!Low on Cash. Going in for a timing belt fix but got some questions!
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Joined: Oct 2005
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From: North Stonington, CT, 06359
!Low on Cash. Going in for a timing belt fix but got some questions!
First off I apologize. I'm no car guy. I can change oil, fuses, change a tire, yadda yadda yadda other then the basics anything mechanical is foriegn to me. Here are some questions. I've got a 99 base auto.
- Got the "rattling ball in a can" syndrome. It does not sound like this all the time but it's apparent on most days. Usualy prevalent while driving around town at lower speeds. Upon acceleration it sounds like a metal ball bouncing around inside a coffee can.
- Due for a new timing belt. going to run me about $775 from Honda for them to replace that, the water pump and something else. Can my normal mechanic do something like this for a lot cheaper or is it something I shoudl definitely not mess around with, suck it up, and drop the cash for doing it at the dealer?
- Auto tensioner horror stories? Is replacing the timing belt going to prevent auto tensioner failure or am I looking at another couple hundred dollars ON TOP of what it costs to fix the timing belt. If the "new" tensioner belts from honda hold up well and since I've heard that about 99% of 5th gen owners have tensioner failure..what should I do!?
Should I just get everythign fixed all at once and hope for the best for the rest of my cars life or should I just do the timing belt fix and wait patiently for a tensioner problem that might not come for another couple thousand miles or possibly not at all!?
Not too pumped about the $775 and definitely not to excited about taching on more $$$ on top of that.
So I need suggestions please. Thanks in advance guys. Definitely going to replace things sooner before later. Lately I've been getting a little paranoid about my car. Coming on here and reading about other peoples non stop problems kind of have me sketched out!
Thanks again.
-a paranoid noob
- Got the "rattling ball in a can" syndrome. It does not sound like this all the time but it's apparent on most days. Usualy prevalent while driving around town at lower speeds. Upon acceleration it sounds like a metal ball bouncing around inside a coffee can.
- Due for a new timing belt. going to run me about $775 from Honda for them to replace that, the water pump and something else. Can my normal mechanic do something like this for a lot cheaper or is it something I shoudl definitely not mess around with, suck it up, and drop the cash for doing it at the dealer?
- Auto tensioner horror stories? Is replacing the timing belt going to prevent auto tensioner failure or am I looking at another couple hundred dollars ON TOP of what it costs to fix the timing belt. If the "new" tensioner belts from honda hold up well and since I've heard that about 99% of 5th gen owners have tensioner failure..what should I do!?
Should I just get everythign fixed all at once and hope for the best for the rest of my cars life or should I just do the timing belt fix and wait patiently for a tensioner problem that might not come for another couple thousand miles or possibly not at all!?
Not too pumped about the $775 and definitely not to excited about taching on more $$$ on top of that.
So I need suggestions please. Thanks in advance guys. Definitely going to replace things sooner before later. Lately I've been getting a little paranoid about my car. Coming on here and reading about other peoples non stop problems kind of have me sketched out!
Thanks again.
-a paranoid noob
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Re: !Low on Cash. Going in for a timing belt fix but got some questions! (skimeast1982)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skimeast1982 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
- Due for a new timing belt. going to run me about $775 from Honda for them to replace that, the water pump and something else. Can my normal mechanic do something like this for a lot cheaper or is it something I shoudl definitely not mess around with, suck it up, and drop the cash for doing it at the dealer?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes other places than the HONDA dealership can install a new timing belt, but it will cost you more than 775. I just replaced mine over the weekend as I am in the same boat as you, mechanically challenged. The OEM honda parts + labor costed me 850, but this wasnt at a honda dealership.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skimeast1982 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
- Auto tensioner horror stories? Is replacing the timing belt going to prevent auto tensioner failure or am I looking at another couple hundred dollars ON TOP of what it costs to fix the timing belt. If the "new" tensioner belts from honda hold up well and since I've heard that about 99% of 5th gen owners have tensioner failure..what should I do!?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
If a shop can do it, ask them to do the h23 manual tensioner conversion. I went with another auto tensioner, becuase I forgot to ask them to swap to h23. I too as low on funds on my car as I am a college student. But either way get it replaced. No point if skipping out on a few hundred if that is going to make you replace an engine.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skimeast1982 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Should I just get everythign fixed all at once and hope for the best for the rest of my cars life or should I just do the timing belt fix and wait patiently for a tensioner problem that might not come for another couple thousand miles or possibly not at all!?
Not too pumped about the $775 and definitely not to excited about taching on more $$$ on top of that.
