VTM-4 Fluid Change at 15k

[MohawkMan]

I just got back from having the 15,000 mile service performed by my selling dealer. Dealer has a 15K "menu" that does not include the VTM-4 differential fluid change. As I had the list of services print-out with me from the Honda Owner-Link site, I told the dealer to do just what Honda recommends--especially the VTM-4 service. He noted this on the ticket and, incredible but true, asked for my printout to staple to the ticket so they would know what to do.

When I got back the Pilot tonight, there was no entry on the invoice for any special fluid--only the oil from the oil change they did. The print-out said they had done the services on the "menu." When asked for the menu, you guessed it--they produced the dealer's menu. I hit the roof. The dealer found the original paper ticket, and made me a copy of the technician's notes indicating that he had performed the service as per "owners instructions." The dealer signed off on a copy of my print-out from the Honda site and swore they had performed the service. I have my doubts.

My questions are: If you have had this service done, did your invoice show this fluid? Has your dealer tried to tell you this VTM-4 service was not really necessary and nobody does it? What does the VTM-4 service typically cost? Is there a way for me to check to see if this has been done?

Mohawk Man

[wbhikergirl]

I'm going to play devil's advocate (no pun intended lol) Why would a dealer NOT want to perform it? Isn't that an easy $$ for them to make?

[MohawkMan]

wbhikergirl,
To answer your question: businesses that leave a paper trail that they are not doing what they bill their customers for can create serious problems for themselves--particularly in this state. At best they get bad publicity--at worst somebody goes to jail. In a lot of places, consumers can file complaints locally and these are scored on government and consumer web sites. Actually, I had to go after a Honda dealer through the State about 13 years ago to get them to honor a warranty they had sold me on a new 1985 SEI--they did. (I did not buy another Honda until 2003 even though I have purchased several vehicles since I traded the SEI.)

I just crawled out from under the Pilot. The results of an inspection were inconclusive. It looks like somebody may have inspected the differential. Bolts look like they had a wrench on them but there are no drips. I could also see an odd shaped rubber gromet? seal? that had visible holes in it. Kind of looks like the type of part that is easily damaged or destroyed once the seal has been broken. I am skeptical that a reputable dealer (an oxymoron perhaps) would not have replaced the part. I made a blind call to their parts department and asked about the price of the fluid. They quoted $26 and said they thought they sold it by the gallon. I am not making this up. For some strange reason, the 5 quarts of engine oil and the oil pan washer are itemized on the invoice but this precious elixer is not.

If anybody has a picture of what this should look like or instructions on how the VTM-4 change should be performed, I would appreciate it if you could post it or direct me to a spot where I could find it.

PS. wbhikergirl, you have good taste--your Pilot looks like a clone of mine.

Mohawk Man

[paul p]

My questions are: If you have had this service done, did your invoice show this fluid? Has your dealer tried to tell you this VTM-4 service was not really necessary and nobody does it? What does the VTM-4 service typically cost? Is there a way for me to check to see if this has been done?



Just had this service done 2 weeks ago (at 20k miles) while Pilot was in for tranny recall. I had checked the maintenance schedule in owner's manual before taking the Pilot in for the recall, and thus requested they perform the differential service.

I'm surprised the dealer said this is really not necessary since Honda specifies that this service should be done at 15k and again at 30k (and every 30k thereafter) to ensure proper break-in of the differential/VTM-4...typically, it's the dealer service schedules that are excessive/unnecessary.

The cost was $24 for fluid (specifically listed as p/n 6512651-8200 W-Fluid (VTM-4)) + $54 labor and $4 environ. charge = $84.

Can't answer how to verify if service was performed...I'm very comfortable with my dealer's service dept. so I didn't bother to crawl under the Pilot to verify service was performed.

[MohawkMan]

Paul,

Thanks for the info. I would have saved myself the trouble of crawling under there if the invoice was consistent with my request to have this work done and with the pattern of the other items on the bill, i.e. parts and labor broken out even where the parts charge was zero. I had the tranny work, the rear brake clicking, and the airbag software recalls/TSB's done at the same time. Parts for the airbag software update were itemized as $0.00.

Do you recall whether your invoice showed any related part like a washer or gasket? I am concerned about the holes I saw and I don't know what is behind there that this weird looking gasket-like thing is supposed to be protecting. It just seems logical to me that if you open that thing up to drain it, like the oil pan, you probably need to replace something like a washer or gasket to do the job right.

The Pilot has been trouble-free so far so I have not had any reason to go back to the dealer until now. I have had them do a couple of oil changes for me using their quick lane facility (1//2 the price of Jiffy Lube and a carwash if you have the coupon). No complaints. The shop looks like something out of a car magazine--very clean, very impressive. I did not buy the Pilot from the same dealer that I bought the SEI from so I was not expecting lightening to strike twice. No reason to think they would not do professional work and not follow Honda recommendations.

Mohawk Man

[paul p]

Do you recall whether your invoice showed any related part like a washer or gasket? .


The invoice did not reference any parts other than the fluid, but apparently there are a couple crush washers that should be changed during the process (I think these are pennies/each so Honda probably doesn't even bother to itemize on invoices).

Check out the following link for more details...

http://hondapilot.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1023&highlight=differential+service