1991 Accord timing belt schedule question

dgk wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

You can obtain your Owner's Manual here:

No login required. Just click "Owner's Manuals", then navigate to yours. It takes a bit to download the whole thing, so report back here if you want to do that.

The maintenance schedule in your manual says 90K miles or 72 months. With a new belt, that interval would increase to 105K/84 months. If you're not sure when it was done last, get it replaced! You're due now.

Thanks much. Six years. I must have had it done when I got the car, but not at the dealer. Still, it needs to be done again.

Make sure your driving does not fall into the "severe category" of the maintenance manual. If it does, then 60k miles may be the interval.

"Elle" wrote

The 91 Accord timing belt doesn't fall into severe condition category.

I don't know what factors affect the interval. I'm in the northeast so we have snow and salt, and the roads around here can be pretty bumpy. And I suppose I'm fairly tough on a car although I do the oil pretty regularly. Still, it's been at least six years so the belt will need to be done. The car is staying in the family.

"Burt" wrote

To clarify, you mean you think there are no "severe driving conditions" limitations for the 91 Accord's timing belt.

The maintenance schedule for the 91 Accord available via

says otherwise. (Login (for free) using the username "lib" and the password "access." Click on "Auto Repair Reference Center.") If the vehicle is operated under any of the following, then the TB an balancer belts should be replaced at 60k miles: Extremely dusty conditions. Fifty percent or more of the vehicle's operation is in 90 degree F or higher temperatures or 32 degree F or lower temperatures. Prolonged idling. Frequent short running periods such that the engine does not reach normal operating temperature. Police, taxi, delivery or trailer towing usage.

I don't see this at the autozone site's free manual, nor the UK site. Both of the latter denote factory service maintenance schedules. OTOH Canadian Honda owner's site goes back only to the 94 Accord and gives a limit of approx. 96k km (= 60k miles) for its timing belt.

From what the owner said, it seems possible the owner's shop was legitimately recommending the 60k miles for his car.

Regardless, it's moot. The owner says he's past the regular service interval time limit.

"Elle" wrote

You mean this?

This information is unreliable due to three factors. First, no mention of the Honda Mtr. Co. Second, did NOT provide the 6 year interval for the timing belt. Third, the inclusion of severe conditions which is not backed by Honda Mtr. Co.

Somebody may have made up the info for the reason of profit or probably too lazy to look up the correct data. The Honda timing belt is design for temperature of 90F+ and pretty much sealed from dusty conditions. Malaysia, for example, is a pretty hot and humid place but the Honda belt works just fine. The timing belt has no effect on prolonged idling. What really count are the 72 months and miles. The OP's 72 months had lapse. The belt should burst by now but it hasn't because it was designed with a lot of overhead.

He should've replaced it 9 years ago based on his absence of record. After six years the belt is under severe condition. This goes to prove that Honda makes one of the best belts. One more reason to show that the severe service interval data on arrc.epnet.com has to be corrected.

"Burt" wrote

I mean what I wrote above.

The Ebsco site's Honda procedures contain the following acknowledgment: "The Publisher expresses appreciation to Honda Motor Company, Ltd., for their generous assistance."

This has to be printed or asterisks on the screen shot I gave you in order to have merit. The screen shot speaks for itself its layout quality. Honda or Toyota maintenance schedule has a distinct quality in printing. The user has to pick out these details in order to be an objective reader.

"Burt" wrote

People can read the information both you and I gave in this thread and decide for themselves, AFAIC. You might be right. I just can't say for sure, given the discrepancies, and I want to be honest.

I think it's particularly significant that Canadian Honda has the 60k mile limit, presumably because of the temperature extremes.

OTOH, someone else also posted here recently that timing belt materials are superior today compared to c. 1990. They did not back this up with a citation, IIRC, so I don't know how much authority to give that claim.

All the maintenance schedules, including the UK site's, I see online for Hondas speak for themselves re poor layout quality.