I have a '94 Accord that makes squealing noises when I start it up that stop after a few seconds. I am told that the problem is that the drive belts need to be replaces. The car has about 75k miles on it so that is not unreasonable.
The question: exactly how many belts are there to be replaced? Is this an easy thing to do or should I pay the $130 to a mechanic?
Haj
You can do it yourself. Typical “book” labor for all the belts would be anywhere from 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
If you aren’t familiar with cars, get yourself a shop manual for your car beforehand, and read the chapter a couple of times.
Unfortunately, $130 is not outrageous for this job. But remember, these belts should last a few years of normal driving.
Whatever you do, don’t ignore the problem. If the belts are cracking, replace them. It’s cheap insurance, and it’s one of the very few jobs that a Honda routinely requires. This is especially true of the timing belt, so replace it (WITH a new water pump) when the time comes.
Thank you very much.
One last thing, how many belts are there to be replaced?
Haj
I don’t know if you have a serpentine (multi-V) or multiple V-Belts. If you have the serpentine one, there should only be the one belt that runs everything.
Otherwise, it depends. Probably at least 2 if you have AC and power steering.
why dont ya pop the hood and find out?
If you read your Owner’s Manual (you know, that pamphlet you got when you bought your car), it’ll give you all the specs. It also says that the timing belt MUST (I repeat MUST) be changed every 60,000 miles. If that goes, you can ruin the engine.
The timing belt isn’t the one that is squeeling. If the timing belt slips you’ll have all sorts of problems, so it’s probably your serpentine belt.
I’ve never swapped one myself, but since I believe it is a single belt that runs many accessories, it is a slightly complicated job.
And yes, replace your timing belt at the recommended milage. On my 1988 Honda Accord that was 60,000 miles, but I think they increased that to 75 or 90K in later years.
Honda has a very unique engine design so a broken timing belt can cause big problems. (the design is one reason they can get so much horsepower out of small engines) That’s why it is important to replace it at the time they recommend.
umm, I don’t think he is talking about the timing belt but about the fan belt. Took me 2 minutes to change it on a Geo Metro & it costs about $8.00 Dunno about your car. You really MUST by the manual on it, its usually written by Haynes & any auto shop should have it, about $18.00 gives you instructions on changing it.
If you are just lazy you can get a can of belt spray that gives it more grip & no squeal but I would rather you get a new belt.
On my model it’s 90k miles for the timing belt which I do plan to replace as part of the 90k service. I already learned my lesson about timing belts on a previous vehicle.
Because I know very little about cars and I thought that someone would know off the top of their head. Why don’t you quit being a turd and either give helpful advice or quit wasting bandwidth?
Thanks all for your help.
Haj
I’ve been told that the valve clearance is so limited that a broken timing belt can wreck a Honda engine.
BTW, I thought the 60,000-mile timing-belt rule applies to the “severe” maintenance schedule, something that only applies to cab drivers, those who make frequent jackrabbit starts or do lots of city driving, etc. I think Honda revised upward the replacement standard because most drivers don’t fall into this class.
Same thing for oil changes. Most cars do not need oil changes every 3,000 miles–the “severe” schedule recommendation–though Jiffy Lube encourages it for obvious reasons.
The answer is simpler than anyone is letting on.
Pay to get all your belts replaced right now. If you are going to get your timing belt replaced soon, they are going to remove all you belts anyway.
Pay now and get it all done.
The other day I heard a mechanic on the radio who only works on Hondas. He said if you do a lot of around town driving in high traffic areas you should probably follow the severe schedule for maintenance. I think 3000 miles per oil change is probably too frequent - 4 or 5000 is probably OK.
Yes, Honda engines use an interference design so the valves could actually hit a piston if the timing belt breaks.
I have a 94 Civic and 60,000 is the recommended mileage for a timing belt change. The manual also states to change the oil every 7000 miles. However, that’s for people who only drive on the highways. If you do much city driving, it’ll be a lot less (stop and go). I change it every 3000. The Car Guys recently said that isn’t necessary, and every 4-5000 is enough. I think the more frequent oil change is cheap insurance.
It’s possible that your belt(s) don’t need replacement. Check to see if they’re tightened properly. Are they worn or cracked? If everything is normal, try spraying them with a silicone spray to take care of the squealing on startup.
It is good advice to replace them when you replace the timing belt though. The only extra cost is the cost of the belt(s).
It’s not very unique, or even unique. There are many interference engines out there.
It’s possible that your belt(s) don’t need replacement. Check to see if they’re tightened properly. Are they worn or cracked? If everything is normal, try spraying them with a silicone spray to take care of the squealing on startup.
It is good advice to replace them when you replace the timing belt though. The only extra cost is the cost of the belt(s).
Also, I have a 2001 Honda Civic. The recommendation is to change the oil every 10,000 miles! If I recall correctly, the timing belt will be changed at 100,000 miles.
Galen is giving some very good advice. It will be worth it for you to learn a little bit about your car, this is an easy one. Pop the hood and look at the belt. You can’t miss it, it’s probably a serpentine belt, which will be thin and flat, like a clothing belt, and will be wending its way around a bunch of pulleys. If it isn’t a serpentine belt, you will have 2 or possibly 3 standard V belts.
Take a look at it, check the flat (top) side and see if it is cracked or frayed at the edges. Then look at the other side, it’s ribbed, and make sure there isn’t any wear there either. If it seems good and solid, it probably doesn’t need to be replaced. If it is noticibly worn in any way, have it replaced.
You can also check for tightness, read your owner’s manual, they will have the data in there. Usually it is checked by seeing how far you can move the belt up and down in a certain location.
If it looks OK, you can get an anti squeak spray at the auto parts store, follow the directions on the can. This reminds me, I should check my own belt!