In the case of the last link from Slickdeals and the instance where the dealership admitted not changing the pulley, that’s pretty damning evidence. Thank you for enlightening me.
In the other cases, where the pulley or bolt gave out shortly after the installation of a new timing belt, I can’t help but challenge their use as proof. The pulley or bolt might have been defective or installed improperly. That they weren’t changed at all is possible, and even probable, especially if they’re paying mechanics by the job, giving them a motivation to finish and move on to the next job, but unless you can confirm they weren’t changed, those examples don’t count as proof.
In cases where you’re speculating that the pulley and bolt weren’t replaced, the timing would be one heck of a coincidence. They gave out right after the timing belt job. That suggests to me they might have been damaged during installation.
All that being said, the last link, by itself, is enough to prove your point. It alone proves more than one dealership offered to do the timing belts without installing the whole kit.
It may never be the right time for you to make the move to a conversion van, but it seems like right now is close enough that you should be doing your research. No one really wants to buy a used car around Christmas, so prices might be softer than normal. And if your car is truly a rust bucket, you know very well that its days are numbered.
If you’re trying to figure out whether the cost of a new timing belt is worth it, I suggest you call around for some quotes. Make sure they include the whole kit and the water pump.
I’ve had good luck getting decent prices at Firestone and Goodyear, but you should also call around to some independent shops and a dealership for quotes.
Only when you have those quotes will you be in a place to make an informed decision.
The thing about finding an honest mechanic is that, even when you find one, he might move on or be off the day you come in. That’s why you’d be better off investing your time in managing the relationship, and making sure that wherever you go, you make sure they use the whole timing belt kit, not just the belt.
In other words, just ask up front when you get a quote that it be for the installation of the entire timing belt kit, including replacement of the idler pulley and bolt. You might also mention the crankshaft seal, asking them to check it for leaks. That way they know they’re dealing with a knowledgeable customer. Just reiterate that you want the entire kit installed and you should be fine no matter where you go.
Yeah, the other links were just corroboration. Really, they were all corroboration for my personal experience, which was that I specifically told the Acura dealership to swap the ancillary hardware, and they didn’t, and then argued with me about having to do the job again. The SA said “we never replace hardware that doesn’t show signs of wear. That’s Honda policy.” Now, I don’t know if it’s really Honda policy, but when I called around to other dealerships (Honda and Acura) in town to see if he was right, I got the same story.
I’m sure that 99.9% of the time not replacing the pulleys will be fine, but I’d much rather spend the extra $100 for insurance that a $5,000 engine won’t grenade itself over the next 100,000 miles, and I find it absolutely mindless that any dealership would skip part of the job just so they could lower the price.
I agree with the other posters, budget about $1,000 plus or minus a couple of hundred BUT since a 2001 Honda Civic with rust is essentially worthless on a resale, you may want to just keep running it until it fails and hold the money for a replacement car.
BTW - I had my former mechanic replace the timing belt on my 2004 V6 Tiburon with instructions to “replace everything” for about $1,200. About 15,000 miles later have a serious oil leak and discovered the front crankshaft seal, a $10 and 15 minute part, wasn’t replaced.
Even if they get lucky and the parts that are designed to last 90,000 miles happen to last 180,000 miles, that is totally messed up, and I’m disappointed this is going on at all, let alone that it is this prevalent.
The last two times I got my timing belt done (at Goodyear and Firestone), I checked to make sure they used the whole kit, and each time they assured me that they won’t do the job without using the whole kit. That it’s not a sure thing at each and every Honda dealership is a great disappointment.
Now a days 15 years is possible, I just donated a Nissan that was 16 years old, have another car that’s 65 years old but either is optimistic for a daily driver, even assuming meticulous maintenance. The Nissan engine, tranny and suspension were all fine but the rest of the car was wearing out.
Simply with age, plastic degrades, metal rusts and rust is like cockroaches, “When you see one you’ve probably got more elsewhere”.
A timing belt is just normal maintenance but before you embark on any major repairs I’d ask a mechanic to put it on a lift and carefully check it out.
