dv-

I've never heard of that, but google says it's a thing for other cars, so I'm probably just ignorant up here in Minnesota. :-)

I'd replace it because it's 9 years old.

JW Booth

Thanks for the response dv-.

The dealer charges 650 for r & r the timing belt. With a coupon they sent me I can have it done for $530.

I called one auto repair shop via a net search that listed many makes of cars including Acura.
They said they replace the water pump when they replace the timing belt, and it would be $1,042.
When I asked about just the belt he said $727

I then called a Honda/Acura repair shop found also thru a search.
He said they replace everything they remove when they replace the timing belt including seals, drive belt, water pump, some other things he mentioned, for $985.
He wouldn't replace just the belt.
He said if the water pump goes it will be just as big a labor charge as replacing the timing belt so it's worth getting it all at one time.

Are these 2 places strictly upselling offering unnecessary extra repairs?

dv-

Honestly? Unnecessary but not ill-advised.

Replacing the timing belt on a Honda V6 is a royal pain in the butt, labor-wise. (I think it's like a four or five hour job, by the book.) The belt itself is like a $20 part. The complete kit (water pump, tensioner, pulleys, the works) is only like $250 last I checked. So the VAST majority of those ~$1k quote are going to be labor costs.

To replace the water pump and associated pulleys and tensioners, you've gotta take the timing belt all apart again. They do eventually wear out, aren't terribly expensive, and are trivially easy to replace if you've already got the timing belt off. So it's generally recommended to do all of the above when you have the timing belt serviced.

It does add ~$200 to the parts cost and maybe an extra hour or so of labor, but it's waaay better than having to tear down the whole thing (and pay the same whole labor cost again) 20k miles from now because your old water pump leaks or a pulley bearing goes south. Which it eventually will - the same heat that degrades your timing belt is working on all those other seals and gaskets and things.

There's a Youtube channel for South Main Auto Repair that has a pretty good video of a timing belt replacement on a Honda Odyssey. Same basic process as the TL, etc. IIRC he does the water pump and a few other bits as well. Even if you're not a car repair guy or DIYer, I'd recommend skimming the video just to see what goes into the repair. Information is ammunition. :-)

The way you make this cheap is to find a shop with a reasonable (or cheap!) labor rate. My dealer charges $180/hr., the independent I take my car to for most stuff charges $100/hr. I'd definitely do the whole shebang at once though - it's insurance.

dregsfan

Is that US or CAN? If US, do the techs also have law degrees?

dv-

US.

They're a premium luxury brand, doncha know?!

tresorier

Hello guys, allow me to jump in here as a newbie with the same concern (timing belt change). I run a TL 2011 with 72000 miles right now. I have drove the car in the Chicago for 2 years then AZ for 2 years too now I am in NC. A good mechanic in AZ told me at 62K that I should not be worried before hitting 100K. Yesterday I checked with a mechanic in Greensboro who told me that if the manual says 60K i should just do it and for $900.

Any advice here as I am hesitant to do it, I want to wait 80-85K before changing the belts, water pump, etc. I service the car normally, I have to do the transmission soon, have always use synthetic oil and often premium gas on the car thanks to Sam's club and Costco gas prices (cheaper, it fills like buying premium gas at the regular gas price so I do it).
Thanks for any tips guys.

4th_GenTLe0260

I too have an 11 TL and if you read above I replaced mine at 100k and had no issues before that. I did only have it for 10k miles b4 that but still the car was in tip top shape and ran great. I really dont think its necessary until the 100k point but if the "warmer weather" comments are true, which they may be living in AZ for a while maybe you wanna get it done. I'm in NY so that never mattered for my vehicles. Now being in NY and hearing from someone who now lives in NC say they often put premium in there 2011 Acura TL bc it's cheaper to put regular and only put Costco or Sam's Club premium is ridiculous. You drive a nice car, put the right gas in it. In NC gas prices are so cheap premium cant be more than $2.30 a gallon. NY I pay sometimes $3.50 or more, when regular can be almost a $1 a gallon less. Buy a V6 Accord if you want regular gas. Take care of the car and the car will take care of you. Throw some Shell, Sunoco or Mobile 93 octane in there and feed that Acura the way it's meant to be fed. 🤯🤯

tresorier

Hello 4th_GenTLe0260, thanks for your input. You killed me with your gas thing, I lived 10 months in Syracuse NY in 2015 and i know about the gas price range around NY. Now don't exaggerate on gas prices in NC, premium is close to $3 but that is not the point, i feed my car with premium 9.5/10 of times. It happened no more than 6 times since I had the car (2014) that i had to use regular, that is why i use the word "often".
Now about that timing belt replacement, what I am reading on this tread makes me think that I can wait 80-85K. The car runs great. Thanks again

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Your mechanic who told you 60,000 miles lied to you. Check your Owner's Manual, the interval is 105,000 miles.

dv-

Owners manual says 60k in extreme conditions. Arizona usually is considered to qualify. Too hot.

tresorier

The car was not exposed to the sunlight directly, I had a covered garage at home and at work. I only lived there for 19 months. Go the car in 2014, I was in Chicago for 1 year after i got it then 9 months in NY with a covered garage. I believe the 1st owner was in in Florida.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Sorry, ain't no way two years in Arizona qualifies as extreme.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Arizona is super hot in the summer but the car doesn't have to deal with the cold in the winter. So unless hot is worse than cold, I'd say Arizona is probably fine. If not, then any climate that also gets below freezing would also logically qualify as "extreme" And my timing belt looked so good when I changed it at 125K that I actually mixed up the new one with the old one for a while. If it weren't for a Mishimoto print on the new belt I wouldn't have been able to figure it out. The old one had a Honda label but Mishimoto is their supplier.

crxb

My TL SH-AWD bought 12/08

driven ten years of Texas summers

At 89k miles (ten years) my trusted Acura Master tech recommended the belt change, tensioner, water pump change.

The belt tensioner did look as if it was leaking

tresorier

Ok guys, i would like to have your input here please. I have enjoyed our previous exchange so here is the issue I am having right now. Still in Greenboro NC:
I have been having this issue for the past 4 days now. Got a battery at Costco and replaced the old one. My car started and drove fine until few days ago and it stalled, will not start. It will start if i jump start it then i will drive around and come back home, drop the car and the next it may or mostly will not start by itself again so i have to jump start again.
Sometimes when i jump start it makes that tac tac tac noise. I was told something is draining my battery, am not sure what. I drove it 2 days ago to Autozone where they told me that alternator and starter seem to be in perfect order after testing. The battery is exactly 30 days old. Any idea, suggestion please?
Thanks

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

No ideas, but why did you post this under the Timing Belt Change Interval thread?

dv-

Those are pretty classic symptoms of Didn'tcleantheposts or the related Didn'ttightentheterminalsenough. Been there, done that. Clean the posts and tighten everything down like your life depends on it. (It does.)

Have you been getting any alerts/warnings from the MID about the charging system? It detects loose/absent batteries and voltage fluctuations and should complain.

The positive battery terminal Honda uses stretches a bit, so you probably want to squeeze it out of round for it to "bite" on the new battery terminal.

tresorier

DV, i got no warning signal, none. Thanks for your input man.