So I was doing some research and it appears the 2022 MDX is indeed a timing BELT and not a chain. This means that the belt will have to be replaced. The info I found had conflicting intervals, one at 60k and another said 100k. I'm guessing its 100k but thought I'd ask. Also, what does this service cost from the dealer? I'd imagine this is really expensive and probably not included in any pre-paid maintenance plan?

 

Depending on the climate and how old it is. I believe standard it's 8yr/105k miles. Replacement will run you between $600-$1200 depending on where you get it done and what parts you use (i use Aisin product instead of Honda OEM.. it's the same thing). All Honda/Acura J series engine (3.0L, 3.2L, 3.5L, 3.7L V6) uses a timming belt... I've owned J30, J32 and J35 engines, I've ran the belts to 10yrs/115k before getting around to replacing them.. They still looked pretty good, my experience can be different than yours because I live in San Diego. The climate is more mild here which probably increases the longevity of the belts.

 

The 2nd and 3rd MDX owners timing belt change were (assuming no other service codes popped up along with timing belt code):
- timing belt kit
- serpentine belt kit
- water pump
- coolant
- spark plugs
- valve adjustment (if needed)
- valve covers gaskets
- oil change w/ filter

The recommended interval was 7yr/105,000 miles with the exception of extreme conditions like AZ heat of 60,000 miles. I paid $1500 back in 2018 for my 11 MDX timing belt service and I can see the same service costing +$2000 in 2029. Prices are regional and DYI/local shops can knock that price down by half or more. Some 2nd/3rd Gen MDXs have gone +10 years and +150,000 miles on the original timing belt without issue. I would never go that long because if you are wrong the results will be you needing a new engine.

 

I don't know why they dont just use a chain. I would have gladly paid a few hundred extra into the price of the vehicle for that. my GF's 2010 CRV with the 2.4L 4cyl has a chain...thought they would put one in the 6cyl

 

you guys do know that the 2022 MDX is using a 20 year old engine design, right?
The J-series engine has been alive for over 2 decades.

you, the consumer, voted with your wallets for a "silky smooth" V6 experience.
thus the decision to keep the V6 in favor, instead of going to a turbo 4 with a chain.

the belt gets replaced, usually around 105k miles....on the dash, a "service due now" will pop up and will alert you about the service...
depending on where you take the MDX will dictate the price... Acura will charge anywhere from $800-1200.
Honda charges anywhere from $400-1200
independent shops will charge anywhere from $350-800.

if using the MDX in HARSH conditions, the car/the manual will ask you to take it in earlier than 105k miles.
ie; towing in the desert or uphill all the time.

if no harsh conditions are present, then just wait for the service light to come on at around 105k miles.

 

I think I spent around $600 for the 105k service for my 06 TSX and 08 RDX with timing chains.

 

If they had a vote I would vote for the chain..the Corvette is decades older and it uses a chain and push rods ...

 

people have already voted with their wallets.

if you noticed, ALL of Acura's line up has moved to turbo 4's and 6's. Except for the MDX.
Honda/Acura did not want to upset/alienate their core buyers because the MDX is their cash cow.

it really doesnt matter what the corvette is doing because Honda has used the J-series engine for over 2 decades.
(doesnt make sense to change.)

 

The MDX engine is pretty amazing if you think about it. It just routine maintenance with fluid, filters, and timing belt/spark plug/water pump to go +200,000 miles.

 

Same with the old Jeep 4.0L 6 cyl...or BMW straight 6...issue is everything else that surrounds the car will break down...

 

They use a chain on the NSX. They use a belt on the Type S V6 Turbo.

 

LOL if a belt really bothers you, go buy a different car?

 

Chains only last the life of the car if you change the oil regularly. Otherwise the rollers wear out and wear out the sprockets/cam gears. If you don't change the oil regularly, the chain guides wear out too. As well, some chain engines have had the hydraulic tensioners go. A timing belt is cheaper to build, creates revenue for the dealer's service department and is quieter than a chain. Changing a belt is not a big deal. A little more complicated than a vbelt as you have timing. I have changed my own timing belts (as a teenager with more time and no money) and it was medicinal.

 

You do know that V6 engines with chains exist right? And Honda could have added a chain to this engine sometime the last 20 years. I don't understand the shit attitude. The reality is most consumers don't know and won't know until 105k miles when the light pops up on the dash. Suddenly their "cheaper" to maintain Acura hits them with a $1200 bill that those pesky germans and their "higher" costs don't have to deal with.

 

Over the years, the $$$$$ German vehicle oil changes can more than make up the Honda/Acura 105k miles timing belt change bill.

 

Lost on the bright side. You get the chance to have brand new belts even when you car is 200k+ miles.

And probably cheaper than Chain tensioner replacements.

Let's not forget how the Nissan VQ had a bunch of problem when switching from belt to chain.

 

and the premature timing chain tensioner failure on Audi EA888 engines.

 

VW 6 cylinders have had chains break at the 100,000 mile mark because of bad chain tensioners, Changing a timing chain and grears is a PITA. Most timing chain replacements you see on youtube are with the engine out. Not a fun job. Changing a timing belt is easy peasy lemon squeezy.


Look how easy a timing belt replacement is on the J35:

 

why? German cars requiring more oil changes than Japanese cars?

 

if you want to show it being replaced with the engine in the car then look at these :

 

Seems like a huge concern for a minor issue of belt -vs- chain and when to change out? You can drive the +22 MDX for 15-20 years and only have to change out the timing belt once if you "time" it out right. Pretty much for the same price as a set of good tires; which, we purchase without issue every 3-6 years of ownership.

