What Is the Honda Fit's B1 Service?

 

The B1 service indicator popped up on our 2015 Honda Fit when the mileage hit roughly 14,000, signifying it was time for the Fit's second oil change following the A1 oil change at 6,800 miles. The Honda Fit's Maintenance Minder system sends an alert at specific intervals when certain services and maintenance tasks are due based on mileage and engine-operating conditions.

The "B" represents an oil and filter change plus mechanical inspection, while the "1" means it's time to have the vehicle's tires rotated. When the Maintenance Minder system indicates that your fit needs B1 service, the service should include the following inspections, according to the Honda Fit's owner's manual:

• Inspect front and rear brakes/service as necessary
• Check parking brake adjustment
• Inspect tie-rod ends, steering gearbox and boots
• Inspect suspension components
• Inspect driveshaft boots
• Inspect brake hoses and lines (including the antilock braking and vehicle stability assist systems)
• Inspect all fluid levels and condition of fluids (brake fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, etc.)
• Inspect exhaust system
• Inspect fuel lines and connections

Our local Honda dealership had its own interpretation of the B1 scheduled maintenance that included a brake service at an elevated cost even before taking a look at the brakes. We declined this front rotor cleaning and front caliper slide pin lubrication considering our car's low miles and owner's manual only suggesting service if needed.

Do Cars Have More Than One Belt That Needs Replacing?

All cars have an accessory belt that drives features such as the alternator and air-conditioning compressor, and perhaps the water and power steering pumps. This belt is usually mounted externally so you can see it on the front end of the engine (the engine is mounted transversely on most front-wheel-drive cars), and it usually is a serpentine belt that slithers around various pulleys. It needs to be replaced when it shows wear, such as cracks, fraying or stretching.

Some car engines also have a timing belt that is hidden from view but connects the crankshaft on the bottom of the engine to the cylinder head on the top; it controls when valves open and close. Many engines have a timing chain instead of a belt. A key difference is that a timing chain is usually considered a lifetime part that doesn't require periodic replacement. A timing belt does require replacement, though the manufacturer's maintenance schedule may not call for that until as much as 150,000 miles, as with some current Ford engines.

If either belt breaks, a car is going to soon come to a halt. Once a timing belt breaks, the engine shuts off and you won't be able to restart it. With many cars, you might be able to restart the engine after a serpentine belt breaks, but you won't get far if it drives the alternator. Without the alternator, you'll be relying on electrical power from the battery, and once that's gone, you'll really be out of luck.

Though serpentine belts can last more than 100,000 miles, they should be inspected by a mechanic periodically (if you know what to look for, you can do this yourself). Consult your owner's manual or service schedule to find out how frequently it should be inspected. This varies by manufacturer: Hyundai, for example, says that on some current four-cylinders, this should be done after six years or 60,000 miles and then every two years or 15,000 miles; Volkswagen calls for it every 40,000 miles; on some Ford vehicles, it isn't until 100,000 miles.

Serpentine belt replacement costs also vary, and we've seen estimates from less than $75 to more than $150 for the accessory. The best approach is to have it inspected before the recommended interval, and if you decide to have it replaced, you'll have time to shop around. You may hear warning signals that a serpentine belt is on its last legs, such as squealing noises when you start the engine or accelerate, or rattling noises from a pulley or tensioner.

Replacing a timing belt is a more involved and costly procedure, typically running from at least $500 to more than $1,000 depending on what kind of car you drive. Even worse, on some engines, if the timing belt breaks, the pistons may continue to move up and down, and in the process the piston can hit and bend valves that have lost their timing mechanism. That can add up to big bucks — possibly $3,000 or more.

That makes timing belt replacement more critical, but because it isn't visible, you can't easily check it. That involves removing the accessory drive belts, the engine cover and other hardware just to get a look at it, and no repair shop is going to do this for nothing (they also have to reassemble everything). That is why you should pay close attention to the manufacturer's recommended timing belt replacement schedule. Here, too, recommendations vary: Some Honda V-6 engines call for timing belt replacement at 60,000 miles, for example, but the 1.8-liter four-cylinder used in some Chevrolets lists it at 100,000 miles.

With some engines, the timing belt also drives the water pump, so repair shops may recommend that the water pump be replaced at the same time as the belt. That makes sense because if the water pump breaks a few months after the timing belt is replaced, a mechanic is going to have to go back in there, disassemble everything, replace the coolant and charge you at least a few more hours of labor — again.

In both cases, these serpentine and timing belts can and do fail prematurely. The key is to not wait too long to replace either belt because you could wind up stranded and at least be inconvenienced, if not forced, to shell out more money.

How Can I Tell If My Radiator Is Leaking?

How can you tell when your car's radiator is leaking? When the temperature gauge on your dashboard reads high or a temperature warning light comes on, you have a cooling system problem that may be caused by leakage — be it in the radiator itself or some other component.

