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posted on June 6, 2012, 5:51 pm
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on it. The dealer is recommending I have the timing belt
changed,because the manual says it should be done every 7 years
regardless of the mileage. It costs around $840 with their current
$100 discount, and this includes the timing belt, water pump, drive
belt, and I think up to 1 gallon of coolant.
NOTE: The dealer told me there is no way to inspect the condition of
the belt because it is hidden.
Do I REALLY need to have this done on a car with only 23,800 miles on
it (even though the manual does say it should be done every 7 years
regardless of the mileage) or should I wait? If so, then when should
I get it done? Let me know what you recommend.
Thanks,
Jay
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
Yes, you are past due. The timing belt does deteriorate over time hence why
they give a mileage and time value, whichever comes first. If it will
actually snap or not is a gamble. If it goes bad it could do a little
damage to your engine, it could do a lot. Your call on if you want to take
that risk.
As for the price, shop around. A good independent shop could come in at a
much lower price. And yes, you do want to do the water pump at the same
time.
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
Thanks. Is there any correlation between the condition of the visible
rubber belt(s) under the hood versus the timing belt. In other words,
if the belt(s) that are visible look okay, then is it likely that the
timing belt is still okay, or is there no correlation?
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
Thanks. Is there any correlation between the condition of the visible
rubber belt(s) under the hood versus the timing belt. In other words,
if the belt(s) that are visible look okay, then is it likely that the
timing belt is still okay, or is there no correlation?
-------
Pretty informative.....
http://www.youngsgarage.uk.com/timing_belts_facts_and_myths.htm
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
you'd have to have a magnifier and some expert experience to have any
chance of being able to tell. it's much safe to simply say "no" and
replace on schedule.
but you can find a much cheaper price quote than the $840. and at that
mileage, you do NOT need to replace the coolant pump or oil seals - what
they always add on to the job list. replacement of these latter items
may be appropriate for frod or gm, but on honda, it's much more
destructive than constructive. don't do it unless you have actual
leakage or bearing damage.
yup, that's pretty much it - you replace because it's safe and because
most people can't typically tell signs of wear.
--
fact check required
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
I imagine that what he meant there was that removing the old and
installing the new one may result in some collateral damage
accidentally. We all experienced that at times when we bothered to get
our hands dirty.
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
Well, that would be true for ANY auto-servicing, no?
I think if you're savvy enough to successfully install a timing belt --
which is NOT a beginner's job -- then the added complexity of a water pump
shouldn't make much difference.
Me, I'd rather spend the extra $100 in order to know for sure I won't have
to tear all the way back in again for the sake of a stupid coolant leak.
The last pump I replaced felt like new. But what was it going to feel ike
halfway to the next change? I didn't care to take the chance.
--
Tegger
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
except that it does because often times, people rushing to do stuff
quickly screw stuff up. and worse, replace high quality oem parts with
cheapo low quality aftermarket, and the thing doesn't last 30k miles.
that's because it's oem honda, and they're that good. and that's why if
you look at the service manual maintenance schedule, the pump has an "I"
next to it, not a "R".
--
fact check required
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
as others have said, collateral damage. and i wasn't referring /just/
to the coolant pump, but to /any/ component replaced on a
superstition/extra profit schedule rather than a knowledge schedule.
but you also have the matter of replacing something of very high initial
quality and low mileage with inferior aftermarket. a friend of mine had
a bunch of work done to his civic, at a dealer here in the bay area, and
paid full dealer price, but they used aftermarket components. i
wouldn't have believed it, but he showed me the invoices and the
components clearly had aftermarket manufacturer names on them.
--
fact check required
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
jaynews@verizon.net wrote:
man, you are REALLY pulling shit out of thin air here, desperate to
avoid having to maintain the car you bought.
How about looking at the tires? How about looking at the power steering
fluid? Maybe you want to try to correlate the condition of your floor
mats with the timing belt--"hey, look, floor mats are OK, therefore the
TB is OK!"
You can solve this entire problem simply by leasing a new car every
three years. No maintenance involved; problem solved.
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
ecacfe0f637f@o17g2000yqb.googlegroups.com:
No correlation. You can't go by the appearance of the belt. The belt fails
because the carcass weakens, not because the teeth become visibly worn.
The belt is a combination of rubber and fabric, with the fabric being the
structural medium. But rubber ages. As it does so, it begins to delaminate
from the rubber, which eventually causes the teeth to strip. You can't see
this with the naked eye until after the event.
If the teeth should strip, you're looking at about a 50-50 chance of valve
damage. That puts the cost of belt replacement at least double what it
would have been. Are you a gamblin' man?
--
Tegger
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
actually tegger, the honda service manual does state an inspection
procedure for timing belts. and it does specifically address tooth wear.
not left to its own devices it doesn't - not this rubber.
--
fact check required
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
Reading this thread prompted me to check the service manual of my '94
Accord if it specified any time limit for the timing belt but could not
find any. It only specifies 90K mile intervals and even that is just
recommended. So I don't understand why some models have a time limit
besides the milage interval, others, like mine, don't.
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
careful there dude - you'll lift the lid on the pandora's box of fud and
obfuscation that is the gap between the facts known by the manufacturer
and what's safe to tell technicians and owners.
--
fact check required
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
No, you've got that 6 upside down: the service manual is clear about
this: it's every 90K miles, or 144K kms. But earlier I did miss the
heading line with the time period and now I see that it has that down to
72 months. Shoot, in my current situation that comes sooner than the
milage limit.
The older I get, the more things I miss. :-(
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
what I saw was supposedly the Official 94-97 Accord Maintenance Schedule
From the official Honda Shop Manual, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Service
Publication Office. It says 60/60. I found it at:
http://www.cd5tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=4700
Re: Do I really need new timing belt on '03 TL w/ only 23.8K miles??
That's strange. I've never seen such frequent intervals before. If
anything, I've seen less frequent ones than mine. The Service Manual I
have is published here in the US, not in Japan and does not include
figures for European models.
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