Accord timing belt

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Aug 6, 2020
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good morning all, and THANKS for the info on RDX rear diff. fluid.

today my 2012 Honda Accord V6 is at the dealer. He called said I need rear brakes, which I believe.
He suggested a new timing belt. total mileage might be around 55,000. I am original owner.

the timing belt, including water pump, etc is around $1600.

He said I am below the 100,000 miles, but they recommend every 7 years, I am at 10 years

today's dumb question

DO I NEED A TIMING BELT? I might keep this car a few more years. This car has had really good maintenance and records since day 1.

thanks!

Bob
 
None of us can answer if you NEED a new one.

My advise would be to change it if you have the funds. They become weaker over time, meaning increasing risk of failure.
 
The belt is likely fine. The bigger issue is the hydraulic tensioner. It’s very likely leaking/has been leaking thus reducing the tension on the belt. It’s really the only actual thing I’ve seen go bad on this timing drive.
 
What also happens is the lube in any roller, idler or tensioner pulley can dissipate.
A pulley fails (drags or stops) and takes the belt out immediately.

Lots of people push it (ahem).
My pal's wife's Mazda belt went out just 10 miles over the recommended interval. So even though he was late he swears Mazda is from the devil and campaigns against the brand.

It's good to have something to stand for, I suppose.
 
Timing belts are rubber and should be replaced on some interval, no doubt about that.
What does the manual say? Anything about time vs. miles?
I would tend to agree that given 10 years it should be done sooner than later.
 
Because of the age I would, Honda use to recommend belt change at 60k. Sounds like you take care of it and when it is done no worries for years.
Make sure to replace waterpump and tensioner while they are in there.
 
THAT'S TOO BAD!

thanks! i guess i should do it!

hahahaha
bob
Any repair shop can do this job, even using Honda parts if you insist, and for substantially lower labor. I'd say every mechanic/tech with 10 years experience can do these jobs with their eyes closed, that's how common they are.
 
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If it were my vehicles I'd change it.
The fact that the rest of the vehicle was maintained well isn't relevant.
If this goes you engine will likely be instantly trashed.
 
thank you everyone. I am still learning about cars, I did know to do the water pump. did not know about tensioner pulley.

sounds like I should do it.

great car otherwise!!

new honda accords near me are $26,000 to $34,000. might be worth keeping!

take care and stay safe everyone!

best regards,

bob
 
Timing belt kits always include the associated tensioners/pulleys (one or several), so I would assume they were going to do that, but doesn't hurt to confirm.

I'm not sure how complicated this particular vehicle is to replace the belt and associated parts, but its not that easy of a DIY typically.
That price is high, but I would expect an independent mechanic would charge in the neighborhood of $800-1200.
 
thank you everyone. I am still learning about cars, I did know to do the water pump. did not know about tensioner pulley. ...
Clarification: replace not only the tensioner, but all the pulleys. A timing belt kit typically includes the belt, all the pulleys, the tensioner, a water pump and the water pump gasket.
PS: while you're in there, you might as well replace the other belts too: alternator, power steering, AC, etc.
 
good morning all, and THANKS for the info on RDX rear diff. fluid.

today my 2012 Honda Accord V6 is at the dealer. He called said I need rear brakes, which I believe.
He suggested a new timing belt. total mileage might be around 55,000. I am original owner.

the timing belt, including water pump, etc is around $1600.

He said I am below the 100,000 miles, but they recommend every 7 years, I am at 10 years

today's dumb question

DO I NEED A TIMING BELT? I might keep this car a few more years. This car has had really good maintenance and records since day 1.


thanks!

Bob
Not a bad idea to have them replace it and all belts and the two coolant hoses if you want to keep driving it all over with confidence it wont give you problems.
 
Call around to some independent shops for a quote. You can save around $500 over the dealer. If you are replacing all those items might as well have the oil pump o rings replace. The oil pump on these V6 engines is buried under the timing belt and water pump, so while everything is opened up, it’s the perfect time to do that job.
 
The crankshaft pully bolt on those J series engines are put on by the hand of god. If the job hasn't been done before and you don't have the car on a lift with a long cheater or a good impact (a cheapy won't touch it) you could struggle with just getting the bolt loose. If you want to do it yourself get a weighted 19mm impact socket and have a good impact gun you can use. Ask me how I know. Other than that it's a pretty straightforward job that you can knock out in a day if you are mchanically inclined but haven't done one before
 
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