Hello all,

I have a 2001 Accord LX with 60,000 miles on it.

I called the dealer to inquire prices on various items for the 60000
service and he recommended to change the timing belt which was priced
at $840 as it included other items like pumps, seals, etc.

What do others think ? Seems expensive and I am not sure if it's too
early for this job.

He said it's not possible to inspect this belt for cracks. Is that
true?

Other than the dealer, are there other chain stores that know the
accord really well to do this job for less?

Serious replies only. Thanks!

Your timing belt should be changed, since it's at the 7 years or 105K
miles (or whatever your spec was). In my opinion, since your accord
only has 60K, you really don't have to change the "pumps, seals, etc.",
until the next timing belt change. At the most, I would probably change
your rubber accessory drive belts, but that's it, but only due to age.

It really shouldn't cost more than $400 or so, in my estimation.

dan

lora wrote:

The big cost is usually dealer labor, no approaching $100 an hour.
To replace and restore the belt you have take out and restore a lot
of other parts which takes time.
Theres lots of ads in alternative newspapers to do this substantially
cheaper, but I wonder about the risk.

lora <anjela_pat (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote in news:2d92a893-5fc6-40eb-918e-
fd7ed9729894 (AT) t11g2000vbc (DOT) googlegroups.com:



The price is about in line with a /proper/ service at dealer rates.

The only thing I'd question is the mention of seals. If they're not
leaking, you don't need to replace them.

You will be able to do maybe $100-200 cheaper than this at an independent
garage, but make sure they use ONLY Honda parts, not aftermarket ones. That
savings would be only on the shop rate.





Your belt is past its 7-year replacement interval. You're not even close to
the 105K distance interval, but the time interval is there for people like
you who don't drive much.





Correct. Belts don't fail because of cracks, they fail due to internal
damage to the fabric carcass.




Beware of the chain stores. Unless you know a good independent who
specializes in Hondas, just bite the bullet and bring it to the dealer.




--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

I just had mine done on my 2000 Accord for the first time 174,000 Kilos. .
Cost me $375 with oil change included. OEM parts and Honda mechanic.
"lora" <anjela_pat (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

"lora" <anjela_pat (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

It sounds a little high. Are you talking about Canadian dollars?

Timing belt and water pump are about US $140. That means labor is $700. I
would ask around. From my experience, the mechanics at the dealers aren't
always better. They could even screw up an oil change.

Thank God, I have a tming chain on my Acura.

lora wrote:
personally, i would not let them change the seals - it's not necessary
unless there is a genuine leak. in fact, i've seen more seal problems
subsequent to a badly performed change than by leaving original seals in
place. use a quality branded motor oil that has seal conditioners and
you won't have any leakage problems. you'll get all kinds of resistance
from the dealer who loves to add this little things to the profit
margin, but you'd expect that.


yes, true. you can inspect for signs of wear, but this is not a
reliable indicator of impending failure. since this is an "interference
engine", the cost of belt failure far outweighs the cost of replacement.
the best thing is to follow the manufacturer change schedule.