Just want to know if what dealer told me is right.

My TL is 2007 with 110,000KM on it. My local dealer told me that it's time to change the TB with the spark plugs. They quoted me about $950 + tax. So far everything is running fine, i don't feel anything wrong. Should I do the job now or I can wait? Please advise!

Thanks,

BTW, i am in Canada.

 

110000km=68350 miles, too soon, wait until the maintenance minder indicates time for the change @ 105,000 miles/169000km, or:

If you drive regularly in very high temperatures (over
110°F, 43°C), or in very low temperatures (under
20°F, 29°C), replace every 60,000 miles (U.S.)/
100,000 km (Canada).

 

You could probably get a little more out of that belt. Being in Montreal, I wouldn't try and set any records though. At the most, if you hit the 10yr mark and you're not close to the mileage limit I would change it anyway. You nearly fit the severe service schedule already so it's something to think about.

Keep in mind, the car isn't going to give you any warning. It either runs perfect or the belt breaks and it doesn't run at all. So far just about every belt that gets changed looks good. Mine at 124,000 miles on my '06 looked nearly perfect so looks are not an indicator, at least not good looks.

 

Correction: the low extreme temps are -20F / -29C.

Montreal's average lows don't come close to those so I wouldn't even take the severe service limits into account.

 

You are correct. I copied the severe service/temps from the owner's manual, suprised the (-) didn't take.

Hope that's not considered plagiarism.

 

You also need to consider the age of the belt. Look at the VIN tag on the lower B pillar and see when the car was manufactured. My 04 has a November 2003 manufacture date. Your 2007 may have a 2006 manufacture date so it may be at or near 7 years old. That's the magic lifespan I've seen for Honda timing belts. I wouldn't wait too long.

 

Some would argue with you since it doesn't explicitly state time in the owners manual but I fully agree. With low mileage, 7-10 years should be the max. I bought my '06 in December of '05 so I know it's an early build so it was over 8 years when I did mine and it was making me a little nervous, especially since it has seen MANY 100+ and even some 113F days in Vegas, Phoenix, and Bakersfield.

 

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your advices and comments, I live in Montreal and there are several months (Dec-Mar) are really code here. So I think I will do it after this summer, it's not worth to take the risk.

Thanks again!

 

I think that's a very smart decision.

 

I think so too

 

the price is pretty fair too as far as dealers go.

 

You're right, I don't see that time limit in the TL service manual. I just peeked into my old Integra service manual and it does indeed specify a 7 year limit. Go figure...

It's probably just another safe rule to live by.

 

OP, there are plenty of 04TLs going on 10+ years without issues with the original timing belt. And like I said, Montreal gets nowhere near the severe driving conditions on either extreme, hot or cold.

The decision is yours, but there's nothing requiring a change now.

 

Right, at least I won't do it until I see the message popup on the screen.

 

Seems as I'm quoting you quite a bit. Our '04 was manufactured 03/04, now at 81,000 miles and still going strong but will change at the 100k mile mark, maybe another 5-6 years as it only sees 3k miles p/year.

Guess the rubber holds up pretty well as the daughter's 2000 Maxima still has all the original cooling system hoses, 228,000 miles, but has a timing chain.

 

Don't forget that the odometer on 04-06 TLs reads 5% high...

 

That's what they say, but actually with the 245/45-17 tires, the speedo is dead on, 1 mile, 60sec. Been checked many times.

 

If you are concerned go ahead and change it. Relatively inexpensive for peace of mind.

 

Yep. I feel much better now that mine is done and it cost pennies compared to most other things I do to the car.

I also went to 124,000 before changing it but I'm certainly not going to recommend others do so. Acurs used to call for 7 years. I'm sure the belt composition did not change. Common sense would dictate the belt will need to be changed according to time eventually no matter the miles. At the rate I currently drive, I'll hit the next 100,000 miles in about 50 years. Is there anyone who thinks I should go 50 years on this timing belt as long as I'm under the mileage limit?

 

I was around 115k for the first one and 222k for the second one, so its not like I'm a great example, but glad I did it and will probably do the third one sooner.

 

I've had my 2007 TL since late February, 2007. So, it just hit the 7 year mark, with 81,000 miles on it. The A123 service is message just popped up today.

I tend not to take it in to the dealership for routine stuff. But my experience over the years is if it's something beyond routine maintenance like brakes, fluid services, tires and such, use the dealership instead of my usual place.

The dealership made a comment last year (warranty battery service) that they recommend the 7-year timing belt replacement. But, I'm a solid 20k miles under the limit. It sounds like I can wait a while to get the belt replaced, going on mileage. Pretty much everyone agrees on the ~105k mile replacement interval. But, on the 7-year, advise is all over the place. I live in Virginia, so no great extremes of heat or cold.

So, what do you think?

 

I think yours is an interesting case. You're well under the mileage limit and it popped up at almost exactly 7 years. Personally I would change it if the MID said to. Plus, Honda used to recommend 7 years before they used the MID. Of the many inputs, total engine revolutions is one of them. The first 90k on mine were mostly freeway miles. The rest are from driving short trips for the last few years. My MID called for either 104k or 106k, I can't remember but it was 1,000 miles off of the 105k mark. I'll have to go back and check when it went off because I believe it was very close to the 7 year mark as well.

So Honda once had a 7yr recommendation but no longer on our MID equipped cars. I can only assume the MID takes the place of the time requirement so I would definitely change it.

On another note, Honda recommends changing the oil according to the MID or at one year, whichever comes first. At the rate I drive, an oil change pops up usually in just over 3,000 miles. I normally hit a year before 3,000 miles. I've had it take me a year and a half on an oil change.

I look at the MID as the latest you should perform the maintenance and if it says it's time to change the belt, there's something that triggered it to call for a timing belt swap at 80k and 7 years so I would do what it says.

I just don't think the "I have 20 years on my original timing belt and it hasn't broken yet" is a valid argument for extending the interval. I went 20k past the 105k mark and several have gone a lot farther but I call that luck and it would be irresponsible to recommend it to others.

There is a safety margin built in and that margin gets thinner the farther you go past the MID or the 7yr mark.

Now I'm interested in exactly when mine popped up. The more I think about it the more I think it was very close to the 7yr mark.

 

personally i would be changing the timing belt now or soon, OP. yes it is a $900 to $1000 fix, but it is cheaper than doing engine work when the belt snaps or strips the cogs off.

 

A123 is not for the timing belt. A "4" is. That's what I think.

 

Correct, "4" is the biggy. I mentioned the A123 message in that the MID destinctly did not pop up with a "4", but for the standard couple of years/30-40k miles service.

I work from home, so my car has two basic driving profiles. Some short trips around the neighborhood, then some long ones on the highway. Northern Virgina to New York/New Jersey, down to Florida, that kind of driving. Very little of the daily grind of sitting in stop-and-go traffic.

The local dealer (Pohanka in Chantilly VA) quoted me $1,300. That was for all belts (I have an intermittantly sqeaky serpentine belt), timing belt, water pump, and valve service. Another $60 for the oil, lube, air filter and tire rotation, then $100-$360 for the transmission service, depending on if a flush is needed or just a drip and refill. That seems a bit high, but the guy said "there are coupons floating around, and we can work with you".

I'll run it by my usual mechanic outfit and see if it's something they can tackle, and how much. They're a large shop, and very reputable. I've been using them for over 12 years.