in response to a question about a 2006 Honda Pilot 3.5L v6 110K maintenance service ….
Warrantee is now over (100,000 mi. I have been told by one repair shop that I need the following:
new shocks
new struts
new brake fluid
radiator flush
new hoses
new thermostat
new spark plugs
clean valves of carbon
new freon in A/C
The estimate is close to $2000. Is there any way of finding a reasonable cost and wear guideline? I am not experiencing ANY problems with the vehicle and had it serviced religiously by Honda up to 100,000 miles and don’t know this shop that well. I will shop around but I would like to know what normal expectations of wear, relacement time and costs might be.
Thanks.
My answer:
It is very unlikely you need shocks, hoses and freon. unless the ac is not blowing cold it will not need to be serviced. Shocks last a long time and even though some shops “recommend” them the won’t need to be replace unless they are leaking or wearing out (tires will show signs of cupping and the car may “bounce” or “float” when hitting bumps)
nearly every late model car will need coolant and brake fluid changes every two or three years as a maintenance service and changing the thermostat at the same time is a good idea but not requires unless doing a “backflush”.
A de-carbon and fuel injector clean is a very good service to have done every 30-60k miles as a maintenance routine to remove carbon buildup in the injectors on on the backs of the valves and tops of the pistons. very few shops are doing a true fuel injection service which requires special equipment the is hooked up to the fuel system and runs the chemical through the injectors. Most are just doing a drip clean which introduces a chemical in the intake while the car is running and is only a partial service.
Spark plugs and timing belt should be changed around 100k unless they were already replaced, check your service records.
Contact me directly and I will be glad to give you a realistic and accurate estimate.
Robert Grove, Mobile Mechanic Orange County
949 288-3506