wajo22

Hey Guys,

I bought my beautiful TL about two months ago. When I took it to an Acura dealership for a thorough inspection, they told me the car has an aftermarket drive belt. The adviser made it sound as if I needed to replace it with an OEM belt ASAP, though there was nothing wrong with the belt installed. Is that really important, guys? The car seems to be driving fine with what's in there. Thanks

mindanaomoro

Yes that belt is important to run the alt, AC compressor, but NO it does not have to be Honda brand. If its not making any noise, not cracking then leave it alone.

2Quik

I have an after market belt and my 04 seems fine. Dealerships seem to always look for ways to get money out of you. You could always take it to a different mechanic and see what he thinks.

As long as it doesn't sound like this it should be fine..
https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...1&postcount=28

wajo22

Awesome!

Mine makes no noise at all. But is there any chance it can affect the performance of the vehicle later on?

ez12a

The drive belt will not crack before it fails or needs replacement from wear.

you need to use the measuring tool available free from Gates to measure the grooves.

see: http://www.gatesprograms.com/beltwear/beltwear

350

iTrader: (4)

I'm partial to Goodyear Gatorback belts, I put them on everything I own, no way I'd pay for an OEM one. It's really easy to change yourself too, just helps to have a second set of hands to keep it lined up.

04socalTL

iTrader: (1)

i would recommend Gates belts, that is the brand i've been using on my car with no problems
it also happens to be the brand that we use at my job. I work in an industrial setting where we try to have the machines running 24 hrs/day all year long

cinobyte

+1 for gates I have always used them

ZOMGVTEK

It might a game the Dealer plays. I found it to be odd when they noted my car had an aftermarket drive belt as well. At the time, it was a 2 day old Goodyear Gatorback 4060840. I replaced a cheap aftermarket Napa belt with this one, which tends to be superior to the OEM Honda/Acura belts.

I somewhat understand the concern the dealer had, since some people probably show up with super cheap garbage belts and wonder why it squeaks. They know the OEM belts are 'designed' for the vehicle, which can often lead people to improperly assume they are the best and should only be used. As long as the belt isnt making noise, slipping, cracking, or fraying, its fine. The waterpump is driven by the timing belt, so this belt can entirely fail and you just loose P/S, A/C, and the alternator. Not vital stuff for an emergency situation.

wajo22

Your situation sounds like mine: my belt isn't causing any noise, but I've just found out it's indeed very cheap. I'm just going to get the Gatorback. Thank you for your feedback.