Have any of you guys changed the accessory drive belt, aka serpentine belt, on a 4G TL? The instruction in the manual makes it look pretty simple. There are a few good videos online from ericthecarguy and chrisfix. Do you really need the special tool to release the tensioner? I want to change my idler pulley because it looks terrible and I'm suspicious that the tensioner is not functioning correctly.

 

Anything 14 mm, like a ratchet will do. Just make sure it grips good and won't go flying and hit some sensitive stuff in that area like the ECU computer or the brake lines, or your face....

There is a test to see if the tensioner is good. There are some markings in that area to tell you if the belt is loose. The marker on the tensioner should be between the two markings on the engine block. See if you can spot these arrow looking markings.

 

Thanks tony. Good idea to do the check. I did see that in the manual.
I'm just a bit concerned about the idler pulley which looks bad.
I'll post a report when I get a chance to work on this.
My wife's Camry broke the belt and stranded her.
It did have 200k km on it though.

 

I highly recommend a tool designed for this task (extended length and thin head). I have had bad luck with standard ratchets or breaker bars. A tool makes life easier. I have one from Harbor Freight and it works well.
Serpentine Belt Tool Kit

 

Bought the tool kit yesterday! $25 at Advance Auto Parts.
I'll post about the job when I do it

 

Jim C. I have not done this on my 4G, but have done it on 2 other Hondas, and 2 Subarus. It is pretty easy if you take your time. Replacing the pulley is a snap. I'm sure your probably already know all this though.

Reorge: thanks for the link to the HF tool. I'll pick one up next time I need to do a serpentine belt.

 

"Hi, I'm Rob Lowe."

"and this is get your ratchet Stuck, Rob Lowe."



"Dont be like "get your ratchet stuck, Rob Lowe"

 

^ Thats not a 4G TL.

 

same engine.

same pulleys.

same area.

 

^ ah, ok. Well, when you loosen it up you can remove it by hand. Unless, of course, your manicurist has any issues with that

PS. unlike other past model J engines, the J37A4 has only one pulley for the tensioner assembly.

 

I used a vice grip to lock the socket.
then tightened the bolt to get the stuck ratchet out.


and yes, in my picture you can see the power steering fluid reservoir. this is what the 2nd pulley is for, the power steering pump.

 

Just for clarification, why were you removing that bolt in the picture?
Was that to remove the tensioner itself? Or was that the PS pulley you mentioned? Could you remove the idler pulley first and then the tensioner? I was glad to note in the service manual that THE PULLEY BOLT IS LEFT HAND THREAD!
Anyway, thanks for the comments. I have not done the job yet but I will post when I do. Appreciate all advice. As we used to say at work, "advice is a gift, accept it with grace". Corny, but true.
Jim

 

jim, it is a really major PITA to extend the tensioner far enough in order to slip the new belt on. I had to go through this exercise twice using regular box wrenches and both times I ended up frustrated and exhausted.

It was the right call to buy the long tool as it should make this job a walk in the park.

 

OK, here I am many months later!
I bought the tool (in the States) from Autocraft pn AC519.
Did the job today on our 2010 base model TL (3.5L).
Should be a 10 minute job but I took maybe 20.
The belt was $44 Cdn + tax. Honda pn 31110 RJA J01
Idler pulley seemed free and easy. Tensioner seemed good also.
I referenced the instructions in the manual posted on this site.
Car has 95,000 km on it, just under 60 k miles.
Belt looked OK, probably did not need replacing at this time, but I'm getting paranoid.
We often drive 12 hours at 60 - 70 mph on a long trip.

 

Piece of mind is priceless.

 

My 2012 TL (69k miles) started making whining noise last week. I searched around and came to conclusion that it'd be good to replace the serpentine belt. The noise went away after a couple of days and hasn't come back yet, but I am still thinking of replacing the belt.

Does anyone know if the belt from Acura is the same/similar quality as the one that sells on Amazon for 1/5th the price? Both says Bando. The links are below. Thanks.

https://www.curryacuraparts.com/oem-...do-31110rjaj01

 

Whoa that is a good price, I wish I knew about that one when I did mine. I would use the Amazon one in a heart beat, if you are concerned at all then change it in half the time you would as the OEM and you are coming out way ahead still.

