jtsantes

Hello all:
I'm new to this forum so please excuse if this question has been raised in the past. I own a 2010 TL with only 60,000 miles. Because I am about an hour and 40 miles from the nearest Acura dealer in New Orleans, I usually service the vehicle at a local Honda dealership. I'm talking about typical services like oil, filer, brakes, etc. When I took the car in a few days ago for an oil change, I was told the timing belt tensioner was leaking and the service adviser suggested I go for their "Timing Belt Package," which includes a new belt, tensioner, water pump, etc. at a price of $990. I told them I would think about it and let them know. I'm no mechanic, but I do know that belt tensioners do not leak, so I assume they saw a gasket leaking when they dropped the oil pan. I called my Acura dealer and they want $1500 for the same service and $1700 if they replace the spark plugs.

Sorry for the long entry. So the question is whether an Acura dealer is better equipped to service the belt tensioner issue than a Honda dealer. Are the vehicles and engines more or less the same? I'd appreciate opinions and also comments on the prices I've been given. I live in Northshore, Louisiana; my dealer is in New Orleans and the Honda dealer is a few miles from me.

VanyDotK

iTrader: (6)

All Honda/Acura J series engines are similar, the Honda dealership should be able to handle it.

On another note, why did they have to drop your oil pan?

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

They would have had to remove the timing belt covers to see the tensioner. And I've never known a tensioner to leak. Timing belt components like the belt itself as well as some of the pulleys might not have a lot of symptoms until they actually fail. Which is why it's a bit dangerious to go over the recommended change interval. However, if the tensioner was going bad, you'd likely notice it. The engine would probably start to make excessive valve noise. A CEL might pop up and even slapping or knocking of the belt. This is due to the belt being loose, slightly throwing off cam timing resulting in a schlew of symptoms. If you're not hearing anything out of the ordinary and the engine sounds and operates perfectly fine, I highly doubt the tensioner is bad.

But yes, the Honda dealership can easily do the timing belt job. Like VanyDotK said, all J series are very similar, with many using the exact timing belt kit. When I purchased mine on eBay, there were like, 30 vehicles or so that it fit. From Odysseys to Accords to MDX's - all the way back to 2006 or so.

jtsantes

Thank you all for your replies. I just got another estimate from another Acura dealer who wants $1500 for the same service and $365 for plugs. I'm not sure why Honda had to drop the oil pan nor whether they even did that. The customer service "rep" at checkout is the one who told me about the belt tensioner issue so she might not have known exactly what the tech found nor how he diagnosed the problem. I think I'll stop by the dealership over the next week and discuss the problem with the service manager and perhaps I'll get a better idea what the service is all about and how they discovered the timing belt problem. I guess what I was asking for was whether the Honda dealer is equipped to do the job properly, and it looks like they probably are, and at a significantly lower price at that. So thanks again for your input and advice.

a35tl

I would definitely use the Honda dealer. Same exact service for significantly less. Even if you find your local Honda dealer a bit shady, I would still consider a neighboring Honda dealer above either of the overly high priced Acura dealers.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Werd. Yes, Honda is perfectly capable. There's no technology on the TL that isn't also on Honda's. Their techs have full access to Acura manuals. And Acura naturally jacks up the price simply because they can. Just like a Lexus, Infinity or Audi dealership would charge more than a Toyota, Nissan or Volkswagen dealer.

MenacerX686

I recently had the timing belt service done and my old tensioner was leaking. A member on here recently had an issue of engine knock during cold starts and resolved that by doing the timing belt service because the tensioner was leaking and not providing enough tension to the belt for a smooth running engine. Honda/Acura recommends the timing belt service at 105k or 7 years, whichever comes first. You're due for the timing belt service so go to the Honda Dealership and get it done for cheaper.

Gibbs

Thanks for the info. I thought I had to have the belt changed at 60K miles. I checked the owners manual and the 60K miles applies to driving the vehicle in tempts over 110 degrees F and under -20 degrees F. Neither apply to my driving habits/conditions.

Just curious where do I find the 105K miles or 7 years figure for changing the timing belt for normal driving conditions?

I have a 2014 TL W/Tech Package.

.

dv-

Google turns up a few places - mostly small mechanics - quoting the 105k/7yr figure. Some of the pages are older, or mention older cars, and I think that might be a 1990s-era recommendation, but it's often-referenced, and reference.com quotes it.

Digging around on Acura's owner manuals website, Maintenance Minder 4 sub-code for "replace timing belt now please" is set to go off at 75k, with a notation that it should be the 60k you mentioned if it's in extreme conditions.

I thought I had read 90k/5years somewhere, but that may have been a figment of my imagination, or a recommendation for a different car. My brain gets muddier than my car.

Poking around on google some more, it looks like those "auto repair estimate" web sites are saying it should cost more like $600. Maybe it's time to start courting independent mechanics?

MenacerX686

The 105k miles or 7 years timing belt maintenance comes from the owners manual of Hondas and Acuras in the early 2000`s and earlier. This was back when cars weren't full of sensors. People still go by that rule especially if you are the second owner and don't know if there previous owner rejected the major service and/or reset the maintenance minder.

hadokenuh

I live in Houston, Texas. Hot and humid. Most mechanics here recommend to get the timing belt/water pump at 100K miles or 7 years for Honda engines.