Maintenance History

Odometer:  499,446

This morning, my Legend received its 152nd dealership oil change.  I thought this would be a fitting time to highlight some of the fun facts that can be extracted from a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet that I’ve kept on everything ever done to the car.  Nerd mode, activate!

Still original to the car’s October 1993 build date:

• Engine.  No leaks, no oil burning, no coolant use, no smoke.  Original injectors that have never been serviced.
• Transmission.  No grinding.  I maintain the 6-speed gearbox periodically Honda OEM manual transmission fluid.
• Clutch. It takes a strong left leg to operate but still doesn’t slip.
• Drive axles. I had the CV boots replaced at 215,804 miles.
• Starter.  It’s never failed me!  The only time the car ever didn’t start it was due to a faulty main relay.
• Struts. They creak and groan when they’re cold in the morning, but they still perform fine.
• Climate control unit and A/C components.  The only thing I’ve changed in the HVAC system is the blower motor (noted below).
• Brake calipers and rotors.  The original rotors were resurfaced at at 37,409 miles; 89,784 miles, and 495,693 miles.
• Door lock actuators.  The passenger side is now loud but still works.
• All electrical accessories – window motors, sunroof motor, mirrors, even the famous “Active Door Strikers”  – a feature only found on the 1991-1995 Legend coupe that grabs the door and seals it shut once you close it most of the way.

Changed only once:

• Brake master cylinder at 80,000
• A/C system recharge at 203,677
• Vehicle speed sensor at 319,842
• Differential fluid at 345,522
• Fuel pump at 399,745
• Alternator at 400,392
• Oxygen sensors at 434,740
• Blower motor at 479,319

Other items (these figures DO count the originals to the car):

• 7 air filters
• 6 timing belts & water pumps
• 5 batteries
• 5 windshields
• 5 fuel filters
• 4 sets of spark plugs
• 3 radiators
• 3 rear transmission mounts
• 3 EGR valves
• Oddest items I’ve had to replace:  Type II emblem from the engine (was missing when I bought the car), and a horn button from the steering wheel when the original popped out at 196,000 miles.

Other good stuff:

• Average oil change interval:  3,286 miles, always with conventional 5W30 oil
• Average miles per year during the car’s overall lifetime:  27,750 miles
• Average miles per year during my 8 years & 7 months of ownership:  47,126 miles
• Maintenance cost per mile driven:  5.98 cents
• Number of gallons of fuel burned — this assumes 100% highway at the EPA rating of 26 mpg:  19,211
• Best MPG achieved:  32 mpg, routinely when babying the car at moderate highway speeds in 6th gear
• Most miles achieved per tank:  500.6, in November 2006 at 258,000 miles

And a special note that’s NOT found on the spreadsheet:  Best tires ever = Michelin Primacy MXV4.  They simply last forever and perform better than anything else I’ve ever driven on – and I’ve had pretty much everything on this car.

A couple of pictures from today.

Dropping off the car this morning at Acura of Tempe in exchange for a 2010 TSX loaner.

And picking it back up tonight – blue tape on the new glass!

Here it is.  My car’s entire life history from birth to current captured in 7 Excel screen shots:  $29,861.61 in receipts.  The only thing this won’t capture is some of my tires.  As you all saw in my Shoes post from a few weeks ago, I’ve gone through far too many sets of wheels & tires to have kept track of what kind of tires I was buying and when.  However, this spreadsheet does have a few of the sets.  Enjoy!

Who knew spreadsheets could be so fun!