I just bought a 2000 civic EX with ~160k on it. Timing belt was due at 100k. I have no service records, but the car is clean as ****, and it appears that it was taken care of. I am almost done doing all the maintenance I want to do (pretty much everything), and its coming down to me deciding whether I want to do the belt or not. I have searched this and usually people say "do the belt if you don't know when it was done." However, it's a couple hundred bucks that would be better used on other things, if I do not really need to do the tb/wp.

I know there is no way you can tell if the tb has been replaced, but if it HAD NOT been replaced, would it have popped already? Since the car is already at 160k, I reasoned that the belt must have been done, or it would have failed in the last 60k. I'm not sure if this is faulty logic or not.

The question is, should pay my couple hundred and replace the belt now, or drive the car til it gets to 190 in a couple of years (if I don't sell the car, but I probably will before that point), and replace it then?

 

Replacing the belt is a preventative measure. Sometimes they last 200k miles, sometimes they last 100k miles. There isn't a set mileage at which the belt will magically break.

I would just replace it, seeing as your entire motor will be destroyed if it breaks.

 

This is just not a gamble I'd take. Replace it. And unless you're paying a shop to do this, it's no where near a couple hundred bucks in parts.

 

A new belt + water pump can easily be had for under $100.

 

Yeah. The D-series parts are cheap as 3rd world hookas, and the job is really easy.

 

Timing belt. Tensioner and water pump. Do it all at once.

 

Yeah change the belt - I have a used one I'll sell you for cheap j/k

 

I guess I oughta do it. Sucks but the tech forum unanimously agrees. I did think parts were around 180 though, at least the kits sold on hondamarketplace are. I know for sure I ain't cheaping out and getting an autozone wp or tb, because I don't want to have to do this again when my freshly installed pump starts to leak.

 

180...for a B-series maybe, but no way for a D-series. Have a look around slhondaparts.com for better prices. Did it include more than the tensioner set, water pump and timing belt?

 

nope, the y8 kits for both places only included the spring, belt, wp, tensioner.

I'll check that site out, I'm going to do the belt this week.

 

At 100K I went into my local Honda dealer and asked for a timing belt and waterpump for my 2000 SiR. The guy at the parts counter said that he wouldn't sell me one because I didn't need it. I asked why and he said that for '98 and newer cars, Honda had increased the timing belt service interval to 160K. So I went back 60K later, and no problems until then.

 

For peace in mind i would replace the timing belt, waterpump, and tensioner. I noticed honda changing there timing belt intervals, but i would still do the work since you are now currently at 160.

 

ya heard^^^

 

I ordered tb, wp, and tensioner from slhondaparts.com today. I'm going to do it myself, never done it but I am not paying for labor.