I have a 2002 Civic, 96,??? miles. Maintenance schedule says timing belt should be changed at 100,000 miles (maybe 110,000) or 7 years. I didn't notice the "or 7 years" bit, so I'm a year behind this schedule.

(The car's history is it was purchased new by my parents, driven on a lengthy daily commute for several years, and handed down to me about 2 1/2 years ago with ~87 or 88 thousand miles on it, so I don't drive it all that much.)

Anyway, I'm going to take it in to a shop. (I know bupkis about cars, unfortunately.) I have a couple questions:

- What should be done at the same time? I know water pump; anything else? One garage suggested cam shaft and crank shaft seal replacements. Is this a good idea? My dad said it'd probably be unnecessary and he wouldn't do it, despite having one of the seals fail on a different car he had (Subaru).

- What are reasonable prices? (I live in Madison, WI.) Local Honda dealer wants $650 for belt + water pump. A private garage said $550 for the belt and pump, plus $120 for the seals. A second private garage wouldn't give me an estimate without looking at the car.

Thanks.

 

I'd take it to that Honda dealer. I'd pay that for a water pump and a timing belt change. When I had my belt changed, it was when my AC compressor clutch went out, it was $1200. But AC compressors are expensive. I'd say that's a pretty middle of the road deal, also it's a Honda dealer.

 

The dealership price is fair, plus they're more likely to stand by their work than a small independent shop. They'll also replace the necessities, so I wouldn't worry much about "what else needs to be done."

I doubt they'll do anything with the cam or crank seals unless they actually need to be replaced. Small shops are a little more notorious for pushing unnecessary items onto customers.

 

Make sure they replace the tensioner. The tensioner is a wheel that rides on the belt to keep it tight. It has a bearing in the middle of it. It should be replaced with the belt.

 

Thanks guys.

Just one more question: If I go to one of the non-dealers, should I demand an OEM timing belt? & water pump? Are there any brands that would be good enough that you'd trust them to the 110K/7yr mark?

(If it makes a difference, I'm much more concerned with the 7yr measure. I've put <10K miles on the car in 2 1/2 years, so at that rate I'll hit the 7yr mark 3 times before getting to the mileage.)

 

most of the aftermarket company's meet or exceed the dealer standards (im a little partial to aftermarket being a mechanic and the price) if you go with a denso pump and contitech makes a good belt and tensioner pulley.... id advise if the funds are there to do the cam and crank seal most oils leaks are caused/happen after the belt change because those seal rarely get changed the most common oil leaks are the valve cover and cam and crank seals

just my 2cents but thats how i roll

 

I have to agree with your opening statement. I see it like this..

Due to outsourcing labor and manufacturing, the difference between "aftermarket" and "OEM" parts (among other things) is becoming (or has become) negligible. For the sake of maximizing profits, companies are downsizing, merging into corporations and using the same manufacturer(s) as the next guy. (Typically Chinese or Mexican)

It's a (crime) shame that we still pay premium prices for mediocre products.





Inaccurate example:

Made in USA:
Cost to manufacture - $4.38
Retail cost - $189.99



Made in China:
Cost to manufacture - $0.11
Retail cost in USA - $189.99

 

I know you posted this a few days ago, but I am currently changing a timing belt on a 2001 Civic with 92k miles. The power steering and A/C belts were looking a little rough; however, the timing belt looked like it could have lasted 20k more miles. It didn't have any cracking yet. I have not decided if i am going to change the seals yet. They look ok, especially since the belt looked so good.

 

1200$????????? wow. i got a timing belt and ac compressor for 300 out the door. and yes the ac compressor used but only installed on engine for 5000 miles

 

when i do mine this summer, i'll be replacing the t-belt, water pump, crank pulley bolt (know of a few people that have had bad experiences w/ old bolts that get beat up), accessory belts, spark plug tube seals. i've thought about replacing the tensioner but honda doesn't say to replace it and i haven't really heard of any cases where the tensioner goes bad.

 

its your car but imo i would change the seals etc. just because it looks ok doesnt mean its going last the next 20k miles lol anyways i would go ahead and change everything just to save the time and possible problems later on

 

I was charged $270 for labor, bought parts myself. Replace tensioner (its really b*tchy on this model), replace crankshaft seal, camshaft seal, timing belt, and water pump.

Tensioner was $60, crankshaft seal was $8, camshaft seal was $10, timing belt was $20, water pump was $45.

They shouldn't charge you extra for tensioner and the seals since they are already in there for the job, it takes 5 min to change out. My shop didn't charge me extra for those items. I would have done the job myself if I wasn't so busy with school.

You will also need new coolant and an oil change.

*My parts were all OEM, but not purchased thru Honda dealership, you will actually find OEM parts at auto stores. I also have a shop discount*

*My shop also did a valve adjustment*