[ARCHIVED THREAD] - When replace timing belt? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/14/2010 5:59:35 AM EDT
| I'd like to know when my timing belt on my car should be replaced. It's a 2002 Honda Accord with 75,000 miles on it. The owners manual says 100,000 miles but my mechanic is recommending it be done due the age. Should I go ahead and replace it? I'd like to make an informed decision because it is about $800 to do it. |
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A belt will wear with miles, but it will also deteriorate with age.
If a timing belt breaks, the pistons can easily eat the valves (depending on the clearances in your engine), and that is much more expensive to fix than just replacing a belt. ETA: Just be glad you're not having to pay to have the belt replaced on a Jetta TDi. I advised a coworker to get the service manuals for his Jetta TDi (I think it's a 2001), but he kept responding that it was so much easier to just pay the dealer to do the work. Then he got to the first scheduled service that required the belt to be replaced, and he found out why so many Jetta TDi's were put up for sale, just before hitting that mileage mark. Some people prefer to trade-in, than take out a loan to pay the dealer to change the belt. My coworker bought the manuals and special tools, then spent an entire weekend replacing that belt. |
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I'd like to know when my timing belt on my car should be replaced. It's a 2002 Honda Accord with 75,000 miles on it. The owners manual says 100,000 miles but my mechanic is recommending it be done due the age. Should I go ahead and replace it? I'd like to make an informed decision because it is about $800 to do it. Well, if you have the funds it wouldn't hurt to replace it considering it is that old IMHO. Have them check the water pump also. |
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I'd like to know when my timing belt on my car should be replaced. It's a 2002 Honda Accord with 75,000 miles on it. The owners manual says 100,000 miles but my mechanic is recommending it be done due the age. Should I go ahead and replace it? I'd like to make an informed decision because it is about $800 to do it. Now would be a good time. The belts should be replaced per the maintenance schedule and it most likely say at 60,000 miles. If the water pump is also driven by the belt you might as well change that while you're at it. Cause it will go before the new belt wears out and you'll be doing the job again soon. EBR666 |
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Quoted: when wear out First post wins again. If your mechanic is recommending it, go ahead and get it done. You DO NOT want a timing belt to break on you. The timing chain (chain!!!) in my old VW GTI broke on the way home from work once, bent the valves, and cost me $3500 for a rebuilt engine. Bite the bullet and pay for the work, although $800 seems high for a timing belt change. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508 Damn DT. |
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A blown timing belt will only damage the engine if it is an interface belt/engine.
A non interface timing belt/engine will not ruin any valves, pistons, etc. Find out what yours is. If it is an interface belt/engine-replace that sucker and do the water pump while you're in there. If it isn't-replace that thing when it starts to go. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. 
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. Seems most of the advice was look in the owners manual/service intervals, and shop around for a good bid unless you know how to do it yourself. No one wants to have a t-belt break on them in traffic. It's an automatic towing, and general ass-raping at the garage it's brought to (since you're not in a position to negotiate on costs for repair). You're right, not all engines are interference fit and will bend valves when the t-belt lets go, but you're really burning the candle at both ends with any rubber toothed belt past its recommended service mileage. You may make it to 108k, or it may go 67k. Either way, they WILL all fail. Good practice is to replace them before the odds really stack up. |
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Follow the owners manual. It list the specific mileage and time the belt should be changed. My 2000 Accord manual says 10 yrs. or 105,000 miles. Which ever comes fist. This. My civic says every 75K or some number of years. 97 Civic went to about 90K miles & then I had it replaced - AFTER I had used the civic for towing a motorcycle trailer  . Won't hurt to follow the manual. AND - I think Honda is probably a little overly cautious on the schedule. STILL - I would not push it much past 100K.
W/ a new belt & water pump, Hondas easily clock 200k miles. |
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Sell it and buy a vehicle that doesn't have a stupid timing belt. I don't know why any mfr would build in such expensive service parts, knowing that the interval is less than the average person keeps their car for.
but to actually address the question, follow the book because it most certainly will cost you an engine when that POS belt fails. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. Which is why I mentioned in probably being an interference engine. Read entire post before you start stupid shit. |
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Quoted: I believe Harry was making light of the grammar in OP's title.Quoted: when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. The vast majority of honda engines are interference engines, including the OP's car, so no this place doesn't suck for car advice. |
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Buy a honda belt for it when you do change it. Those autozone belts suck and i wouldn't trust one past 30k miles(ask me how i know). If you do your own work the lifetime warranty is good though.
May want to go ahead and do the water pump while your at it. i'd wait until a hundred unless you ream on it. |
| Most OEM recommended timing belt intervals have a margin of safety built in. The big question is are you going to keep the car. If you expect to dump in the next 12-18 months, you might want to take your chances. If you want to go for 200,000, you'll need to do it. I would still run it closer to the factory recommended mileage though. And while they're in there...water pump, tensioners and idlers, serpentine belt. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. But almost all Hondas ARE interference engines. It is a very expensive mistake. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. Which is why I mentioned in probably being an interference engine. Read entire post before you start stupid shit. I think you are right Bill. V6 Accords do have interference engines for the year model indicated, according to Gates. To the OP, if you have basic mechanical skills, buy a Haynes manual, a timing light, some wrenches, and do it yourself. You will come out cheaper than 800 and have the tools left over to do it again at the next interval. I have done a few, and while tedious in small spaces, such a job is not technically difficult. As mentioned above, you should also replace the water pump while doing this, and you might as well replace the other belts as well. Anybody who ever buys a used car with an interference valve system should probably replace the timing belt if the odometer is past the first interval just on principle, because if they do break, your engine is trashed. If you have a shop do the work for you, insist on them giving you the old parts back (as proof they actually did the work). I bought a used Acura that I wasn't smart enough to change the belt on, and it broke and wrecked my valve train. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. Seems most of the advice was look in the owners manual/service intervals, and shop around for a good bid unless you know how to do it yourself. No one wants to have a t-belt break on them in traffic. It's an automatic towing, and general ass-raping at the garage it's brought to (since you're not in a position to negotiate on costs for repair). You're right, not all engines are interference fit and will bend valves when the t-belt lets go, but you're really burning the candle at both ends with any rubber toothed belt past its recommended service mileage. You may make it to 108k, or it may go 67k. Either way, they WILL all fail. Good practice is to replace them before the odds really stack up. I had a timing belt let go at around 68,000, but that was on a Chevy. It had enough clearance on the valves, so it just needed a new belt. A high school friend had the belt let go on a european import. I don't know how many miles it had on it, but the engine was toast within a second of the belt breaking. On the old 1980's VW diesel's that I have had, replacing the timing belt was relatively easy, and a broken belt was a guarantee of a destroyed engine, so I didn't let it go for more than 2 years at a time before I replaced it. |
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Sell it and buy a vehicle that doesn't have a stupid timing belt. I don't know why any mfr would build in such expensive service parts, knowing that the interval is less than the average person keeps their car for. but to actually address the question, follow the book because it most certainly will cost you an engine when that POS belt fails. It's getting harder and harder to find a smaller engine that doesn't use a timing belt. The reason they choose a belt drive for the camshaft, is a mix of cost, weight, and simplicity. A belt is cheaper to make than a chain, doesn't need a lubrication system, and (believe it or not, I have heard this reason from people in the industry) is quieter than a chain drive. Now if the engineers could just learn to make life limited parts (like timing belts) replaceable without having to spend half a day or more taking stuff apart just to get at them. The labor involved in getting to the darn things, is why it's so expensive to replace them on the newer cars. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l this 
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Sell it and buy a vehicle that doesn't have a stupid timing belt. I don't know why any mfr would build in such expensive service parts, knowing that the interval is less than the average person keeps their car for. but to actually address the question, follow the book because it most certainly will cost you an engine when that POS belt fails. It's getting harder and harder to find a smaller engine that doesn't use a timing belt. The reason they choose a belt drive for the camshaft, is a mix of cost, weight, and simplicity. A belt is cheaper to make than a chain, doesn't need a lubrication system, and (believe it or not, I have heard this reason from people in the industry) is quieter than a chain drive. Now if the engineers could just learn to make life limited parts (like timing belts) replaceable without having to spend half a day or more taking stuff apart just to get at them. The labor involved in getting to the darn things, is why it's so expensive to replace them on the newer cars. Incidentally, I remember a selling point for my 1999 Saturn SL1 was that it used a timing chain, not a belt. It was billed as essentially "maintenance-free". |
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Volkswagen suggested 105k miles for the timing belt on my GTI. Too bad it only made it to 85k-ish when it broke. I was cruising down the highway at 75 going to see family. Good thing for AAA for the tow 100 miles back home and the aftermarket warranty that paid about $2500 to replace/repair the damage. With interference engines, you do not want that timing belt to break. It will do damage that will cost you way more than the timing belt and replacement will cost.
I will replace mine at 75k miles from now on!! 
