Everything You Need to Know About Honda B12 Service

Running a car has gotten way more accessible than it used to be. Back in the day, you had to have a sharp ear and keen senses to establish, on a basic level, what parts of your car need servicing.

Now, most cars come with a dashboard that gives access to knowledge on many functions, including a notification that signifies to the car-owner when servicing of any sort is needed.

If you have owned a Honda for quite a while, you probably have heard of the B12 service. What exactly is it?

What Is the Honda B12 Service?

The Honda B12 service is a service package that includes some maintenance work expected to be done on the car when it reaches a certain point.

Honda owners can expect to perform a B12 service on most Honda models, including Oddisey, CRV, Accord, or Pilot.

Just like the A12 service, the B12 service can be broken down into B,1, and 2. Interpretation goes as:

• The B stands for an oil change
• 1 indicates a tire rotation
• 2 stands for the engine and cabin air filter change
• Visual inspections also need to be done on the brake pads and suspension 
• Drive belt inspection
• Fluids in the car also need to be checked and refilled

A Breakdown of the Services and Their Importance

A few of the maintenance procedures above can be done DIY style without going to a mechanic if you are ready and skillful enough to tackle that challenge. An excellent example of this is the oil change.

The rationale behind an oil change is simple; every car needs clean, quality oil to keep the engine well lubricated. Over time, the engine oil will lose its lubrication capabilities and stop working as intended. This can result in premature wear of the engine.

For one, the engine starts to run askew, and more fuel is consumed to perform the same work rate.

Tire rotation is focused on the maintenance of the car tires. It is a procedure in which the positions of the tires are alternated at intervals.

This works to elongate tire life by making sure the degeneration of thread and onset of wear is spread as evenly as possible across all tires. This also is an avenue for the tires to be checked for damage and changed accordingly.

The air filter change is easy and can be done without the help of mechanics too. All one has to do is get a new air filter (which should cost around $20 to $40 each) and change it.

The engine air filter is easily accessible through the engine of the car. The cabin air filter is located behind the glove compartment/pigeon hole. Replacing dirty air filters is simply removing the old ones and replacing them with new ones. No technical knowledge is needed.

Proper functioning of the brakes on a car can quickly become the difference between life and death in many scenarios. A car owner can often tell when the brakes need to be changed by the unseemly sounds made, but visual inspection also matters.

A mechanic would come in handy for this. 

Handling the car fluids (brake fluids, windshield washer fluids) can be done by car owners. It is a procedure that requires very low-level skills and does not even take more than 5 minutes.

Related content: Everything You Need to Know About the Honda 60,000 Mile Service

How Much Does the Honda B12 Service Cost?

Depending on how one goes about the B12 servicing, the price range could be 2 to 3 figures. Going DIY style (if a mechanic is not involved), one can expect to spend $70 to $100, which would be used to buy air filters, oil for the change, etc.

When going to a Honda dealership, one will have to pay for replacements and labor.

The official cost is 120 dollars for labor per hour. Note that you are expected to pay for the parts yourself. So averaging $80, the least one can expect to spend with the mechanic is $200. Sometimes, the whole bill goes well over $300.

How to Reset the Service Light on a Honda B12 Service

After noticing that all parameters have been set to normal, one would expect that the car would let the service light go out.

This is not the case; it is not automatic, and the mechanic would have to reset the service light manually. The notification does not come on again, showing that all requirements have been satisfied.

The car owner can also do this in an uncomplicated process that takes minimal effort and even little time. What one does is to find the reset button and push it and retain the pressure until the indicator for oil life appears.

When that happens, leave the button, then push again, keeping pressure and ensuring the indicator is reset to a hundred percent. The maintenance code that says B12 will go away at that moment.

At What Intervals Should One Service Their Honda?

Servicing intervals depend more on miles driven than time spent from purchase. For the air filters, it is imperative to check them at least every 10k miles and replace them every 20-25k miles when dirty.

The brake pads could be replaced every 25-35k miles, while rotors will last up to 50k miles. As for oil changes, depending on the type of oil, 7-10k miles should be okay.

Tires can last anywhere from 10k miles up to 40k miles, depending on driving style, quality, and car model.

For How Long Can You Drive After the B12 Service Notice Came Up?

It is not always easy to find the time to take your car to the dealership for its service. Many car owners wonder how much longer they can drive their vehicles after a service notice comes up.

While every car service should be done on time, there is no definitive answer for how much longer you can drive the car after the notice comes up on the dashboard.

Delaying a car service by one month, for example, won’t affect the car at all as long as the mileage is not way over the limit at which the service should have taken place.

In Summary

The Honda B12 service abbreviates the three main service procedures expected to be done when the notification comes up.

These include tire rotation, oil change, and air filter changes. Minor but no less important procedures include the visual checks on the drive belt, the visual checks on the brake pads, and the refill of the car fluids.

A B12 service aims to keep the driving experience as smooth as possible and prevent significant damages to the car as time goes on. This is all done for your sake, rather than the manufacturer.

The B12 service does not have to consume a lot of money. Most checks can be done DIY style. The few that seem to need the help of a mechanic can be done if the car owner decides to pick up the skills necessary to do them.

This helps to save over $100 at least. Although the maintenance notification code might come across as a nuisance, it is a great way to call the attention of car owners to service issues that need to be done.

Sources

Honda B12 Service

Recommended Honda Maintenance Schedule