fernanbev

Hey-
04 TSX 93K.
Car started making a noise under hood. My uncle took a look and said it was the serpentine belt. How much is the dealer (heart acura) going to rape me for? Should I do the alternator at this time too? Cost? Is is cheaper to go to Honda dealer instead? What about Firestone or some place like that. Never changed spark plugs. Should I do that now as well?
Thanks all-

FYI
does anyone have problems w/rotors rusting? Got new brakes and they asked how long was the car sitting? RESPONSE: I drive it DAILY!!!!!

Same burning oil issues as all..........

Navi: SHOT!!!!!!! Works when it wants.

curls

Plugs - not yet. 120k miles or so is the recommended mileage on those.

Serpentine belt - belt itself is $20-$30ish at most places (dealer is probably a bit more but I doubt by a lot). Labor shouldn't be more than 45 minutes - it's a dead simple job. Any independent shop can do this for you no problem, probably cheaper than the dealer. Just go somewhere you trust, or, bring it to the dealer and have them do it.

There's only one belt.

Alternator should be fine.

Rotors rusting -- on the flat part where the pads touch? Where? middle, very edge? Middle = not good = have brakes serviced. Very edges = normal(ish).

fernanbev

Thanks.

fernanbev

Is BANDO the original OEM brand, only $19.74? Or should I go with Dayco $24.21 or Gates Belt Tensioner $30.89 or Goodyear Gatorback Poly V belt $29.37
(all on Amazon)
Thanks Again

curls

Never heard of Bando.
Dayco, Goodyear, Gates -- all good.
"Gates Belt Tensioner" is not a belt... it's a belt tensioner -- looks like a small pulley/wheel.

rx280

A friend of mine – a former auto tech who’s been a stay-at-home dad since early this year – replaced my ‘04’s serpentine belt about 5 months ago. I let him procure the belt, and he went with Bando. He assured me that there’s no cause for concern about Bando quality.

nj2pa2nc

the last service I had on my 06 tsx was at 114K+miles. They changed the spark plugs, engine coolant, oil/filter change, tires rotated/balanced, the cabin filter changed and did the power steering recall. They told me the serpentine belt was good and no need for replacement. I know I could have had it done cheaper but I trust this dealer and I have no desire to DYI.

GWEEDOspeedo

I wouldn't write-off spark plugs. I bought my CPO '05 only having 43K miles and pulled one out at 50K. It was black (probably from the oil our engines consume). I replaced all four for reassurance. Hard to argue it's much smoother, but I know they aren't covered in oil/grime/soot. I'll look at replacing them again around 90K/100K miles.

GwinTate

I had mine replaced by the dealer in August; $401.00. I later found out from many that you can go to Discount Auto, buy the belt for $38, & they'll loan you the belt replacement tool for free, and it's less than a 15 minute job!

Simba91102

Just a few comments (including some on other posts). If the serpentine belt does actually need to be replaced (and I've never heard of these making noise, they just start to dry out and crack, but....) then I'd expect to pay quite a bit. It isn't a horrible job, but I think most would find it more difficult than some on this forum make it out to be (I've been doing this stuff for a long time, and I didn't really have any trouble with the replacement, but it is certainly not a first time DIY job). The dealer gets allot for it because they can. And though there are numerous replacement belt manufacturers out there, the only ones that I found available for the TSX were the Dayco and the Bando (I used a Dayco). The Honda belt is a little more and may or may be not be worth it. Don't worry about the alternator unless you feel it isn't operating properly. It's not a service interval item; replace it when or if it breaks. Spark plug interval for the 04 is 105K miles. If your car burns oil (and nowhere near as many do as the oil burners would have you believe), you may want to replace them early. If the engine is operating properly, there's no need to replace them until after 100K miles. I did my 05 at 105K, my wife's 07 at a little over 100K and the plugs from both cars showed ideal wear for the mileage indicated. I''d suggest staying with the NGK's that are OE.

fernanbev

Noise apparently is the water pump. Found out dealer cost for belt... it is $65.66 and $169 for labor. Total of $234.66. This is Wappingers Falls, NY Acura.

rx280

I paid $39.96 for the Bando belt I bought back in June. My '04 had 90,000 miles on it at the time. I replaced the original belt because I'd been hearing belt squeal for quite a few months -- primarily in the first minute or two after start-up. Of course, once I had the old belt in my hands, I could look at it closely. There were a lot of cracks in the "ribs" on the belt's interior surface, and a lot of tiny stones -- probably grains of sand would be a more accurate description -- stuck in the grooves, BUT I think the belt would have lasted quite a while longer. Still, I'm glad I replaced it, if for no other reason than to end the squealing.

Simba91102

Ya, that was a good move; sounds like you were ready. I guess now we'll hear about all the noisy belts, and that's a good thing. I just don't remember reading about any here before. Anyway, I agree with your sentiment about the OE belt. I replaced the one on my 05 at around 130K miles because I figured I might as well and because I could, and it's a cheap DIYer. The original one still looked OK and was quiet. It is a rugged looking piece and although the OE belt was discolored, it still looked pretty good. It hadn't started to crack yet. My guess is these would go quite awhile before failing.

nj2pa2nc

I always thought one of the indications the belt is needed to be changed was when it made that squealing noise besides the cracks, etc.