All:
I have a 1997 Mercury Villager minivan (twin to the Nissan Quest), and we bought it used about four years ago. It has served us extremely well aside from a few minor dings and squawks, most of which I've been able to resolve myself.
The van now has 107,000 miles on it, and I believe the recommended time to have the timing belt replaced is 105,000 miles. I've talked to two different shops about having this work done, and on the basis of what I"ve read, I have two questions:
- Is the engine in the 1997 Villager interference or non-interference? I've read conflicting information on this.
- At least one shop has recommended that we change the water pump in addition to the timing belt. Is this a good idea? Looks like the going rate for timing belt replacement alone is about 0, but doing both is about 0. At 107K, is the water pump on borrowed time?
- How much time (miles) do I have before I *really* need to get that belt replaced, or am I already there?
Many thanks in advance for your opinions and experience,
-David
ps Please reply to group - email in msg is dead.