Maintenance on low mileage 2009 Honda Fit
 

My 2009 Honda Fit has 39k miles on it. It was bought in May 2009. So far the maintenance minder has been going off about every 10k miles. So far (in addition to tire stuff) I have just done the filters (cabin & air), oil changes and I got the break fluid replaced at 30k/4.3yr but nothing else.

The maintenance minder I just got was B1. I am just going to have them do the oil change because I just got new tires and I read on the forum that the B service is a rip off as it is just overcharging for inspecting things.

My question is on other maintenance because my car is over 5.5 years old. From what I read it looks like I need to have my coolant replaced and ATF replaced. Is there anything else I am missing? Keep in my mind a I am not a DIY'er.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

I'd definitely do your coolant & ATF at a minimum.

I agree with Mike. You have already done a brake fluid, that was going to be my only other suggestion.

The coolant is supposed to be 120k? so i don't think you need to do that change yet.

The ATF is also not technically due yet, however, since 2009 there's new dw-1 which is superior. There's reports that when people do the first few ATF changes, there's some particles on the magnet, so it would be beneficial to change out, to get the superior fluid, and clear off the initial wear particles.
But this also only makes more sense to do financially if the service is cheap. It's arguably simpler than an oil change, or if you have an extractor it's just suck up the fluid in the reservoir and pour in new. If they're charging you $60 just to do an ATF drain/fill (which is usually the going rate) it's not necessarily worth it to do this so proactively.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I read on the forum the coolant needs to be replaced at least every 5 years if you don't hit the mileage. I am not aware of a similar requirement for ATF but some people say it needs to be replaced every 30000 miles.

The OEM coolant is good for 60k miles or five years?

Source: The bottle of OEM coolant next to my bed.

ATF does not have such specifics on the bottle unfortunately.

Sitting at the dealership now. Good news is that they checked the coolant and they said it was ok and didn't need to be replaced. If the dealership service department says I don't need something I tend to believe them.

The bad news is that I need a new battery. Cost is about $120 and has 100 month warranty with 3 year replacement.

Also getting my ATF changed.

How did they "check" the coolant?

I have no idea but he told me they tested the coolant and it was good up to -40F and at that point I should jut stay home. :rolleyes:

EDIT: Maybe something like this?

That tester just checks freezing levels of the coolant. It does not check the condition of the anti-corrosion additives which loose their effectiveness over time. 5 years is the current recognized standard for replacing anti-freeze on all brands of cars.

Just found this on the Honda website. It says the first coolant change is at 10yr/120,000 and then 5yr/60,000 after the first change.

https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/...606O00187A.pdf

This. I'd just replace it, but I do everything early/obsessively.

You and I have the same miles, I also suggest doing a coolant flush and ATF fluid change as well

Would also suggest replacing front brake pads or just making sure they are inspected. You're good otherwise for awhile

This is BS. You DO need to replace it. ASAP, in fact.
The coolant looses its anti corrosive additives' characteristics from prolonged contact with aluminum and other engine metals.

Please, read a little online why coolant needs to be replaced.

I replace mine every 2-3 yrs.

I'm going to do my 1st coolant change by the factory recommended intervals. I fully trust the Honda engineers. Heck, I change my oil at 0% MM. I'm not obsessive about doing more than what's recommended by Honda.

Brake fluid should be changed every 3 years, no?

Sure. It's so cheap and easy to do anyway.

DOT 3 and DOT 4 Brake fluid in hygroscopic. Meaning that it absorbs moisture from the air. That moisture then forms a black colored rust inside the brake system. I once worked on one that had not been changed in 18 years. While 3 years is a bit short, 18 is definitely too long. So what should interval be? That depends on how much moisture has been absorbed. Rather that change brake fluid needlessly on our multiple vehicles, I bought a brake fluid tester. Now I can test it quickly to see whether it needs to be changed. I believe they want it below 3% moisture. I find that 6 or 7 years is about the change point. Here is one of many testers on ebay; Search for "Brake Fluid Tester" to see others.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Brake-F...QAAOSwPh5ZHpm5

Your mileage may vary.