transm oil change

A transmission that does gear change does not exist on the Clarity. The part of the Clarity the dealer calls a transmission is nothing more than a reduction set of gears that are set to a fixed ratio (more like a differential than a transmission) . Why that would require an oil change at 60 k, I don't understand but there is no gear change.

 

True, there are no gear 'changes', but there are gears in there, as well as some wet disc clutches, so I think changing the fluid is prudent.
I know this is definitely not for everyone, but it is relatively easy to do this as a DIY job.
Others on the forum have done it so you can find some guidance by searching.
$350 seems like a high price, but I have no real basis to judge. When my time comes, I will definitely do this job myself.

 

The footnote, in the manual, for the transmission fluid change calls for the fluid to be changed at 47,500 miles when the vehicle is regularly operated at slow speeds on mountain roads. A service interval for a vehicle that is driven under “normal” conditions is not provided.

In my experience the “harsh” condition intervals are typically 50% of the time or mileage of a “normal” interval. It’s just a theory. That theory suggests that an interval of 90,000-100,000 miles might be appropriate under “normal” conditions.

 

That service came up on mine a few months ago at 100 000km. I thought it might have been triggered by time, at over 5 years on the road, so I had the dealer do it. Up here in Ottawa, Canada, the charge was $137, including environmental fees to dispose of the old fluid.

 

The transmission fluid change is also time specified. Those of us with a 2018 Clarity are getting the maintenance minder messages (3) to replace the transmission fluid. As MrFixit says in a previous message, the Clarity has some wet clutches (direct engine drive for example) which can lead to debris in the fluid. Also, the additives (extreme pressure, anti-corrosion, etc.) wear out in time. Our Clarity was made in late 2017 and purchased in February of 2018 and now has just under 15,000 mostly EV miles on the car. We got the #3 maintenance reminder in December of 2023. After I changed the fluid (very easy and less than $20 for the Honda fluid and new crush washer) and reset the maintenance minder display, I now see (OBD reader) that I have six years until the next transmission fluid replacement is needed.

BTW, the brake fluid replacement is also time specified at three years. Since the Clarity has a complicated braking system with two curcuits (one normal in case the main brake by wire system fails), changing the brake fluid every three years is important to prevent corrosion (caused mainly by water absorbsion). I use a suction type bleeder to change the brake fluid so that I do not need to bleed the system or reset anything. This work is a bit more complicated as the wheels need to be off but, again, it is not hard after the wheels are off and is inexpensive as less than two quarts of Dot 4 brake fluid are needed. I will be on my second brake fluid replacement next month. Please note that the engine oil and coolant changes are also time specified (the battery and inverter coolants do not appear to have any changes needed). I have not had to change the engine coolant yet but that is more complicated as there probably are some Clarity specific bleed procedures needed and I have not seen those posted as yet.

Leop

 

I have found that the engine oil change interval can also be mileage specified. When the car is driven 7500 miles, in less than 12 months, the MM will call for an oil change. This occurs even when a majority of those miles were driven in EV Mode. I ignore the MM in this situation and follow the recommended 12 month interval.

Having so few miles on your car, it is unlikely that you have ever driven 7500 miles in a 12 month period.

 

I did not say or imply in any way the the maintenance minder messages were only time related. I used the word "also" to say that time was also a factor for the maintenance minder.

The Clarity tire rotation seems to also have a time as well as a mileage reminder. My OBD reading says I have about three years left before the next tire rotation is needed but I get a minder message every 5000 miles, too (about every two years for our Clarity). BTW, I do not know if Honda does this for the Clarity but some transmissions have fluid temperature sensor that is used to signal a fluid change when the fluid temperature has been above a certain value for a certain time interval (GM 4T65-E transmission comes to mind).

Leop

 

Why the defensive posture? Did I suggest that you had said or implied that the services were only time related? By the time you mentioned the engine oil change it was the third service that you said was also “time specified”.

In my experience, most services, other than the brake service, appear to be both time and mileage specified, with mileage being the dominant factor. Take your tire rotation as an example. It is “predicting” a 2 year interval, because your past driving habits indicate that you won’t reach the mileage parameter until that amount of time elapses. If you were to take a 1000 mile trip next week the time interval would adjust to a year or, perhaps 6 months.

I’ve seen “service due in 3 weeks”, however, if I don’t drive the car for 2 months it will still say “service due in 3 weeks” after 2 months have elapsed. There isn’t much value in the time estimate if the vehicle isn’t driven in the manner that the “intelligence” believes it will be driven. In some cases, humans are smarter.