The 1st owner of my 2006 MDX had the timing belt changed previous to the sale.
Timing belt and drive belt changed at:
mileage: 105,779
date: 5/25/2012
Current mileage: 134,xxx
I got the maintenance schedule from the Acura dealership and it shows the timing belt and drive belt changed but they only inspected the water pump, tensioners, idlers, bearings, pulleys.
Everything that I've read and every mechanic I've spoken to says all these others things should be changed at the same time. I spoke to the mechanic who did the timing belt and he said all the other parts were inspected and looked good, no leaking etc, thus there was no reason to replace them.
I understand that but I think the school of thought on this is that the amount of damage that would be caused by the pulleys/tensioners etc failing would be catastrophic. As well, the amount of labor required to replace these other parts is so high that it makes economic sense to replace all these parts while you have access.
1. should they have replaced the idler pulley/tensioner pulley/tensioner as they were replacing the timing belt?
2. I'm told by a mechanic that there will be indications if these other parts start to fail such as noise, etc.
3. My concern is I'm told that even if the timing belt is fine if these other parts fail they will cause the timing belt to fail anyway and boom half your engine is gone.
4. next weekend I'm having the breaks looked at due to squealing, can the mechanic visually inspect these tensioners/bearings and pulleys to confirm all is well or or that not enough access for visual inspection.
Please speak to each of my 4 points.
Timing Belt
- Thread starter tufa4311
- Start date
- Status
It comes down to glass half full, or empty deal. I'm with you though. Dealers will make more money later when the water pump poops out etc.
Kind of a judgement call. I'm proactive like you. Many others want to spend as little as possible to get the belts changed.
Welcome to BITOG!
If the previous owner did not OK the work they won't do it.
1. Depends who you ask and more importantly who is paying. There is no reason any of the pulleys or water pump will fail due to time/mileage. Strictly speaking to the Honda maintenance schedule only the belt is replaced and the rest are inspected. The reason people recommend replacing them is to save labor in case the pump would begin weeping or a pulley would fail. I'm not sure I'd spend 300 on new pulleys and a pump just in case if I planned to sell the car.
2. Possibly. When the belt was being replaced someone had a chance to look everything over and check for abnormal wear.
3. Yes, but is replacing these parts making that scenario less likely? Not really if it's unlikely to begin with.
4. No, there isn't a good way to see any of it, and to be honest the belts and pulleys look pretty good even at the rated mileage so a visual inspection with the belt on isn't really beneficial.
My concern would be the pulley(s). Unless the water pump is leaking, I can't imagine it'd be ready for replacement.
1. Yes, They should be replaced when the Timing Belt is changed.
2. Usually, But not always.
3. Yes, If any of the Timing component fail, Engine damage will occur.
4. No, The mechanic will not be able to "test" any component without disassembly. A leaking water pump would be the only visual inspection that can be done.
cjcride, Not really the point of my post...I don't really care about the politically correct reason as to why the mechanic didn't do it - my question is should it have been done...from a technical/mechanical POV, should it have been done. The answer to that will then lead to the next question, should I do it now? (but thx for the try cjc)
Last edited:
No problem. You will get opinions on both sides of that question. Mechanic who saw it said it's OK, I'd leave it be.
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
It comes down to glass half full, or empty deal. I'm with you though. Dealers will make more money later when the water pump poops out etc.
Kind of a judgement call. I'm proactive like you. Many others want to spend as little as possible to get the belts changed.
Originally Posted By: another Todd
New parts fail too, ask Trav. I once went through three new water pumps in two years with average driving. The third one lasted over 9 years and 100K miles and was still going strong when I sold the car. I am of the opinion that most parts are not routine replacement just because you are in there.
Last edited:
You're massively overthinking this. It's pretty common for the pump and pulleys to not be replaced after visual inspection. Many feel it's a good idea to replace them because it's cheap insurance. It wasn't a mistake to leave them and I'd worry about other things. Has the transmission fluid ever been changed? Original battery? Sounds like brakes are on the schedule, so a lot will get a once over while they do that.
Last edited:
Nothing you can do now. Drive it till a bearing gets noisey or the wp starts to weep.then replace everything in there.
Originally Posted By: tufa4311
There is no catastrophic engine failure with a bad water pump.
Originally Posted By: Jim_Truett
The last one was a Montero that lost the "inspected" pump 1100 miles after the belt was replaced.
Originally Posted By: tufa4311
1. should they have replaced the idler pulley/tensioner pulley/tensioner as they were replacing the timing belt?
2. I'm told by a mechanic that there will be indications if these other parts start to fail such as noise, etc.
3. My concern is I'm told that even if the timing belt is fine if these other parts fail they will cause the timing belt to fail anyway and boom half your engine is gone.
4. next weekend I'm having the breaks looked at due to squealing, can the mechanic visually inspect these tensioners/bearings and pulleys to confirm all is well or or that not enough access for visual inspection.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Oro_O
1) Yes, they should have. If not, they are hacks, despite what the Honda/Acura FSM says they should do. There have been many years of experience showing the original FSM instructions on this were inadequate, and it is NOT what other manufacturers using the same sub-contractor components recommend. Very lazy.
2) Sometimes. Tensioner you will usually have some audible warning, though it may be brief, and hard to recognize if you aren't experienced (indistinct hard knocking sound around fan belt/fan clutch). Pulleys, not always. Can go bad and spin off in no time.
3) Yep.
4) Nope.
Anyone who tells you that you are over-thinking this, or should ignore it, is ignorant and does not understand the issues here. clinebarger is the only poster so far who has given you useful information.
I have a prior model of yours, an Acura SLX (not really the same platform, but same Acura model/product line). The Acura dealer in Portland did the service on mine and did just what happened to you. At 150k miles, the tensioner failed and I lost the belt/timing. Fortunately, mine is a non-interference so some major hassle and a few hundred dollars later, I was running like a top. I don't think your engine can survive that as I think it's interference.
The Aisin tensioners on most all Japanese cars - and it is the same basic unit from mid 90s until recently despite some outer casting differences - is not good for two belth change intervals. Nor are the pulleys.
Last edited:
Get the whole kit and change it out.
$177.79 for AISIN
$130.99 for Gates
$130.99 for Gates
I'm thinking of all the cool tools I could buy with $500. 
DAYCO $155.79
DAYCO $155.79
- Status