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Sell it and buy a vehicle that doesn't have a stupid timing belt. I don't know why any mfr would build in such expensive service parts, knowing that the interval is less than the average person keeps their car for. but to actually address the question, follow the book because it most certainly will cost you an engine when that POS belt fails. It's getting harder and harder to find a smaller engine that doesn't use a timing belt. The reason they choose a belt drive for the camshaft, is a mix of cost, weight, and simplicity. A belt is cheaper to make than a chain, doesn't need a lubrication system, and (believe it or not, I have heard this reason from people in the industry) is quieter than a chain drive. Now if the engineers could just learn to make life limited parts (like timing belts) replaceable without having to spend half a day or more taking stuff apart just to get at them. The labor involved in getting to the darn things, is why it's so expensive to replace them on the newer cars. Incidentally, I remember a selling point for my 1999 Saturn SL1 was that it used a timing chain, not a belt. It was billed as essentially "maintenance-free". Had a 1970's Ford that developed a habit of loping at idle, at around 95,000 miles. Also had a strange noise coming from the front of the engine, so I pulled the timing cover. The upper timing gear was not steel, but an aluminum hub with plastic teeth. The plastic had worn down, loosening the chain and letting it slap against the side of the timing cover (the strange noise and the loping idle). When I bought a replacement chain and upper gear, they gave me an option of a steel gear or the original (and more expensive) aluminum and plastic gear. I've replaced similar aluminum and plastic timing gears (with steel ones) on at least 2 Ford engines since then. When I inquired as to the purpose for the plastic gear, I was given the same crazy reason I have been given for the engineers choosing a belt - it makes less noise. |
| Owners manual FTW. They designed the car, not your mechanic. I just did it on my Tacoma, its pretty easy of you are handy with a wrench. My owners manual said 90k, I did it at 95. When I took it off the belt still looked like it could go another 100k. Do some research and check to see if your engine is a non interference engine, meaning that if it breaks, there is still clearance between the piston and valves. The fact that it is a timing belt and not chain, and that your cars was made in 2002, it is probably non interference, but double check. In that case the worst that would happens is your engine would die, and all you have to do is replace the belt, and not have the engine rebuilt. Also, replace the Water pump and thermostat like others have said. You don't want to pay for the job twice if you are taking it to a mechanic, nor do you want rip it apart twice if you do it yourself. |
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I'd like to know when my timing belt on my car should be replaced. It's a 2002 Honda Accord with 75,000 miles on it. The owners manual says 100,000 miles but my mechanic is recommending it be done due the age. Should I go ahead and replace it? I'd like to make an informed decision because it is about $800 to do it. Well, if you have the funds it wouldn't hurt to replace it considering it is that old IMHO. Have them check the water pump also. This. In fact, just replace it. You might as well get it done while you're in there. |
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A belt will wear with miles, but it will also deteriorate with age. If a timing belt breaks, the pistons can Will easily eat the valves (depending on the clearances in your engine), and that is much more expensive to fix than just replacing a belt. ETA: Just be glad you're not having to pay to have the belt replaced on a Jetta TDi. I advised a coworker to get the service manuals for his Jetta TDi (I think it's a 2001), but he kept responding that it was so much easier to just pay the dealer to do the work. Then he got to the first scheduled service that required the belt to be replaced, and he found out why so many Jetta TDi's were put up for sale, just before hitting that mileage mark. Some people prefer to trade-in, than take out a loan to pay the dealer to change the belt. My coworker bought the manuals and special tools, then spent an entire weekend replacing that belt. Virtually every "import" or small car engine is interference. If you lose your t-belt the "best" you can do is replace a few bent valves. The worst, multiple pistons, valves, valve seats, head, block...see where this is going? Now, if they reccomend 100K miles...id wait till then. 75K seems a bit premature. |
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Owners manual FTW. They designed the car, not your mechanic. I just did it on my Tacoma, its pretty easy of you are handy with a wrench. My owners manual said 90k, I did it at 95. When I took it off the belt still looked like it could go another 100k. Do some research and check to see if your engine is a non interference engine, meaning that if it breaks, there is still clearance between the piston and valves. The fact that it is a timing belt and not chain, and that your cars was made in 2002, it is probably non interference, but double check. In that case the worst that would happens is your engine would die, and all you have to do is replace the belt, and not have the engine rebuilt. Also, replace the Water pump and thermostat like others have said. You don't want to pay for the job twice if you are taking it to a mechanic, nor do you want rip it apart twice if you do it yourself. Be careful with a statement like that. I have a 2001 Honda CR-V with a four-cylinder interference engine and timing belt. |
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when wear out Only if you want to replace the entire engine when the thing breaks. I would probably wait and replace it at or close to the mileage specified. Its probably an interference engine so you don't want it breaking. Also make sure water pump, and tensioners are included in that price. Bil3508l Not all engines are interference engines. This place sucks for car advice. But almost all Hondas ARE interference engines. It is a very expensive mistake. My old honda prelude broke a timing belt. Cost me a 12 pack of beer and an ass chewing from my brother(honda mechanic) I was back on the road the next day. |