I have a 2004 Honda Accord EX 6 cyl. The mileage is at about 45000. According to maintainance schedule, I should change the timing belt every 105000 miles or every 7 years. Is this your experience? Should I change the timing belt next year, regardless of the mileage?
Yes it should be changed every 7 years.
According to the Owners’ Manual maintenance schedule, timing belts are supposed to be changed depending on mileage or time elapsed, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
So, yes, is the answer to your question. You should change your timing belt, 7 years after the car has been put into service.
I don’t know for sure, but I’ve also heard it is important to do the timing belt changes on schedule with these Hondas. Happy driving!
Where do you live? Weather extremes can impact the life expectancy of a belt. I have a 2002 Honda that I haven’t changed the belt on yet, going to do it soon though.
Environmental conditions also play a role as extreme heat and cold affects the belt and may make replacement sooner than stated.
Your car was likely built in 2003 (check the door jamb plate for production date) so this means the belt is probably seven years old now.
My feeling is that 6 years is about the limit so I would say do it now.
Some years ago some good friends of mine bought showroom clean, one-owner Honda Civic from the Honda dealer and this car was only about 3-4 years old with 59k miles on it.
Several weeks after the purchase while on their way to Angel Fire, NM for some skiing the timing belt on that car broke on the western edge of the OK panhandle which caused them to have to leave the car for repair in a small town with not a part in sight.
On a free-wheeling engine one can push the envelope a bit; with an interference engine it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you don’t have extra money laying around that you’re hoping to spend on a new engine or a major engine repair, then change the timing belt on schedule.
According to Gates, your Accord has an interference engine. That dramatically alters the economics of timing belt replacement. For a non-interference engine, having the timing belt break costs you parts, labor, towing, taxi fare home and the opportunity costs of having to do the repair at a possibly inconvenient time and place. For an interference engine, however, you will probably be in the market for a new engine.
I’d get the timing belt replaced seven years from the date of manufacture and every seven years thereafter. It’s common the replace the water pump at the same time as most of the cost of timing belt replacement is labor and on many cars the work required to get to the timing belt and water pump is almost the same.