2001 TL Timing Belt/Tune-up

Acura recommends the timing belt and water pump be changed at

160,000km or 7 years. I plan on having that done plus the valves, plugs, filters, etc. The cost here in Canada is $1,500. That's right, $1,500!

My 2001 TL will be 7 years old in December, but it only has 95,000km on it (not quite 100,000 miles). Should I have this done or can it wait?

Reply to
Venture Rider
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Venture Rider wrote in news:46d81b6b$0$7339$c3e8da3 @news.astraweb.com:

Chances are you can probably get one more year out of the belt, BUT.

The big BUT is the probability of very expensive valve damage should the belt slip. Your engine is an "interference" design, so if the belt should jump a few teeth, the valves may contact the pistons. It's not a certainty that they will contact, but more like a 50-50 chance.

Your decision will have to balance the benefits of delaying the expenditure against the possibility that the belt may fail during the delay and you may sustain a thousand dollars (or more) in valve damage.

The high cost of the job is probably because the of the amount of labor necessary on your V6 engine. You may be able to get a better price (still using OEM parts) at an independent garage.

However, I notice you're replacing a bunch of other parts, not just the belt. What's the actual rundown from the quote you were given? Where is the money going?

If it were me, I would not try to get one more year out of the belt, just because of the potential financial downside. Are you a gambler? I'm not.

Reply to
Tegger

Thanks for the advice. It turns out the belt/water pump job is about $850. With the valve adjustment, the plugs and a few other things thrown in I'll be looking at about a $1000. I can handle that. I'll be good for another 5 years. My car has not one spec of rust on it (and I live in Canada!), and I take it to Krown every year, so $1000 is worth it. And I love that car!

Reply to
Venture Rider

Isn't that more like about 58,000 miles..? I don't believe you'd need a new timing belt at that mileage.

Reply to
Larry in AZ

He was right. 160,000km = 99419.39 miles Either way - it's still 7 years old for the belt. I agree with Tegger's advice. Valve damage is costly.

-Dave

Reply to
Dave L

Yes, but *HE* has 58,000 miles on it.

Does the age of the belt make more difference than it mileage..?

Reply to
Larry in AZ

You're right! Reading is fundamental. Me thinks I have to start studying for "hook'd on foniks". I misread the op. Sorry!

I don't know if it makes "more" difference but it still makes a difference.

Unfortunately I know from experience what happens to an interference engine when the timing belt goes. Had a timing belt changed on an '89 prelude Si, around 1999. The odo went up about 30k later, so I was strictly guaging the mileage from the trip meter. (Picked up the car used, and suspect the previous person tampered with the odo.) It went up around 2003 and

*approximately* 70k since the tb change. Ended up having a used engine from Japan put in.
Reply to
Dave L

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