WdnUlik2no

So I take my tl in to the dealer to look at my two rear automatic door locks not working. And the guy that took my car told me I was about due for a timing belt replacement. This struck me as odd as there was no mention of this when I took my car in earlier this year for routine mantainence. He told me that eventhough I have only 58k miles, that its been 7 years since I got the car and that calls for a new timing belt. He quoted me $950 ($1130 minus a $200 discount special).

I didn't agree to getting it done because I seem to remember somewhere that said the t-belt is recommended at 105k miles. I don't have my manual on me, so I can't verify, but does anyone know if this guy is being truthful or is he blowing smoke up my ass.

Aman

Timing belt is 105k miles or 7 years. Your dealer was right.

But there are much cheaper places to get it done nowadays.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

it's a year AND mileage thing.

he could be correct, but i would get a second opinion if i were you.

i mean...you're averaging less than 5k miles a year on your TL...that's not a lot at all.

ez12a

nothing about the 7 years in the manual, but for peace of mind it's something you can do...I've got an 04 at 68k and debating on when i should do it

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

People debate this all the time. I thought it was 7 years or 105K or whenever the MID tells you.

nfnsquared

Nope, for normal use, there is nothing written anywhere that gives a time limit or miles. It's due when you get a "4" on the MID.

Will Y.

Exactly.

There is no "90K mile," "105K mile," etc. service interval or periodic maintenance for the 3G TL-- it's all Maintenance Minder-based, except for the brake fluid change interval of 3 years.

WdnUlik2no

Thanks y'all for the input. I'll probably wait for the mid to indicate a replacement. But with my luck the mid will show 4, the next time it appears.

$1130 seems very high, but not sure if I could trust an independant shop would do quality work and/or stand behind their work of there is a problem. A lot of low down shady shops in my area, but if I can find one that does a good job at a fraction of the price, then I'm all for it.

WdnUlik2no

Just got called back from the dealer, they want $700 to replace both actuators. They also said they found a slight power steering leak, another $330 to refill. I'm going to pass on the actuators, that is ridiculous. Power steering refill seems a bit high as well, so I'll pass on that until I can physically see what they are talking about.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

2005 TL....now it's 2012, 7 years and 59k miles...more like less than 9k a year, not less than 5k a year...lol

pilozm

i have been going through the same issue, so this thread is very helpful.
My 2005TL has 40600 miles. I'm think of selling it tho, so not sure I want to replace timing belt and let new owner do it, but I would sell it at a lower price hmmm...

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

oh the debate....

i finally got around to asking the dealer about the TB interval. i mentioned nothing about yrs...he came back to me with "105k mi/MID or 7 yrs." mind you i've been getting my car serviced there since i bought it new and i have a good relationship with them.

my 05 has 564XX miles on the clock right now. and NO there is nothing written in stone about the 7 yr interval. for peace of mind, i will have the TB done sometime this yr. $1k now will save me several thousand in repairing the engine later if the TB goes.

OP honestly the dealer quote for the job is a pretty good price for a dealer. this is assuming this includes the water pump, tensioners, and drive belts along with the TB. however the PS refill is way overpriced. the mirror actuators...they replace the whole mirror rather than just the motor itself. you could replace the motor ($30 part, IIRC) yourself assuming you can get the part.

LoveMyTL-S

Look on page 7:

http://www.gates.com/common/download...ementGuide.pdf

These guys make the timing belt for Acura's. Nothing is mentioned about a time but only mileage. 105K miles (normal) and 60K miles (severe).

FCVadi

iTrader: (3)

a few mechanics I trust has all said TBs should be done around the 7 year mark, not just our cars but most cars with TBs.. but it comes down to how the belt looks and any noticable wear

Tehvine

Every other Honda I have owned has had the 7 year clause about the timing belts. Unless they made the belt for this car out of some new magic space age rubber, the 7 years still stands.

Undying Dreams

iTrader: (3)

Also OP, about the power steering leak, look where it's leaking from, mine slightly leaked and it ended up being a $0.71 o-ring and fixed the horrendous whine it made in the mornings.

gdong

I have a 94 accord with 130000km and still with the original timing belt. I'm going to get it changed this year though

gofasttl93

04 here with 70K... in the same boat

Bearcat94

No mention in the Owners Manual about 7-year TB change.

The 2G OM had the time or mileage requirement. 2G TL OM:


If Acura expected you to change the TB on a time interval, why did they remove that requirement from the 3G OM?


J-020: 3G TL Owners Manual & Navi Manual Links
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/j-020-3g-acura-tl-owners-manual-navi-manual-warranty-booklet-pdfs-851625/

Acura_Dude

Rsoetidjo

^+1
Better be safe than sorry

tlorencz

iTrader: (1)

I have 05 with 100k. Going to my dealer tomorrow to have timing belt, plugs and brakes done.

I bought all part at Hansel Acura in Santa Rosa, CA. It was about 35% off on parts. My dealer will install as long as they are Genuine Acura Parts.

So I got timimg belt, new water pump, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, serpentine belt for AC/PS and NGK plugs for $386. Labor is about $700, plus 15% discount this month.

