to further promote their theme of "lower cost of ownership". In short, the system uses multiple data points such as number of cold starts, trip duration etc. to determine when service is due. This is a good thing because not everyone has the same driving habits and therefore should not perform the same type and amount of service. However, a very disturbing practice for many service providers is to ignore the Maintenance Minder system and promote bloated services that are unnecessary, adding hundreds of dollars to your service bill each visit. Such was the case the other day when a customer wanted to know how much a 30k service would be. No such thing. But that did not stop a local dealer from quoting $300.00 for the service when all that was needed was an "A-1" service (oil change and tire rotation). And don't listen to these providers that tell you should do more than what the book says. Who knows better, the manufacturer or the provider? Do you think Honda would put their reputation on the line by requiring too little service, leading to premature failure? Service providers are doing this as a way to preserve their bottom line. It is flawed thinking that is unsustainable. These providers have seen this coming for years and failed to adjust their business strategy. Smaller margins and greater market share via a strong word-of-mouth is the new and only way to survive.
Tip: Looking for a service provider you can trust? Next time your vehicle is due for service, see what the owners manual says is required, then call around and see which providers are following the manufactures recommendation (manual). Then check them out on a rating service such as RepairPal or to determine the level of service. Not the other way around. These rating services are a good tool, but the reviews are heavily based on treatment rather than fairness and value.
If you are driving a Honda and it is a 2006 or later model, it is equipped with the Maintenance Minder system. This system was developed by Honda to further promote their theme of "lower cost of ownership". In short, the system uses multiple data points such as number of cold starts, trip duration etc. to determine when service is due. This is a good thing because not everyone has the same driving habits and therefore should not perform the same type and amount of service. However, a very disturbing practice for many service providers is to ignore the Maintenance Minder system and promote bloated services that are unnecessary, adding hundreds of dollars to your service bill each visit. Such was the case the other day when a customer wanted to know how much a 30k service would be. No such thing. But that did not stop a local dealer from quoting $300.00 for the service when all that was needed was an "A-1" service (oil change and tire rotation). And don't listen to these providers that tell you should do more than what the book says. Who knows better, the manufacturer or the provider? Do you think Honda would put their reputation on the line by requiring too little service, leading to premature failure? Service providers are doing this as a way to preserve their bottom line. It is flawed thinking that is unsustainable. These providers have seen this coming for years and failed to adjust their business strategy. Smaller margins and greater market share via a strong word-of-mouth is the new and only way to survive.
Tip: Looking for a service provider you can trust? Next time your vehicle is due for service, see what the owners manual says is required, then call around and see which providers are following the manufactures recommendation (manual). Then check them out on a rating service such as RepairPal or to determine the level of service. Not the other way around. These rating services are a good tool, but the reviews are heavily based on treatment rather than fairness and value.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Welcome to Honda Service Insights.
My name is Mark Conrad and I’m the service manager for San Francisco Honda. I have created this blog to help educate Honda owners about all things service. As a Honda service insider for the past eleven years, running a large, multipoint operation, I have seen it all (not really, but a lot) and the one thing remains the same; most owners lack the accurate information they require to make educated decisions about service and repair.
I provide answers to common service questions on the SF Honda website, many repeat questions are brought to my attention. I’d like to use this blog to communicate answers to common service questions to better inform Honda car owners. Whether you have a Civic, an accord, or a fuel-efficient hybrid, my goal is to help you a have a better new or used car ownership experience, save money, time and frustration. I will not use this blog as a means to sell my place of employment. This blog is about you, not me. I am here to provide information that is both valuable and accurate. You can hold me to that.
I provide answers to common service questions on the SF Honda website, many repeat questions are brought to my attention. I’d like to use this blog to communicate answers to common service questions to better inform Honda car owners. Whether you have a Civic, an accord, or a fuel-efficient hybrid, my goal is to help you a have a better new or used car ownership experience, save money, time and frustration. I will not use this blog as a means to sell my place of employment. This blog is about you, not me. I am here to provide information that is both valuable and accurate. You can hold me to that.
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