honda accord

[digisatman]

my other car is a honda accord, four year old so not under warrenty. it is perfectly running and i need to get it serviced. honda want £289, and other local garage wants £105. they all seem to want to change filter, pollon filter, spark plug etc. advice needed, my son says that honda will always do by book, anybody got any experiances o what do yous reccomend?? the car is petrol and manual.

 

[Xtractorfan]

Try the local garage and mark all your changeable parts and insist they use the proper honda filters. and a good quality oil

 

[jberks]

Any Honda specialists around?
Ideally use them. Failing that then yes, it's all down to the garage. A decent garage that will do a proper job will be every bit as good as the dealer but there is no substitute for recommendation so ask around and see if anyone you know can recommend someone. As far as the 'book' is concerned,
a) Thats a misconception - dealers miss things and screw up as often as anyone else. I always remember putting my escort into a main dealer. They made a complete hash of it and charged me double what my perfectly good small local mechanic had charged.
b) AFAIK The 'book' is written by Autodata and most mechanics have a copy so know exactly what is required. As they are usually self employed and work on reputation, they are more likely to do it right.

Reputation is key. There is a garage near me that for some insane reason is always busy. The owner is a crook and a thief and wouldn't know an honest transaction if it wore a badge. He did me for hundreds when I was a penniless student struggling to support a wife and a baby (he knew this but stole from me anyway, which makes him the lowest of the low in my book), before I realised what was going on and took my car away. Asking around later, I wasn't the first. Yet like flies to dung mugs flock to him daily. Go figure.

Anyway, will the dealer offer a discount for older cars? Many merc dealers now do - not sure about Honda.

 

[Blobcat]

I cannot say I've found the Honda garage that good for the Accord, expensive for the big servicing and have never fixed the rattle in the door or the drivers seat sliding side to side.