The B124 Maintenance Minder code on an Acura calls for an engine oil and filter change with a multi-point vehicle inspection, plus a tire rotation, engine and cabin air filter replacement with a drive belt inspection and spark plugs, valve clearance and the timing belt where fitted.
It decodes left to right. The letter is the main item and the digits are sub-items, each of which has independently run down its own service interval. They surface together simply because they finished counting at the same time, which is why your Acura shows different combinations at different stages of its life.
An Acura dealer is the default choice, but not the only one. Acura sits under the same parent company as Honda and draws on the same parts supply, so a Honda service department is a legitimate and often cheaper option for B124.
Acura B124 Service Cost
The Acura B124 service typically costs $1,220 to $2,375. Where you land depends on your model, engine and local labor rate. Since these are independent jobs bundled into one visit, always ask for the invoice itemized.
| Item | What it covers | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| “B” | Oil and filter change, plus multi-point inspection | $90 – $180 |
| “1” | Tire rotation | $30 – $45 |
| “2” | Engine and cabin air filters, drive belt inspection | $100 – $150 |
| “4” | Spark plugs, timing belt if fitted, water pump and valve clearance inspection | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| Total Acura B124 service | $1,220 – $2,375 | |
| Doing it yourself (parts only) | around $670 | |
Why B124 Is the Most Expensive Code Your Acura Will Show
Sub-item 4 is what puts B124 into four figures. It bundles spark plugs, a valve clearance inspection, a water pump inspection and — on engines built with one — a timing belt replacement.
Whether the belt applies to you depends entirely on your engine. Acura’s J-series V6, in the MDX, the V6 TLX, the RLX and the older TL, drives its camshafts with a rubber belt on roughly a 100,000-mile schedule. These are interference engines: if the belt lets go, valves and pistons try to occupy the same space and the engine is finished. A shop worth using replaces the water pump, tensioner and idler pulleys at the same time, because they sit behind the same covers and the labor is already being paid for. Acura’s four-cylinder cars — the ILX, the Integra, the RDX and the 2.0T TLX — use a timing chain instead, which is designed to last the life of the engine and is not part of this service.
The valve clearance inspection applies either way. Acura engines use solid shim adjustment rather than hydraulic lifters, so clearances genuinely drift with mileage and genuinely need measuring. A faint ticking from the top end on a higher-mileage Acura is very often exactly this, and it is the kind of check that quietly prevents a much larger bill later.
When Is the Acura B124 Service Due?
There is no fixed mileage for this. The Maintenance Minder models oil life from engine temperature, journey length, load and engine revolutions, so a car used for short winter trips reaches zero far sooner than one covering steady highway miles. Most Acura owners see the oil item come round somewhere between 5,000 and 12,000 miles.
You get plenty of notice. A wrench appears at 15% oil life, the warning becomes firmer at 5%, and at 0% the readout switches to a negative distance showing how far overdue the car has become. Fifteen percent is when to call the shop, not when to worry.
The timing belt portion, where your engine has one, is effectively a mileage milestone in its own right at around 100,000 miles rather than something the algorithm decides.
Acura Models That Show the B124 Code
Any Maintenance Minder–equipped Acura can show B124: MDX, RDX, TLX, ILX, Integra, RLX, ZDX and TSX. The jobs are the same throughout, but oil capacity, fluid specification and labor time all shift with the engine, so the bill lands differently on a four-cylinder Integra than on a V6 MDX.
The 4 splits the range too. Only the J-series V6 cars — MDX, V6 TLX, RLX and TL — have a timing belt to replace. Four-cylinder Acuras run a chain and skip that part entirely, which is the single biggest reason quotes for this code vary so much.
Check your owner’s manual for the exact fluid specifications your engine needs before booking.
Will Your Acura Warranty Pay for the B124 Service?
Only the basic portion, and only if the car is young enough. Acura covers A1 and B1 services for two years or 24,000 miles on 2023 and 2024 models, cut to the first scheduled service within 12 months or 12,000 miles for 2025. B124 reaches past that.
Two details catch people out. The term starts from the original in-service date rather than your purchase, and the work must be done at a participating Acura dealer using Acura Genuine parts. Ask for the invoice itemized so you can see which lines the program absorbed.
What B124 Means for SH-AWD Acuras
The B124 work itself is identical whether your Acura drives the front wheels or all four. What changes is what tends to arrive alongside it. Super Handling All-Wheel Drive uses a torque-vectoring rear unit that Honda does not fit to its own models, and it carries a fluid service of its own: sub-item 6, rear differential fluid, due at around 15,000 miles initially and every 30,000 miles after.
So if you drive an SH-AWD MDX, RDX, TLX or ZDX, do not be surprised to see B124 arrive with a 6 attached. Front-drive Acuras never show a 6, because there is no rear differential to service.
Related Acura Service Codes
- Acura B123 service code
- Acura B125 service code
- Acura B12 service code
- Acura B14 service code
- Acura B1237 service code
- Acura A123 service code
- Acura B135 service code
- Acura B137 service code
- All Acura Maintenance Minder codes — the full reference table
- How to reset the Acura Maintenance Minder
Acura B124 Service FAQ
What does the Acura B124 code mean?
The “B” is an oil and filter change with a multi-point inspection, and each digit after it is a separate job that has come due at the same time. For B124 those are a tire rotation, engine and cabin air filter replacement with a drive belt inspection, spark plugs, valve clearance and the timing belt where fitted. It is a bundle of independent services, not one procedure.
How much does the Acura B124 service cost?
Typically $1,220 to $2,375 at a dealer or independent shop, depending on your model and local labor rate. The spread is unusually wide on this code because the timing belt only applies to the V6 cars — a four-cylinder Acura lands near the bottom of that range and a V6 MDX near the top. Acura and Honda dealer pricing is broadly comparable, so a Honda service department is worth a call for a second quote.
Can I do the Acura B124 service myself?
Partly. The oil and the tire rotation are straightforward at home. The timing belt and valve clearance work is not a driveway job by any reasonable reading — it needs the front of the engine apart, and an error on an interference engine destroys the motor. Parts alone come to roughly $670.
Is B124 covered by Acura complimentary maintenance?
Not fully. The program covers A1 and B1 services for two years or 24,000 miles on 2023 and 2024 cars, and only the first scheduled service within 12 months or 12,000 miles on 2025 models. B124 includes work beyond that, so expect the additional items to be chargeable. The oil and rotation portion may still be covered, so ask for an itemized invoice.
Does the B124 code mean something is wrong with my Acura?
No. B124 is a maintenance reminder shown with a wrench symbol, generated by the Maintenance Minder’s own countdown. It is not a diagnostic trouble code. A check engine light comes from a different system entirely and points to a stored fault. If both are showing they are unrelated, and the check engine light is the one to look at first.
How do I reset the B124 code?
An Acura dealer will reset it as part of the job. Doing it yourself: touchscreen models use Settings, then Vehicle, then Maintenance Reset, while older cars use the SEL/RESET stalk button or trip knob held for around ten seconds with the ignition on. On a multi-item code like B124 you can reset sub-items individually — do that rather than clearing everything, or the car will stop tracking jobs you have not actually done. Our Acura Maintenance Minder reset guide covers each method by model.