Six months ago my 2005 Honda Pilot got a new timing belt that was incorrectly calibrated. When the Honda Dealer test drove the car, they damaged the values. They fixed the valve damage and gave me a discount on the timing belt. I considered selling the car, but decided to keep it.
Now it’s six months later. When driving I hear a “clicking noise”. The dealer says that the timing belt tensioner needs to be replaced and that it would be dangerous to drive it at high speed as it is now. The clicking is caused by a worn ??? tensioner.
They claim that the incorrectly calibrated timing belt could not have caused this problem with the tensioner.
The timing belt is not ’ calibrated ’ - the camshafts have to be correctly aligned with the crankshaft and if that is not done correctly the valves and pistons can come into contact .
The tensioner on your car is automatic I believe so there would be no adjustment there . What you have is a worn out tensioner which needs to be replaced . The dealer was at fault in the timing belt installation and that has been corrected - whether the tensioner was worn at the time of the belt replacement you drove for six months more before it failed . Not the dealers problem .
The timing belt installation error could not cause the tensioner to weaken, however it could be the cause of clicking if the repair was not properly done after the valves and pistons crashed as a result of the timing belt installation error.
Ask them if it turns out to be other than the tensioer (cwhich can be tested) and turs out valve related, will they repair it as a consequence of the crashed valves?
A tensioner should always be replaced whenever a timing belt is changed out and the track record of this dealer on your problem has not been very good at all.
Question though. Is this ticking sound present at idle with the vehicle stationary? If so, maybe this ticking is not a belt tensioner problem at all but one of excessive valve lash.
You stated the dealer botched the belt job to begin with and has done repairs to the cylinder head.
With replacement of valves and a proper valve job this means lash should not only be inspected when the job is done but should also be checked again as a follow-up; usually 500-1000 miles later.
As I said, given their track record the phrase “valve lash” may be foreign to them.
