What Your Honda Maintenance Codes Actually Mean – Jalopnik

Remember the old “Check Engine” light? That dash light was just cryptic enough to be ignored by anyone who doesn’t have a code reader. Honda has improved that with its Maintenance Minder light, which is more specific yet somehow just as cryptic. If you’re a Honda owner, you’ve seen the little key, accompanied by an alphanumeric code associated with that message – usually an ‘A’ or ‘B’ followed by at least one number.

These codes relate to important maintenance items that you should not ignore. The good news is that you only need to know what two letters and six numbers mean. “A” just means that you need to have your oil and filter changed. ‘B’ also means it’s time to get the oil and filter changed – and a few other things checked. That includes the brakes, emergency brake, tie rod ends, steering gearbox and boots, suspension components, driveshaft boots, brake hoses and lines, all fluid levels and conditions, exhaust system and fuel lines and connections.

What about those numbers? “1” means tape rotations. “2” means: Check the air filter element, drive belt, dust filter and pollen filter. “3” means it is time to change the transmission fluid. “4” indicates that the spark plugs, timing belt, water pump and valves need to be checked. “5” is displayed when the coolant is low. “6” means: check the differential fluid. And “7” means: change the brake fluid. Then there’s the oil life indicator: 15% means you need to change the oil soon, 5% means you need to do it now, 0% means you’re too late.

If you own a 2018 or newer Honda model, your car may display “0” instead of “A.” If ‘0’ and ‘9’ are displayed, it is time to perform the same extended maintenance tasks that the old ‘B’ code indicated. Simple, right?

So how does your car know when to check the brake fluid or timing belt? You may think it’s about the mileage, but it’s more than just miles: time matters when it comes to oil changes. Your car’s on-board computer also takes into account driving conditions, engine operating parameters and environmental conditions.

What if your car needs an oil change, but the next tire rotation is not yet scheduled? In such cases, when another service is likely to be required soon, Honda’s Maintenance Minder will bring forward the other service so that both can be performed at the next service visit. This will help you save time and avoid some of the inconvenience associated with taking your car to the dealer.

Does Honda just do that to stack the services at the dealer? We don’t pretend to read the minds of automotive executives, but even if your tires don’t need to be rotated at the exact time your oil change is due, they will eventually need to be changed. It just makes sense to combine those services so you don’t have to make multiple trips.

Maybe you happen to look at that little sticker in the top left corner of your windshield. You know, the one that hit the speedy grease manager on your windshield without even asking. But as you look at it, you realize that you haven’t had an oil change in almost a year. However, your oil life indicator is not lit. Does this mean you don’t have to worry about it? Not necessarily, and the question is how much you can trust the oil life monitor in modern cars.

It may happen that your Maintenance Minder does not pay attention to maintenance and no reminder appears when it should. Honda owner’s manuals recognize this and specify the intervals at which you should perform certain maintenance tasks. For example the manual for the 2016 Civic (this link downloads a PDF to your device) says to get your oil changed at least once a year (not every three months like the quick lube center guy says) even if the oil life indicator hasn’t come on.

Likewise, the air filter element should be replaced every 15,000 miles if you drive in dusty conditions. Meanwhile, the dust and pollen filter should be replaced every 15,000 miles if you drive in places with high soot concentrations in the air. If you drive in the mountains, change the transmission fluid every 25,000 miles, regardless of what Maintenance Minder says. The brake fluid should be replaced once every three years.

These numbers are specific to the 2016 Honda Civic. Consult your owner’s manual for the maintenance intervals for your Honda. There you will also discover what the Maintenance Minder codes mean.