Honda maintenance codes: Maintenance Minder chart
Honda maintenance codes come from the Maintenance Minder on the dashboard. Each code has one letter and sometimes one or more numbers. The letter is the main job: A means replace the engine oil, and B means replace the oil and the oil filter and inspect the car. Each number adds one more job, such as 1 for a tire rotation, 2 for new air filters, or 4 for spark plugs and, on engines that have one, a new timing belt. The exact list for your car is in your owner’s manual.
On this page (9 sections)
How to read a code
Read the letter first, then each number as a separate item. A code like B12 means “do the B service, plus item 1, plus item 2.” It does not mean item 12. Honda’s newer manuals list sub items 1 through 7; older ones stop at 6.
The Maintenance Minder shows these codes on the oil life screen, together with the percentage of oil life left. Honda says the system works out when service is due from how the engine is used, instead of a fixed mileage chart. So two Hondas of the same model can get the same code at different mileages.
Main codes: A and B
| Code | What Honda lists |
|---|---|
| A | Replace the engine oil. |
| B | Replace the engine oil and the oil filter. Inspect the front and rear brakes. Inspect the tie rod ends, steering gearbox, and boots; suspension parts; driveshaft boots; brake hoses and lines (including ABS/VSA); all fluid levels and fluid condition; the exhaust system; and fuel lines and connections. Check the expiration date of the tire repair kit bottle, if the car has one. |
From the 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid owner’s manual. Some manuals, such as the 2022 Pilot and 2007 models, also list “check parking brake adjustment” under B. Your manual is the final word.
Honda adds a time rule to both: if no Maintenance Minder message has appeared 12 months after the display was reset, change the engine oil anyway. An owner who drives little should still plan on at least one oil change a year.
Sub codes: 1 to 7
| Number | What Honda lists | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotate the tires | Moves the tires to even out wear |
| 2 | Replace the engine air filter (air cleaner element) and the cabin air filter (dust and pollen filter); inspect the drive belt | Many manuals, such as the 2022 Pilot, list the drive belt check here; the 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid list has only the two filters |
| 3 | Replace the transmission fluid | On some all-wheel-drive models, also the transfer fluid |
| 4 | Replace the spark plugs; replace the timing belt and inspect the water pump; inspect the valve clearance | The timing belt applies only to engines that have one, such as the V6 in the 2022 Pilot. Engines with a timing chain have no belt to replace. The item list differs by model |
| 5 | Replace the engine coolant | Use the coolant your manual names |
| 6 | Replace the rear differential fluid | All-wheel-drive models only |
| 7 | Replace the brake fluid | Also every 3 years if code 7 has not come up within 36 months of its last reset |
From the 2022 Pilot Maintenance Minder pages and the 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid and 2007 owner’s manuals. Not every model uses every number; a front-wheel-drive car has no item 6. The 2022 Pilot manual also says to adjust the valves at any service if they are noisy. Check your manual.
Honda also gives shorter fixed intervals for hard driving that the Maintenance Minder does not sense. For example, the 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid manual says to replace the air filters every 15,000 miles in dusty or sooty areas, and to change the transmission fluid every 47,500 miles or 3 years if you often drive slowly in the mountains. The 2022 Pilot manual says to replace the timing belt every 60,000 miles if you regularly drive in very hot weather (over 110°F) or very cold weather (under −20°F). Honda Canada says the system also does not account for heavy trailer towing.
Item 4 is often the most expensive number on an engine with a timing belt, because the belt job takes hours of labor. If you see a 4 on the display, ask the shop whether your engine has a belt or a chain. More on the job: timing belt replacement and spark plug replacement.
Common combinations
| Code | In plain words |
|---|---|
| A1 | Oil change and tire rotation |
| B1 | Oil and filter change, inspection, and tire rotation |
| A12 | Oil change, tire rotation, and both air filters |
| B12 | Oil and filter change, inspection, tire rotation, and both air filters |
| B13 | Oil and filter change, inspection, tire rotation, and transmission fluid |
| A13 | Oil change, tire rotation, and transmission fluid |
| B16 | Oil and filter change, inspection, tire rotation, and rear differential fluid |
| B123 | Oil and filter change, inspection, tire rotation, both air filters, and transmission fluid |
| B14 | Oil and filter change, inspection, tire rotation, and item 4 (spark plugs, valve check, and the timing belt on engines that have one) |
| B17 | Oil and filter change, inspection, tire rotation, and brake fluid |
| B124, B125, B126 | B12 plus item 4 (spark plugs, valve check, and the timing belt on engines that have one), coolant (5), or rear differential fluid (6) |
| A15, A16, B15 | A1 or B1 plus coolant (5) or rear differential fluid (6) |
| A2, B2 | A or B plus both air filters, without a tire rotation |
A plain “B service” on a shop’s menu usually means the B list with no numbers. The price of any code depends on which numbers it carries: a code with 3 (transmission fluid) or 4 (spark plugs, and a timing belt on some engines) takes more parts and labor than one with only 1. Ask for a written estimate that lists each item, so you can match it to the code.
Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, uses the same letters and numbers: see Acura maintenance codes.
Oil life percent: 15%, 5%, and past due
Honda oil life is shown as a percentage that counts down from 100%. Here is what the 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid manual says about the messages:
| Oil life shown | Message | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 15% (real value 15–6%) | Maintenance Due Soon | Book the service shown by the code |
| 5% (real value 5–1%) | Maintenance Due Now | Have the service done as soon as you can |
| 0% and a negative distance | Maintenance Past Due | The oil is past its service life: service it right away |
On U.S. models, the negative distance starts after you drive more than 10 miles past 0% and blinks on the display.
What the codes do not cover
The Maintenance Minder estimates oil life and plans the jobs that go with it. It does not measure everything. Honda Canada says it does not monitor the oil level, tire tread, brake pads and rotors, or battery life. Check the oil level between services, check tire pressure monthly, and have any warning light, leak, or new noise looked at, no matter what the oil life says.
After the service: reset and record
A Honda dealer resets the display after the work. If you or another shop does the work, reset it yourself: see how to reset Honda oil life. If you skip the reset, the system shows the wrong intervals, and Honda warns this can lead to serious mechanical problems.
Then write down the date, the odometer, the code, and what was done. Honda manuals tell owners to keep all receipts as proof of maintenance. A car maintenance log keeps it in one place. For the bigger picture, see the Honda maintenance schedule.
FAQ
What does the letter mean in a Honda service code?
The letter is the main job. A means replace the engine oil. B means replace the oil and the oil filter and inspect the brakes, steering, suspension, fluids, exhaust, and fuel lines.
What do the numbers mean in a Honda service code?
Each number is one extra job: 1 rotate tires; 2 replace the engine air and cabin air filters and, on many models, inspect the drive belt; 3 transmission fluid; 4 spark plugs, a valve clearance check, and on engines with a timing belt a new belt and a water pump check; 5 coolant; 6 rear differential fluid (all-wheel drive); and 7 brake fluid. The list differs by model, so check your manual.
Can a code show more than one number?
Yes. B123 means the B service plus items 1, 2, and 3. Read each digit as a separate job.
What does a negative number on the oil life screen mean?
The oil life passed 0%, and the number is how far you have driven since then. On U.S. models it appears after more than 10 miles past 0% and blinks. Have the service done right away.
Is a B service always more expensive than an A service?
Usually, because B adds the oil filter and an inspection. But the numbers matter more: an A code with transmission fluid (3) can cost more than a plain B1. Compare written estimates item by item.
Milealot is an independent site, not affiliated with or endorsed by American Honda Motor Co. Honda and Maintenance Minder are trademarks of their owner and are used here only to name the system.
Sources
- Honda, 2022 Pilot owner’s manual, Maintenance Minder pages (main items A and B, sub items 1–7 with drive belt, timing belt and water pump, valve clearance; 60,000-mile timing belt rule in extreme temperatures; brake fluid every 3 years) (checked November 12, 2026): owners.honda.com
- Honda, 2025 Civic Hatchback Hybrid owner’s manual, “To Use Maintenance Minder” (main and sub items, oil life messages, time rules; archived copy, checked November 12, 2026): techinfo.honda.com (archived)
- Honda, 2007 owner’s manual, Maintenance Minder pages (sub items 1–6, drive belt, valve clearance, brake fluid every 3 years, keep receipts; archived copy): techinfo.honda.com (archived)
- Acura (Honda’s luxury brand, same system), 2006 all-wheel-drive owner’s manual, Maintenance Minder pages (transmission and transfer fluid, rear differential fluid; archived copy): techinfo.honda.com (archived)
- Honda Canada, Keeping maintenance on schedule (what Maintenance Minder does not monitor; towing and dust) (checked November 12, 2026): honda.ca