Personally if you drive our car eveyday at least 20 miles, i would always go by mileage. That about of miles heats everthing up well and evaporates off any moisture around and in the engine, so less to worrk about.

If you do lots of short trips, change at 7 years since the belt goes through many more cycles than a long trip/high mileage vehicle.

ez12a

my indi japanese shop quoted me $900 for the whole shebang including drive belts and what not.

Perhaps next month, blah. I just dislike messing up my MID schedule and now I have to write it down or log it to remember I need the service at ~160.

Coebee

I mean what the hell. I have had vehicles all of my life and never had to change a timing belt. I have an 04 and just turn over to 34k. now I need to dump $1300 into it ? just does not make any sense , , ,

403 UA6

My 2006 TL just hit 71,000 km (44,000 miles). My stealership recommended I get the timing belt replaced, they go by 100,000 km or 5 year rule of thumb. So I've hit the 5 year mark well before I'm going to hit the 100,000 km mark.

I noticed everyone is saying 7 years, is the difference because I live in Canada, more severe weather conditions etc?

BTW, my stealership is asking for $600 for the timing belt replacement. I couldn't imagine paying a $1k for it!

nfnsquared

Everyone that is saying "7 years" is wrong. I'll say it again: There is no written documentation in Acura literature giving either a time limit or mileage limit for the timing belt change under normal driving conditions. The fact that dealerships are telling customers that "7 years" applies just shows their ignorance. The timing belt change is due when you get "4" on the MID.

There is a 60K mile limit for severe conditions, but I doubt there is an inhabited area of North America that meets those conditions...

403 UA6

Good to know!

For those who have waited until the '4' indicator pops up to change their timing belt, at what mileage did the indicator appear?

ez12a

as mentioned many times in other threads, it's ~100-105k but it really depends on when the computer decides to show it.

officially, the engine has no scheduled services until 105k. This can be found on myAcura.com if you've registered.

nfnsquared

Actually, a slight correction to my previous post. The timing belt change is due when you have a "4" and "service due now" on the MID.

It seems to be coming due anywhere from 104K-110K. And another consideration for 04-06 TL's is that the odometer is off by 5% (reads higher than actual mileage), so you may or may not have even more of a buffer zone theoretically.

Acura_Dude

I always figured the timing belt deal was more of a time and how the car is driven factors instead of just miles (for example the MID pops up a 4 around 80K miles or 110K miles, but not exactly 105K miles) since the MID adjusts the oil change intervals based on how the car is driven.

BTW since it says in the manual the TB should be changed at ~105K miles what if by chance of fate it breaks before that? Like around 60K. Would acura be willing to foot the bill? Just simple thinkin on my part.

BTW OP you could go to a Honda dealer for the sevice or an indy shop.

403 UA6

I think the condition of the timing belt does have a slight dependence on the atmosphere (temperature, humidity, etc) in which the vehicle is kept, regardless of the mileage. However, as you pointed out, the atmospheric effects are probably negligable for the majority of people that own a TL

nfnsquared

sigh.....

jdb8805

Think you need to look at that again. The first page says in bold letters:
Avoid Costly Engine Damage; Change Your Timing Belt At The Recommended Interval Or Every 72 Months,
Which Ever Comes First.
http://cl.ly/2N3o190f3a2M0S321J1w

The rest of the manual mentions the "Recommended Intervals"

JORTS

So ur saying my odometer is off by 5%?? That seems somewhat important.Shouldnt that get fixed by the dealer?

ez12a

there was a class action about it i think. but there's not much you can do since the NHTSA will never order a recall for something as non-life threatening as this.

Tehvine

Rubber doesn't last forever. It's your car, do what you want. I still haven't done the belt on my 04, but it is next on my list of things to do for the car as I feel far behind. I have always done them 7yrs/100k. Hell, my last car was a 97 2.2 CL a few years ago. It only had 62k on it when I bought it, but I did the belts/hoses/water pump anyway. Then it thanked me by spitting the front balance shaft seal out of the motor (didn't know there was a TSB for it) and I had to change it again as it got covered in oil.

nfnsquared

Nope, the settlement just added 5% to the warranty mileage, so instead of 50,000 miles the warranty was updated to 52,500 miles. Here's the settlement info:

http://www.odosettlementinfo.com/

Bruce Banner

iTrader: (2)

That's getting you're money's worth :p

JW64

I was just in the same boat, 2005 with 68,000 miles.

If anyone is in the Atlanta area, Honda-A-Techs in Duluth did me a solid and did the whole timing belt job (pump, belt, etc.) for $700.

If you have the money to drive a TL, why risk blowing an engine? There is no way to "inspect" the belt to see if it is brittle without doing some serious work and at that point you might as well get the service done. Just my two cents.

WdnUlik2no

yeah there was a class action suit on the odometer defect, but I never really benefitted because my warranty had long expired ago due to age.

As far as the TL goes, I probably would have gotten the TB done the next time the MID appeared as I'm sure it would have shown 4, but I ended up getting rid of the car altogether about a week ago; traded it in for a G37S. There were just too many problems with the car to keep it any longer.