Following up this this thread.

Apparently, my timing belt busted (keep in mind this happened while idling) and everyone is trying to charge me out the a$$ to fix it.

Thriftys Automotive said $1800 for new engine

Acura Dealership said $900 for new belts, cam tensioner pully, water pump, and seals?

Pep Boys said $700 for belts, pully, and seals?

Whats going on fellas? Ill be honest, im a computer technician, i don't know much about my cars engine. I feel as though EVERYONE is taking advantage of me, and running me through the hoops. How hard is it to swap a timing belt? Can i do it on my own? Or are these prices right? Please help me

yellow pages
acura/honda service shop
timing belt replacement
DO NOT TRY TO TURN ON UR CAR
negotiate price to 550-650

includes water pump, seals, timing belt

stay away from pepboys

I called that one. And to add to that ^ honestly search, you arent being taken. you will see that the typical timing belt service ranges from 800 to 1200 bucks. Sometimes You can find uses low mileage motors for 300-800 bucks if you search on occasion
http://www.car-part.com/

Also know that when the timing belt breaks it usually damages the motor. We have interference motors. That means that when the belt breaks the valves hit the pistons.

And ....DO NOT TRY TO CONTINUE TO START THE MOTOR. if your damage is minimal you may get lucky and just have to replace the belt.

How many miles do you have did you have on the belt?

well, its at the acura dealership now. hopefully, nothing else was damaged in the indecent. it died while idle in the parking lot, and i didn't really mess with it after that, as i dont know what im doing. Only thing i can do at this point is pray that its just the belt..

car has 121k miles on it.

wow my TL is a 1999 and it has 100k on it.

it wasn't an abusive driven car because its whole life (9 years) it was a leasing car rather than a owner car. and there was 1 owner after the leasing company gave it up and i'm practically the 2nd owner of the car.

so my TL has been on the same timing belt for 12 years and i have not hit 105k yet. i'm at 100k right now. i know the 7 years or 105k mark. so that's why next month or this month i will be doing the 105k service. but you went to 121k wow.

i bought my car at 115k, i dunno if the timing belt was changed before i bought it, i havent changed it at all and i'm almost at 170k i'm not afraid, my new engine comes in on friday.

like the confidence sir

Wow your timing belt went out at only 121k miles. That is very few. Im still on og timing belt with 166k miles. I know its bad, so dont be mad at me but i should be getting it switched this summer. Anyway are you sure its your timing belt that went out, because 121k seems to little.

a leasing car is basically just a rental car to me, most people only do the maintance required in the lease contract, it's not their's in the end, so why maintain it


so you got that one setteled or at least sold then???

No its not, both yours and OP's mileage is wayy too much for the timing belt...7 years/105 is the general rule.

negative, everyone was giving me cold shoulder and wasn't much the bank could do, so i went ahead ordered another j32a2 and this company has been in business for over 20 years and they assured me that it is an a2, it'll be in on friday, then i'll do the swap, yank the throttle body off my old engine, put it on the a1 from the shitty company and sell the engine as a whole for $600 or so. cut my losses

that sucks , but the fact that the company is in another state and closed it's doors, make it even harder for the bank to go after them, so i can see how the bank is looking at it though

but can't wait for the updates though , especially with the manual conversion

I went 200k. Mileage is A LOT less important than age. Age is a bigger factor in rubber breaking than mileage. you are driving a ticking time bomb

you may get a phone call after the timimg belt is replaced saying the valves are bent(you do the water pump because its important and located behind the timing belt)

Once the engine turns again- they must run some test to see if any/how many exhaust valves got bent- that requires removal of the head(s) to repair/replace parts
Another expensive job!

Once the belt breaks its usually trashed the engine within seconds- even at idle it was getting bad for at least a few miles then broke, so potential damage is great

If its really bad inside from damage, its better to get another engine and do the timing belt job on it and drop in the car,,acura wont tell you that- they replace the belt and then decide it still needs 2500 dollars more

yeah, im expecting the worse.

so guys, where can i get a decent engine?

See post #4

ah yes. thanks.

Like o1tl4tl said, that's one way to fish a customer, acting dump like it will be just timing belt, then charge for valve job (we will try our best), then charge for new engine, then engine mounts, on and on.

