I went with the Accord, mostly because it was $120/month cheaper to lease. The Accord is a wonderful car, but it is a tad large for me and I keep looking back at the TSX, with a few more horses, and sighing.
OTOH I would imagine the TSX has a somewhat firmer, harsher ride, and the Accord is already rather harsher on the freeway than one would hope. Maybe I should have test-driven a Camry.
It goes to the initial design philosophy of the manufacturer. Honda designs highly efficient engines that crater if the belt breaks, which is a so-called "interference" design. The valves must move up out of the way before the piston gets to the top, or they crash into each other. The non-interference engine Toyota makes is perhaps a tad less efficient, because there is more compromise in the shape of the combustion space or other parameters. The manufacturer asks itself, "Do we give them the maximum performance and efficiency that we know how to give, or do we save the deadbeats from themselves?"
I'm sorry to ashtray from topic; I was just wondering what's the difference between engine designs that allows one car (Toyota) to survive a timing belt damage and is disastrous to another ( Integra)?
What type of engine build up does the 92 civic dx have? If the timing belt breaks, will there be any internal damage to the engine (bent valves, etc)?
I turned in my 2001 acura cl ts in Feb.21st.At the same time I took possession of a 2005 Tl lease.6 weeks later Acura sends me a letter demanding 1026 dollars saying it was in accordance with the terms of my lease.It gave no other details.I called acura and the guy pulled up my account and said it was for excessive wear and tear.I returned that car in very good shape and with only 25k miles after 4 years.I told him I was contacting the NY state attorney general's office and was requesting arbitration to settle the matter after reading the NY State leasing law.He immediately offered to take 200 dollars off and to accept 100 dollars a month payment plan.He said the offer would still stand if i lost arbitration but I had to do it in 20 days or it will be reported to credit agency.According to NY state leasing law Acura was required to send me by registered mail with signature required a letter detailing the damages and the cost of repair for each item.Acura never did this.I know I should have had the car inspected before returning it but I had expected to keep car another 6 months after due date.The new car was done unexpectedly. Has any one else been through this?
"John" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:
This is one of the oldest of the FAQs.
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The Integra, like almost all Hondas, is an "interference" design. The Tercel, like almost all Toyotas, is NOT an "interference" design. Honda likes to do things the hard way.
Interference.
The probability of damage is great, but not *certain*. You _can_ get lucky.
Ya gotta ask yourself, do I feel lucky today?
(That's a paraphrase, so no flames from cinemaphiles!)
Can you know that the timing belt needs replacement by looking at it for signs of wear, or do you just replace it every so many miles even if it looks in perfect condition? I was told by a mechanic to replace the timing belt immediately after any car purchase, so that I could have a receipt that showed the date and mileage when it was replaced, so I could know when to replace it the next time. But it seems to me a grand waste of money to replace it if it is still in perfect working condition.
I forgot I had another question about this item... could I replace a timing belt myself, or does it require a mechanic to do so? I have very little experience working on car mechanics, but I'm competent when it comes to repairing stuff, so if its a simple job that doesn't require special tools or pulling out an engine block...
The intermittent feature of my wipers, along with the set belt chime suddenly went away. Both functions are integral with the underdash ICU, terminal H. The manual indicates to test for good ground at the "H" pinout of the ICU. My questions are; > Should I disconnect the battery prior to removing the ICU? > Even if I don't touch the 'yellow' wiring, can the SRS system be affected by pulling out the ICU? What does the (G401, G402) refer to, in the 3rd column of the troubleshooting guide?
The jell in my auto dimming mirror seems to be leaking or loosing its seal. The dealer wants $437 for a new one plus installation. Does anyone know where I can find a used one for less? Or is there any way to have this one repaired?
As the proud owner of an 04 TSX (and former owner of an Accord), I would ask you a question before answering..
What is more important to you- precise handling (read as sports sedan), or a comfortable ride?
If you responded with precise Handling- Go for the TSX. It is a firmer ride than you will get with the Accord. Handling is much better also. Stronger engine, better equipment level. The TSX is also slightly smaller- not really noticable though. Built in Japan too- unlike the American built Accord. With just under 10,000 miles on my TSX, I still love getting into it and driving it like I stole it (of course, I only do this on sanctioned tracks )!!! The largest drawback to the TSX is the requirement for Super Unleaded gasoline.
I am not putting the Accord down, it is an extremely well built vehicle. I was cross shopping a V6 when I bought the TSX.
Keep this in mind as well, The TSX is actually the known as the Accord in Europe and Asia (the US Accord is known as the Legend) This is because the US and Canada are the only countries where you can purchase an Acura branded vehicle.
I fyou want to find out more about the TSX, please visit the following website.. you will find a lot of info by TSX owners about their cars..
Can you know that the timing belt needs replacement by looking at it for signs of wear, or do you just replace it every so many miles even if it looks in perfect condition? I was told by a mechanic to replace the timing belt immediately after any car purchase, so that I could have a receipt that showed the date and mileage when it was replaced, so I could know when to replace it the next time. But it seems to me a grand waste of money to replace it if it is still in perfect working condition.
Sometimes the belt shows signs of wear before it fails, but not often enough to bet your engine on. Following the stated replacement intervals is the only reasonably safe way to go - and even that has a finite risk. The specified interval is probably the best balance of costs.
The big problem is that the belt doesn't usually break, but more often the teeth break off. The layer that fails just isn't visible (even with the belt off) so going by belt appearance is no more reliable than going by appearance of the accelerator pedal.
I changed the belt on my (non-interference) Volvo engine way later than it should have been. There were some tiny cracks in the outside surface, but it looked good otherwise. However, I could pick the teeth off with my thumbnail!
It is a beast. Actually, the one step that makes strong men cry is getting the crank bolt loose. Special tools are only part of the problem - the bolt is so tight that it usually takes a serious impact wrench to get it loose. I bought a 500 ft-lb air impact wrench and still had to buy a special tool to hold the crank pulley when we did the belt on my son's Acura. Of course, a torque wrench with 200 ft-lb capacity is required for reassembly
Important note: you can't use the shadetree trick of bracing a socket handle and bumping the starter to break the crank bolt loose... the engine turns the wrong way.
But if you can get a shop to break the %^$#!! thing loose and retighten it enough to get you home, it isn't awful. Attention to detail - especially getting the belt on the same way it came off, not one tooth off on one sprocket even though the cam wants to turn - is important. If you get it wrong, or don't get the belt tensioned properly, you can do really serious damage (or at least have to start over).
All told, you should give it a lot of thought if you want to DIY. I put it in the category of replacing a clutch - one with a *really* tight bolt holding something!.
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