Honda B12 Service: What It Means, What It Costs
What Honda B12 includes
- Replace engine oil and filter (the B): The core of every B service. Honda specifies 0W-20 full synthetic on most modern models; the oil life algorithm decided it is done.
- Full inspection (also the B): Brakes front and rear, suspension, steering ends, fluid levels, driveshaft boots, fuel lines and exhaust. This is where a shop earns its labor - a torn CV boot caught here is a cheap fix instead of a joint replacement.
- Rotate tires (the 1): Front tires wear faster on a front-wheel-drive Honda. Rotation evens the wear so the set ages together.
- Replace engine air filter (the 2): A restricted filter costs fuel economy before it costs power. Minutes to swap on most Civics, Accords and CR-Vs.
- Replace dust and pollen (cabin) filter (also the 2): Behind the glove box on most models. If airflow from the vents has felt weak, this is usually why.
- Inspect drive belt (also the 2): Inspect, not replace - cracking or glazing means it is aging, but a healthy belt stays.
B12 on your dash is three codes in one. B means replace the engine oil and oil filter and give the car a full mechanical inspection - brakes, suspension, steering, fluid levels, driveshaft boots, exhaust. The 1 means rotate the tires. The 2 means replace the engine air filter AND the dust and pollen (cabin) filter, and inspect the drive belt.
Every Honda Maintenance Minder code explained
Parts for a Honda B12 service
B - oil, filter and inspection
| Part | Fitment note | Buy |
|---|
| Mobil 1 Extended Performance 0W-20 Full Synthetic (5 qt) | Most 2012-and-newer Hondas spec 0W-20. Check the oil cap: roughly pre-2012 models call for 5W-20 instead. | Check price on Amazon |
| Honda Genuine 5W-20 Synthetic Blend motor oil | Only if your oil cap says 5W-20 (most 2006-2011 Civics, Accords, CR-Vs and the older V6s). | Check price on Amazon |
| Honda 94109-14000 drain plug crush washers (10-pack) | A new aluminum washer every drain. Reusing the old one is how drain plugs start seeping. Backup is a 20-pack (double the primary) - same washer, just more of them. | Check price on Amazon |
| Genuine Honda 15400-PLM-A02 oil filter | The one filter that fits nearly every Honda 4-cylinder and V6 since the mid-2000s; PLM-A02 supersedes PLM-A01. | Check price on Amazon |
1 - Rotate tires
| Part | Fitment note | Buy |
|---|
| Click-type torque wrench, 1/2 in. drive | Honda lug nuts are 80 lb-ft on almost every model. A rotation needs nothing else beyond a jack and stands. | Check price on Amazon |
2 - Air and cabin filters, drive belt
| Part | Fitment note | Buy |
|---|
| Honda Genuine engine air filter | Model- and engine-specific part number. Filter the results by your model and year before buying. | Check price on Amazon |
| Honda Genuine cabin air filter | Behind the glove box on most models. Also model-specific; a Civic filter does not fit a CR-V. | Check price on Amazon |
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