So I need suggestions please. Thanks in advance guys. Definitely going to replace things sooner before later. Lately I've been getting a little paranoid about my car. Coming on here and reading about other peoples non stop problems kind of have me sketched out!
Thanks again.
-a paranoid noob </TD></TR></TABLE>
Get it all replaced at once. Here is how i look at it. If they are charging you 180 in labor for just replacing your TBelt, and you decide down the road 2 months later that you want your auto tensioner replaced, it will cost you that auto tensioner as well as another 180 bucks for another labor fee.
My lude is a high mileage car, I wanted to replace things while other things I didnt want to replace. My tensioner failed over the weekend, and I only wanted to replace the water pump, TB, and tensioner, but what they told me is that I might as well get to replace some seals, P/S belt/ ALT belt becuase if some of these were to fail down the road, and want to get them replaced, it would cost me yet another 180+ in labor as well as parts.
- Due for a new timing belt. going to run me about $775 from Honda for them to replace that, the water pump and something else. Can my normal mechanic do something like this for a lot cheaper or is it something I shoudl definitely not mess around with, suck it up, and drop the cash for doing it at the dealer?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes other places than the HONDA dealership can install a new timing belt, but it will cost you more than 775. I just replaced mine over the weekend as I am in the same boat as you, mechanically challenged. The OEM honda parts + labor costed me 850, but this wasnt at a honda dealership.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skimeast1982 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
- Auto tensioner horror stories? Is replacing the timing belt going to prevent auto tensioner failure or am I looking at another couple hundred dollars ON TOP of what it costs to fix the timing belt. If the "new" tensioner belts from honda hold up well and since I've heard that about 99% of 5th gen owners have tensioner failure..what should I do!?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
If a shop can do it, ask them to do the h23 manual tensioner conversion. I went with another auto tensioner, becuase I forgot to ask them to swap to h23. I too as low on funds on my car as I am a college student. But either way get it replaced. No point if skipping out on a few hundred if that is going to make you replace an engine.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skimeast1982 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Should I just get everythign fixed all at once and hope for the best for the rest of my cars life or should I just do the timing belt fix and wait patiently for a tensioner problem that might not come for another couple thousand miles or possibly not at all!?
Not too pumped about the $775 and definitely not to excited about taching on more $$$ on top of that.
So I need suggestions please. Thanks in advance guys. Definitely going to replace things sooner before later. Lately I've been getting a little paranoid about my car. Coming on here and reading about other peoples non stop problems kind of have me sketched out!
Thanks again.
-a paranoid noob </TD></TR></TABLE>
Get it all replaced at once. Here is how i look at it. If they are charging you 180 in labor for just replacing your TBelt, and you decide down the road 2 months later that you want your auto tensioner replaced, it will cost you that auto tensioner as well as another 180 bucks for another labor fee.
My lude is a high mileage car, I wanted to replace things while other things I didnt want to replace. My tensioner failed over the weekend, and I only wanted to replace the water pump, TB, and tensioner, but what they told me is that I might as well get to replace some seals, P/S belt/ ALT belt becuase if some of these were to fail down the road, and want to get them replaced, it would cost me yet another 180+ in labor as well as parts.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 41
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From: North Stonington, CT, 06359
Re: !Low on Cash. Going in for a timing belt fix but got some questions! (skimeast1982)
Called up Honda and they can't do the manual tensioner fix, obviously only what came stock on the car is what they will do..but I guess its only an extra half an hour of work and $112 for the part if I wanted it replaced. The guy said however they get a decent amount of preludes in every year and out of all of them they have only sold one tensioner over a year ago. He also said if the tensioner needed to be replaced they would have seen that upon inspecting the timing belt when I went in last time.
Upon searching I found that the rattling ball in a can is probably just a rock stuck up on the heat shield.
Paranoia! AH!
Upon searching I found that the rattling ball in a can is probably just a rock stuck up on the heat shield.
Paranoia! AH!
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Mentor, OH, USA
the sound you are describing, is most likely a bad tensioner. Have them replace it while they are in there. You won't want to pay another 700 bucks when that tensioner fails in a few months and they have to replace it.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 740
Likes: 0
From: Making Eggs, NC
Re: (99LudeDude)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 99LudeDude »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the sound you are describing, is most likely a bad tensioner. Have them replace it while they are in there. You won't want to pay another 700 bucks when that tensioner fails in a few months and they have to replace it.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yea and replace bent valves
@ Honda..they'd make you leave a ******** at the door if you brought it in for that job
yea and replace bent valves
@ Honda..they'd make you leave a ******** at the door if you brought it in for that job
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