Blinking check engine light

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tojohnso

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Purely anecdotal, but I had my oil tested twice with a 9K interval and all wear numbers were normal, and the additive pack was still good. I think it really depends on your use case. Mine is mixed city and highway. Having said that, I'll probably get my tranny and diff oil tested as well, since I'm around 112K now on what I believe are the original fluids (I purchased used).

Having a lab test your fluids is a smart move. I've thought about getting it done with my truck as well. Do it with my diesel generators at work quarterly. I always forget to ask, though, with my personal stuff.
 

tojohnso

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We had a Honda Accord once. It was having transmission issues. Forget the milage, but it was aged. Honda's stance was "don't ever change transmission fluid - in fact, don't ever open a transmission - it's sealed. If you do, we won't help you". Their position was - by the time your transmission goes, replace it. I thought it was bizarre. Took it to a particular AAMCO a friend takes his dealership cars to (used car dealership). They opened it up and did a rebuild for me. MUCH cheaper than a replacement and it lasted for a while - until we sold it.

I've also heard if you don't change your transmission fluid by the manufacturers recommendation, may as well never do it. If you do, the stuff sitting on the bottom gets sucked up through the transmission as you replace the fluid and it trashes it.

Not everyone lives in the same place, same environment, or even if they do - drive the exact same way under the exact same demand. SO all maintenance recommendations are just that, recommendations. Probably based on ideal conditions. I was not at the recommended spark plug replacement milage but ended up having a broke plug. Being close enough, replaced them all so I wouldn't have to concern myself with it. And - seemed like good advice from 07navi after looking in to it all.
 

Bigfishfin

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FWIW, I don't ever buy extended warranties...But I do maintenance on the conservative side...As noted, I tend to keep vehicles for a long term (last SUV was for 20 years)...I don't like to get into the trap of: gee, it has been a long time since I serviced that, maybe I ought to sell before it breaks...
 

JasonH

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We had a Honda Accord once. It was having transmission issues. Forget the milage, but it was aged. Honda's stance was "don't ever change transmission fluid - in fact, don't ever open a transmission - it's sealed. If you do, we won't help you". Their position was - by the time your transmission goes, replace it. I thought it was bizarre. Took it to a particular AAMCO a friend takes his dealership cars to (used car dealership). They opened it up and did a rebuild for me. MUCH cheaper than a replacement and it lasted for a while - until we sold it.

I've also heard if you don't change your transmission fluid by the manufacturers recommendation, may as well never do it. If you do, the stuff sitting on the bottom gets sucked up through the transmission as you replace the fluid and it trashes it.

Some Hondas are weird. Their transmissions were manuals with solenoids controlling the gear shifts. I had a 2000 Accord that had transmission issues beginning around 150K. I think it was my fault for not following the service schedule properly. Instead of cycling fluid through the transmission 3 times, I only did it once. The filters for the solenoids got clogged, which reduced the pressure to the clutches, which threw off more material...eventually it just shifted like crap all the time. My 2002 Odyssey also had tranny issues and and required a rebuild, but that one was a known dog. The transmission in my 2008 Odyssey was much more robust and made it to 200K, when I got rid of it. The manual transmission in my 1994 Accord went around 210K on the original clutch (sold it to my uncle). That was an awesome car. Bought it cash for $7,400 after my brand new Ford Focus flooded. Drove it for over 100K miles with only routine maintenance items + a clutch slave cylinder and brake master cylinder. Damn near bulletproof reliability.
 

tojohnso

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Agree - appreciate the followup. Was it a bad spark plug or the coil?
 
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