2001 TL Timing Belt/Tune-up

Venture Rider <dontbother.RemoveThis@bogus.dom> wrote in news:46d81b6b$0$7339$c3e8da3
@news.astraweb.com:

> Acura recommends the timing belt and water pump be changed at
> 160,000km or 7 years. I plan on having that done plus the valves,
> plugs, filters, etc. The cost here in Canada is $1,500. That's right,
> $1,500!
>
> My 2001 TL will be 7 years old in December, but it only has 95,000km
> on it (not quite 100,000 miles). Should I have this done or can it
> wait?
>


Chances are you can probably get one more year out of the belt, BUT.

The big BUT is the probability of very expensive valve damage should the
belt slip. Your engine is an "interference" design, so if the belt should
jump a few teeth, the valves may contact the pistons. It's not a certainty
that they will contact, but more like a 50-50 chance.

Your decision will have to balance the benefits of delaying the expenditure
against the possibility that the belt may fail during the delay and you may
sustain a thousand dollars (or more) in valve damage.

The high cost of the job is probably because the of the amount of labor
necessary on your V6 engine. You may be able to get a better price (still
using OEM parts) at an independent garage.

However, I notice you're replacing a bunch of other parts, not just the
belt. What's the actual rundown from the quote you were given? Where is the
money going?

If it were me, I would not try to get one more year out of the belt, just
because of the potential financial downside. Are you a gambler? I'm not.

--
Tegger

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