What’s necessary, what’s not at 60,000 miles?
Our 2011 Honda CR-V just reached 60,000 miles and needs its scheduled service. Our dealer prepared a quote for me that included what Honda recommends plus a few other things and totaled $579. Due to a major problem that just occurred with one of our other vehicles, this is a tough pill to swallow right now. How important is it to have all this work done? — Marcia M.
I looked over the quote you supplied and found the Honda-specified “B service” items plus a lot of services the dealer has added on. While it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider flushing the transmission fluid, coolant, and brake fluid, among other things, these fall into the “nice to do if money grew on trees” category. Same goes for the “premium fuel conditioner” and other additives.
I’d have the B service performed, doing only what Honda specifies, which includes common-sense inspections of brake pad thickness, belt and hose condition, and other components. There are also other things a competent service tech should keep a lookout for while a vehicle is in his care.
The “wallet flushes” are worth considering perhaps some time during the next few years if you plan to keep the CR-V for a very long time. If not, skip them!
I noticed the other day while driving on the freeway that the car ahead of me would periodically make puffs of smoke from the exhaust. It would only happen about once per minute. The smoke was light in color. Just curious what this might be? — Ken M.
It’s tough to say with certainty. My hunch would be the car ahead had a problem with its intake valve stem seals or valve guides. The end of an engine’s valve stems are in an oily location (within the valve cover), and the other end of the valve stem becomes exposed within the cylinder head’s intake port. A seal near the tip of the stem allows a tiny amount of engine oil to meter through, lubricating the valve stem.
The driver of the other car was likely on the throttle, then off, perhaps due to traffic conditions. Leaky valve stem seals or worn valve guides will pass the most oil during deceleration, when intake manifold vacuum is highest. The puff of smoke seen likely occurred each time the driver tipped back into the throttle. A situation like this increases oil consumption and exhaust emissions but doesn’t impair engine performance, as long as it’s not severe enough to cause spark plug fouling.
What’s a normal voltage on the gauge when driving? Mine changes around some. — Danny P.
A normal voltmeter reading is about 14 volts. Just after starting the engine, or other times when the battery has been somewhat depleted, it might be 13 or so. Below 12.6 indicates an inactive charging system, and above 15 signals a charging system malfunction.