First, make sure it's coolant that's leaking, not another fluid. (Coolant is often referred to as antifreeze, but technically coolant is a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.) You can easily check the coolant level in your see-through overflow tank. If it's empty or low, the next step should be to check the coolant level in the radiator, but that should be done only when the engine is cool. Having too little coolant in the car's cooling system can cause engine overheating and/or make your cabin heater blow cold air.

Once you know you're losing coolant, the radiator is a good place to start. Some radiator leaks will be easy to spot — such as a puddle underneath the radiator — but others not so much. It's best to check the radiator from every angle, not just from above, and pay particular attention to seams and the bottom. Rust inside the radiator or holes from road debris also can cause coolant leaks. Your vehicle may have an aluminum radiator that technically can't rust, but aluminum can corrode or develop pinhole leaks too.

Antifreeze comes in different colors — green, yellow and pinkish-red, for example — feels like slimy water and usually has a sweet smell. If you can't see coolant dripping or seeping, look for rust, tracks or discoloration on the radiator. Those are telltale signs of where it has leaked.

If the radiator appears to be OK, the cooling system offers several possibilities for leaks, including the hoses from the radiator to the engine, the radiator cap, water pump, engine block, thermostat, reservoir tank, heater core (a small radiator that circulates hot coolant into the dashboard for passenger-compartment heating) and others. A blown gasket between the cylinder head and engine block is another possibility, allowing coolant inside the combustion chambers — a problem that must be addressed immediately by a mechanic. (Thick white smoke coming from the tailpipe is actually steam, a telltale symptom.)

If you can't find a leak, have it checked by a mechanic. Coolant has a way of escaping only under pressure when the car is running — possibly in the form of steam, which may not leave a trace. If the culprit continues to evade detection, you might consider a radiator stop-leak additive, available at auto parts stores, which seals small leaks — but it's always better to find and repair the problem's source, especially in the case of faulty head gaskets, which can lead your power supply to overheat and cause catastrophic engine damage.

What's Causing That Smell in My Car?

If your vehicle is giving off an unusual or sickening odor instead of that instantly identifiable new-car smell, follow your nose and find the source of the aroma. Bad smells can lead to expensive repairs or health hazards and shouldn't be ignored.

Here are some common bad car smells and their possible causes:

Musty: If turning on the air conditioner generates a musty smell from the vents, mold or mildew has probably formed in the air-conditioning system. Moisture naturally collects on the cold air-conditioning evaporator (a small radiator that carries refrigerant into the car's dashboard through the vents), and it may be harboring mold. Running only the fan at high speed (with the air conditioning off) can dry the evaporator to clear the mildew and rid the smell.

However, that doesn't guarantee the problem won't reoccur — especially if the odor is being caused by a clog in the drain tube that allows water to drip out under the car. A musty mildew smell also can be caused by carpets that get wet when water leaks into the interior.

Sweet: Antifreeze has a sweet, syrupy odor, and smelling it inside a car usually means there's a leak somewhere in the cooling system. The source may not be easy to see. For example, the leak could be from a corroded heat exchanger (aka a heater core), which is usually behind the dashboard. The leak could be in the form of steam that enters the cabin, producing the smell and potentially fogging the windows. Have this problem addressed, because breathing antifreeze isn't good for you.

Burning: Oil could be leaking onto a hot part of the engine or somewhere in the exhaust. It also could come from overheated brake pads or rotors — due either to aggressive braking, pads that don't retract when you release the brake pedal or the emergency brake being left on while driving. On a vehicle with a manual transmission, the clutch plate could be worn or overheating from riding the clutch pedal. Leaves or other material in the engine compartment — sometimes imported by nesting rodents — also can burn on hot surfaces.

Rotten eggs: If you can smell rotten eggs or sulfur, your catalytic converter may have gone bad. The root cause could be an engine or emissions system problem that made the converter overheat, thus causing the rotten egg smell.

Rubber: The smell of burning rubber could be an accessory drive belt that's slipping or getting chewed up by a broken pulley or hose rubbing against a moving part. An overheated clutch plate also can smell like burning rubber.

Electrical: Smell burnt toast? That could be a short circuit in an electrical component or overheated insulation. Take electrical odors seriously, because short circuits and overheated components are common sources of fire.

Gas: It's normal to smell a little gasoline when a cold engine is first started because of incomplete combustion. If you smell gas fumes after the engine is warm, though, the gas cap could be loose or the evaporative emissions control system — which is supposed to contain fuel vapors and recycle them through the engine — could be leaking or clogged. Even worse, gas could be leaking from the tank or another part of the fuel system, such as the fuel line. Always investigate gas smells you discover when your car is parked before starting the car and potentially igniting the fuel.

Rotting fruit: It's probably what it smells like. Look under the seats for a decomposed apple or banana on the carpet. Be sure to clean the affected areas with a spray bottle or cleaner to clear out any resulting bacterium.

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