Just had first service.
Car seems to have acquired a Honda label saying I shd have 'precise and consistent geometry checks - at least every 12 months'.
Is this a new thing? Or has it always been there?

 

It's probably a hint not to take it anywhere near a Honda dealer

 

Don't take this the wrong way Rob (having met you, I know you're not like him), but your online posts remind me of Marvin the paranoid (and depressed) android

 

I wondered what comments I would get. Yes, Marvin my role model, or maybe it was Neil from the Young Ones.

I just find it strange if Honda(UK) are going to start advising owners to have the geometry checked, when their dealers are not able to carry out the work. I would not use the phrase 'precise and consistent' in any context to describe the Honda dealer network.

In the course of my research, I have found that.

John Cooper, Worthing - do not have the equipment so they adjust the suspension by eye, then road test to check at 30mph.

Yeoman Honda, Bognor Regis - do not have the equipment, but they did offer to adjust the front toe. Told me the old (superceded) settings when I asked them. I guess the bulletins never reached them

Chiswick Honda - machine does not have the new settings programmed, as a result they made a mistake in the settings. It seems that they do not check their work, even when I questioned the print out of the settings.

Southern Counties do have the equipment, I cannot comment on the quality of their work, but I guess they do not use it. I never had a print out after the clutch change, although it is part of the procedure and Honda (UK) had advised dealers to update the geometry settings.

I have to say that Marshalls in Reading did a fantastic job on the geometry. It did take much longer that they anticipated, as they had to undo all the bodges made by Chiswick and John Cooper. I didn't even want the geometry changed in the first place, all this was as the result of a gearbox change.

To answer the original question. No I do not have a sticker. Still, that could be because no dealer dare raise the topic with me.

 

Read the bulletin carefully - the new settings are a suggestion, they don't supercede the old ones. Admittedly, a lot of dealers aren't as clued up on the car as they could be, but then it would be hard to be even half as enthusiastic as half the owners!

I don't have the sticker either. But I have had my car aligned more 3 times in just over a year. One it was aligned correctly the first time it's never drifted much, but I'll get it checked every so often anyway.

-Brian.

 

Are you refering to the Jan 2002 or May 2002 bulletin? This was after the May bulletin was issued.

 

Micheldever Tyres checked and ajusted mine yesterday, they do have all the latest kit and the guy seemed to have lots of experience with 2000's, the kit they had was really impressive!

 

I checked with Honda before my last alignment (about 2 weeks ago). Nothing had changed. Quoted the original settings, then with some chasing they had the recommended settings. (I'm not running either - I just wanted to check the state of play.)

-Brian.