Just bought a 1994 Accord EX with unknown timing belt service intervals... it has 147,000

any reccommendations re checking it vs replacement? I have found the really nice write up on how to do it on this forum....

Thanks

Dan

 

you can try removing the valve cover and upper side cover, with a flash light look down inside the lower cover to point where the timing belt goes over the tensioner. There you can try to visually inspect the belt for crack at the base of the teeth. But it's said that a belt that shows wear doesn't have much time left, so it could look ok now but unless you keep inspecting it it could go bad and possibly snap before you decide to service it next.

Unless the previous owner has receipts showing the timing belt being serviced I wouldn't chance it and I would go ahead and replace it along with the other normal items.

 

You could look if it is a OEM timing belt or not. If it is a non-OEM, then you know it was changed.. But then again, I do not trust non-OEM timing belts as much as OEM, so I would want to change it anyway, but at least you would know that it HAD been changed at some point. If it is OEM, there is no way to tell if it was ever changed, because it will still look good even when you change out the original one. When it looks bad, it will break, and will cost you tons of money, so chances are, its not gonna look bad unless you are super lucky and catch it just in time.