Whining may be signs of a bad alternator, do you notice it on cold days or other times when it may be under higher load, such as sitting for several days?

I noticed a similar issue popping up on really cold mornings for a few minutes. Changed the belt, tensioner, and pulley at 100k and the problem went away.

 

Amazon has a price "including installation"? How's that work? Do they have their delivery person install it lol?

 

I wouldn't hesitate to get the belt on Amazon, especially if they are the same. The dealer will typically always be the most expensive, and Amazon typically always the least expensive. For instance, I need to get my windshield replaced, and asked the company how much it would be for the OEM AGC windshield. Cost for the windshield alone from Acura is $650, but the glass company quoted me $325 installed. Just goes to show.

Mmmm, piece of mind sounds tasty

 

No, the first time I noticed whining was not in the morning, but in the evening after I had driven back from work and car had been sitting for about an hour. I noticed it again next morning but not since then (about a week). I am hoping that it was the belt and will be gone forever once I change the belt :-).

 

Best to buy a new belt and tensioner + idler and to also have the alternator checked. If a bearing in the alternator or tensioner or idler is going bad it'll cause noise.

 

I know I'm responding to a 5 year old post, but every car I've ever owned included "replace the serpentine belt whether you think you need it or not" as part of the 30k or 45k mile service interval. 200k km on the original belt is nuts.

 

Inspect it every 10K miles and look for obvious cracks.

 

I haven't gotten around to changing the belt yet but today the Check Charging System light came on. The voltmeter reads 12V across the battery terminals with the engine off and drops to 11.7V with the engine on. I guess I'll have to replace the alternator as well. Just ordered one from Advance Auto for $217 + $60 core charge.

 

This belt squealing is driving me nuts.Now,i dont pretend to be an expert on cars,but im also not an idiot.Car was poorly maintained mechanically when i bought it.Looking at the motor one day i noticed the serpentine belt was slightly torn.I like peice of mind,so i changed it that day.Never had an issue with belt squealing until AFTER changing the belt.Belt is moving nice and straight and pulleys have no extra play.I did the water test and the squeal is gone after spraying.Always squeals when motor is cold and when im accelerating at low rpm.I did read that the Dayco belt i bought does have known issues of causing squealing.Was going to swap out with a Gator belt.

 

IT could also be your belt tensioner being at the end of it's life not being able to apply the correct tension. Check that first with the belt you have on there now. Also check the alternator and other pulleys for misalignment.

 

My 2010 TL has been squealing for a while, typically in the morning which based on what I saw on the internet could be the moisture as the car has to park outside now. In a dry afternoon, the squeal is much better or close to non-exist. I was able to replicate the squeal if I spray some water on the belt.

The belt was replaced at 105K service, and now at 130K. I did notice that the belt wasn't original, it's a Napa Micro-V. Should I try to get the belt replaced first?

 

did you replace the accessory belt tensioner at the 105K service? If yes, try a new belt first. If no, buy the tensioner kit with a new belt.

 

Can anyone share the serpentine belt they are using, part number and recommendation?

Own a 2013 TL 3.5L with 85,000 miles. Want to change this but not sure if I should get a Continental, Generic or OEM. Feedback is appreciated!

 

I went with an OEM (Bando) belt. Part number: 31110-RJA-J01. I have no experience with the aftermarket belts, but OEM has worked fine for me.

If you need the tensioner assembly, that's 31170-RDM-A02

 

Installed Bando 6PK1190 today which I ordered from Amazon as noted in this thread. Will let everyone know how it performs over the next 10K miles. It’s a close OEM replica but not identical, the v-shaped ribs on the OEM were deeper and more precise. For the record my OEM belt at 85K miles still looks new.

 

Have a constant squealing in the 2009 with 145k on the odometer. Replaced the serpentine belt with the timing belt service at about 95k. Alternator rebuilt recently so I know its not a whining noise. Is the oem tensioner kit made in china or should I get an aftermarket for half the price?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18470707768...ampid%3APL_CLK

https://parts.acuraoflittlerock.com/...to-31170rdma02

 

^^^^ The e-bay part says for the TL and Saturn view. Really? The same part fits both cars???

I'd go with the oem kit..

 

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Mine started making Squeaky sound for a while then I decided to put this belt (Bando 6PK1190) which fixed the sound immediately.

the picture below is showing cracks