If your car were still running, they would charge you more for tb job, then why it is cheaper when your car is broken. Go figure.

ok, so say i just purchase a used engine, and do a swap. Who in the world can i find to do the labor. I live in an apt complex, on my own, no garage, no family who would let me use one, im screwed. Labor on a complete swap is going to be astronomical.

get a new car? Used one maybe?

unfortunately that will not be an option. i still owe to much on it, and insurance wont do jack because the cost of repairs will not exceed value (in their eyes anyway.)

once the new belt is on, extensive damage to both cylinder heads is found and the revised estimate hits 4 grand or better,,,then maybe your insurance will kick in!?
What part of the policy would cover it?
never thought of my comprehensive for something like that, but Im not an insurance agent- there are a few on here that can chirp in

look in the phone book yellow pages for a small ad for private owned shop- honda/acura listed as things they specialize in and make some calls
One or two will have done engine swaps, have a reliable supplier from a junkyard/auto recycler and be able to hook you up for a known price
labor on the swap isnt that bad when not paying dealer rates

ck the PennySaver for shop ads too

Honestly for a decent small shop to swap the motor over is a 4 hour job. It is very simple.

Little update fellas.

I contacted a small, one person shop, the family friend kind, who specifies in only honda/toyota vehicles. Needless to say, im very happy i did.

Out the door at $1300 for an engine with 55k miles. This includes, new timing belt, water pump, serpentine, all the necessary items. Thats labor as well.

After i contacted him, i called my mom to tell her the good news, and to find out, this is the same guy who did an engine swap on my step-dads Celica GT4..

I am very happy i found some closure today! Thanks for all your guys' help and suggestions!

good luck

true but when i believe in my heavenly father above. faith and prayer is what's holding my car together till this day. now that is my

Yes and some mechanics i have talked to say it should last 10 years. Honestly op, i think you got unlucky with your belt snapping because i know there were other people on here that went like 150k without changing it. Look at mine, not saying people should wait because your taking risks, but 166k miles and almost pushing 10 years on og timing belt. Hopefully by this summer i should have it changed. Ill buy the parts and visit the honda/acura specialist to have this job performed. I just hope my transmission doesnt go, which i have a feeling it will soon since i encounter problems which i htink is related to the transmission. Then ill be stuck with no car because i cant afford a transmission job

Some people get lucky and some don't. Sucks it has to happen to you.

I hear ya brother, but sometimes physics and tensile strength catch up with you. If you pray tonight and it breaks tomorrow, will you lose your faith? Hopefully not, but I think God expects for us to use a little common sense, too.

BTW guys, you can get engines and all kind of salvage parts on eBay as well.

Haha but that's what man would say "common sense". I depend on faith and prayer. God knows I'm struggling financially. It breaks of course I will be tested on my faith whether it be blaming god or myself. But I learned through the bible and my relationship with the father above that things happen and are planned out for a reason.

I will continue to drive with an old timing belt. It has happened this far and its 12 years going and its old. God is watching and until the money is blessed upon me then I will change.

I depend on faith in god. It breaks, buy another car. I might be blessed with a better car than this TL.

May my post be a blessing to all TL owners that are struggling like me doing the 105k service financially. Now that is my

1300 sounds like a great deal for a new engine and a timing belt job! congratz ... car is sorta half new now!

I'm at 128k, and have yet to change the belt..


After reading this, I'm going to the shop.. TOMORROW.

yeah, driving on borrowed time with a well overdue belt, and btw much cheaper now for a belt (should be less then 1k with everything [water pump, bearings, seals, tensioner], especially at an independent shop) then to be fixing a damaged engine, looking at 2k+ easy, plus alot more days without a car while being fixed

I'm getting my parts, oem for about 250, and labor is only 300 for me. good or bad?

your going to need at least:

timing belt
timing belt tensioner
timing belt tensioner pulley
timing belt idler
water pump
camshaft seals
crankshaft seal

including the gaskets for the above.

i say do the other ones above besides the timing belt and water pump because they are already in the area and everything is apart so they mines well replace the other components above.

i'm giving my TL to my local acura dealer and letting them change the parts. it should be anywhere in the $1000 or $1300 mark area. but hey, i'm getting a loaner while its being worked on.

i thought you said you did your 105k service or was that you did a 105k service on another car