 

It’s not a huge issue but it’s a factor in total cost of ownership

 

I only include that in my total cost of ownership if I plan to keep my vehicle for +9 years and/or +120,000 miles. The odds are in my favor with my routine driving conditions living in the southwest of going to 9/120k point with original timing belt. I end up doing the timing belt around the 7/105k mark because I keep my vehicles for around 13 years and +175,000 miles in the last 20 years. I have between 6-7 years to decide to do the timing belt on my RLX hybrid and MDX hybrid or save the $$$ on a down payment on 2028-2029 Acura BEV or hybrid.

Total cost of ownership should include the entire budget. One item alone like a timing belt will always seem expensive; but, budget change could pay for the belt maint if adjustments are made in other areas.

 

Dealer costs for oil change for German brands (especially luxury) cost more than twice as much as dealer oil changes for Japanese luxury brands. An oil change at MB costs me $160 per oil change (only when on sale with coupon, normally would cost $180-200.) Acura would be $60.

Issue with German cars is that some of them require oil that's not the easist to find and their OEM filters are way more expensive and not standardized.

 

I never go to the stealer for oil changes. I either buy my oil at the local autozone, Costco, or order hard to find diesel motor oil from amazon with the filter. therefore, the difference for an oil change between a Japanese car and German car is negligible.


.

 

if I can get an alternative for that set of tires such as jetpacks from the Jetsons I'd get that. the fact or the matter is, you must get tires, you must get a battery, there are no alternatives. with the timing belt there is the chain. The longevity of a metal chain, with all conditions being equal, will exceed that of a rubber belt. Hard for one to argue that the chain is less durable because some other part like a tensioner failed. that is like saying worker A must be an Ahole because his co-worker, worker B is an Ahole.

However, you are right, enough on this already...it is what it is...

 

I'm an old fart and remember the days of changing your black sludge oil every 3,000 miles, cleaning your carburetor with spray, brake pads lasting less than 30,000 miles, cars didn't come with clear coat paint, having multiple fan belts, there was a switch near the dead pedal area for high bean headlights, gas had lead in it, and an engine/trans was usually so worn out and needed to be replaced by 100,000 miles.

Going 150,000-200,000 miles with mostly fluid, filter, spark plugs, and timing belt seems close to magic to me.

 

Yes, 0w-40 Euro spec oil and 0w-20 oil cost the same at Walmart.

Labor is $15-$20 nowadays regardless of what kind of car you bring to an Indy since the procedure is exactly the same.
Sometimes easier on euro cars if they suck it out of the dip stick and the filter is also on top so they don't even have to bother putting the car on the lift

difference in filter price on Rockauto is not at all significant.

 

Looks like a job for someone else.

 

My response was directed at 6SpeedTA95 who claimed that Acura would hit them with a $1200 "timing belt change" bill. Since 6SpeedTA95 was using the stealer (dealer) for the timing belt job, so I also use the stealer for oil change cost comparison.

Likewise if the timing belt job is done elsewhere or even DIY, then the final bill won't sound as dreadful as $1200 can be.

 

I would like to see some videos with a V6 timing chain changed with the engine in the car.

 

I agree, but there are things that cost more for German cars, such as OEM parts in general. You're not just changing oil on these cars when you're keeping it. Brake changes are very expensive if you're going for OEM compared to Japanese. I've had a friend who works on German cars and says that German cars have specialized computers nowadays and tools that make even the simplest tasks hard to do unless you have them. Overall, for the average consumer, they do not do their own oil changes so maybe for you the cost is negligble for oil changes but for the average consumer, it isn't.

The good thing about Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti is that a lot of the parts are shared with Toyota, Honda, and Nissan so costs are generally a lot cheaper for parts. Even like someone said, the MDX engine has been around for 20 years so you know it'll last. You take something like BMW or BMW and they change to different parts every couple of years.

My 2007 Honda Odyssey with 3.5L V6 has 270k miles on it and only had a belt change once. Besides that, the only things done to it were oil changes, tires, brakes, and sparkplugs. Currently still runs like new, Probably uses the same engine as the MDX.

 

OK..now you are talking about other parts to compare with other than the belt vs chain. a brake rotor on my BMW 535i was almost $70 for off brand as oppose to the BMW one which is about $175-200 (depends on who is stealing). with the same comparison, my girlfriend's Honda CRV was about $28-32 per off-brand rotor.. The German one is more expensive but it also is beefier, larger and lasts longer than the off-brand Honda one.
as for the computers being used on German cars such as VW/MB/Audi/Porsche and the BMWs, you can get after market software (some even free) that install it on your laptop that would do quite a bit the factory system can do. You can even get the factory software on your laptop if you wanted but it is in German. . BMW forums have coding sections that are bustling with instructions on how to change things in the ECU but that is not for the average consumer.

with engine longevity as a whole, even GM, Jeep, Doge, or Ford have engines that will last to 200k+ so it is really nothing magical.

 

well, you are an old fart only if: you remember Kendall signs saying change your oil every 2000 miles; clean the carb and adjust the air-mixture to 14:1 ratio with vacuum psi 18-20; set points with a matchbook; regular gas had lead and was .35 a gallon. Oh I forgot, marking TDC for the timing gun.

It sounds like magic because it is - you try going 150-200k without changing any fluid or filter on ANY car.

 

A couple of them exist on yourtube..chains dont break much.

here is another look at the belt

 

I like the stomach growl at 12:20 😝

 

Old fart status only counts if you lived it. Talking about it doesn't count.

 

Doesn't look like a fun job changing a timing chain:

 

Oh, and you know this, how?

 

Talking about timing chains, the BMW B58 has the timing chain at the rear of the engine now. So the motor has to be pulled to change the chain, guides, tensioners, etc. if the engine needs these parts. Also, the engine has to come out if the VANOS needs servicing. So my point is the timing belt in an MDX is pretty appealing.

Dodge timing chain replacement looks like a PITA: