Hey everyone, this is like one of my first times actually posting here on these forums. Well I got my mom's 00 tl about a year ago, when she got the new accord. And the car has about 160,000 miles on it. Well I recently found out that my parents haven't really done their maintenance checks on the car, basically they changed oil, brakes, tires and the stuff that you normally change. I'm still on stock timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, etc.

Well what I need is if someone can help me by telling me the important things to change and any maintenance things i should cover?? Currently i do not have a job but hopefully i will have one this summer since im in school right now. But my goal is to get the tl to last me the next 3 years in college.
Thanks a lot and sorry for the long story in the beginning.

 

Welcome!

get the 105k maintenance done ASAP....you're wayyyy over the recommended mileage for that.

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/diy-timing-belt-695821/

check out that DIY on the timing belt to get a feel for what you need done (or doing yourself)

also the easier things, i'd do the spark plugs and brake fluid flush (lots of DIY's on this forum)

 

oh and filters, air and cabin....very easy and also in the DIY thread

 

kk thanks. I think the timing belt i will need to take to the dealer, as of right now I'm not not to hot at working on cars(never done a diy yet). I'll do the smaller stuff like cabin filters, and is spark plugs a hard diy, i think they show you how to change it in the car manual.

 

Damn i realized I also need to get the a/c fixed. Isn't the timing belt job at the dealer like 600 dollars, or better yet how much is the 105k service??

 

I'm not sure of the labor for the 105k service, but parts alone will be around 300

spark plugs are a pretty easy. I haven't done it on my car yet, but past cars I've done have been easy.

the only thing that might be tricky are the spark plugs in the back...but it should be ok with the proper tools

 

anyone know how much the 105k service costs at the dealer??

 

It all depends on what you really need to have done. It will be upwards of 1k

 

Damn its gonna take 4ever to get that much money. Probably like half of my summers work going to just maintain the car.

 

160K on the original t-belt ! I'd be checking for a reputable local mechanic to do the timing belt, coolant and basic tune-up as a preventative measure. Otherwise, you may be looking at an even bigger repair bill or facing a car payment ! Pay now or pay later.

 

I found a great local mechanic that only works on Hondas and Acuras. He replaced my timing belt and flushed the brake fluid for < $600. Spark plugs, air filter, cabin air filter you can do yourself for < $100. Ask your mom for a $700 loan. You don't want to risk a broken timing belt, or a water pump going out, 'cause it'll cause you a lot more to fix the TL if those go out.

 

Yeah, it's pricey.

Any way you can get the previous owner(s) to pay or contribute. After all is should've been done on their watch.

 

id say change your air filter, cabin filter, wiper blades, tire rotation, spark plugs, engine oil and filter, and the transmission fluid yourself. its easy to do especially since theres DIY's with pics to all those services. then all you'd really have to get done ASAP is the timing belt and valve adjustment. id look into buying the parts for the timing belt from the dealer and having a private shop do it for less.

 

Get a local, non-dealer shop to do the tbelt and water pump. It should be about $750 with parts/labor. At that time I'd also have them inspect your brakes.

A bunch of other stuff can be done, like the filters, cabin, motor and fluids. However it might not be required to keep the car running.

It's not helpful, but some food for thought. If you cannot afford to keep the car, you cannot afford to drive it. Budget about 1-2K of service/year for a car. If you dont have/make enough to support that plus insurance and gas you cannot afford a car. Average cost to own/use a car is $6500/year.

 

rob-2, i take it you found a shop to do it for about 750. did that include valve adjustment?

 

Only after paying too much at the dealer.

Valve work is seperate and will run $500-600.

 

750 for a timing belt? thats what the dealer charges theres no savings.... buy the parts yourself at the dealer for like 250.. they shouldnt charge more then 250 for a v6 timing belt its so easy to do. and a valve adjustment shouldnt be more than 150. 650 id say max for both...

 

dealer is 1200

 

You clearly don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

lol i really do though. i guess im just talking about jersey prices for all this work. ive done plenty of timing belts on hondas and acuras working at a honda dealer for 3 years. i guess im just cheap when i charge ppl for this kind of work cuz i get the OEM parts cheap too. i just pass the savings on to my customers...

 

If you're doing the work for friends that's one price, if you have a business that's another.

 

Actually he's right. I got a quote from a local business of $100 for labor on just the timing belt. His prices match up to all the prices I have been searching for the past few months. And believe me, ive called quite a bit of places. And how did you come up with 500+ for a valve adjustment?

 

Book hours is 5.5-6. Plus $25 for for parts.

T-belt pump is more then 1 hours work. So unless you're getting a guy at $30hour it doesn't add up. The only thing I figure is these are small shops and possibly non-skilled workers. Any good shop will be busy and wont be charging 1 hours labor for a several hour job.

Water pump needs to be done with tbelt and the pump/fluid change is going to cost. I stated $750 for tbet and water pump. That's parts/labor all in. It's also from an import shop here in California. They specialize is honda/acura and the owner is a former honda tech who started his own business.

I cannot stress enough the importance of going to the right place. I wouldn't let anyone touch my car who said they could do the tbet for $100 or adjust valves for $250. If you do the work yourself you'll understand it cannot rushed and it's done once right or you pay for their mistakes.

 

from ACURA im looking up the time and its about 2 for a valve adjustment...
that would mean that a valve adjustment for 500 the shops labor rate would be 250/hr..... you keep takin it in the a** for your services cuz ur obviously a sucker and they see that when you walk in. i do plenty of work for customers in shops around my area and believe me i know the rates around here. i dont rush any jobs i do and i do them right the first time.

 

I wont bother arguing with you, clearly you know best

2 hours for valve adjustment... sure buddy. Not on a v6.

 

listen lets end it here.. you dont work on cars and you go by what you hear. i on the other hand do, and i know how long each job takes. it DOES NOT take more than 2 hours to do a valve adjustment on an acura tl. simple as that.