I have a 1999 honda civic LX with 81m miles. Do I need to consider having the timing belt changed? My mechanic, McCormick Auto, states its either 105m miles or 7 years. Please advise.
Thanks - Jen
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The car is 10 years old. Hello! (10 is more than 7).
Ditto what hellokit stated. The belt and car was manufactured in 1998 more than likely. You’ve been on borrowed time for a while.
It’s due for a change. If you bother to reach into your glove box and pull out your owners manual it will confirm what your mechanic says. Not that anyone does that sort of thing anymore.
Cross your fingers while you drive to the mechanic or have it towed.
Those number are Which ever comes first!
"Do I need to consider having the timing belt changed?
Only if you want to avoid VERY expensive repairs to the valves and pistons when the belt breaks–which could come at any time without warning now that it is 10 years old.
“My mechanic, McCormick Auto, states its either 105m miles or 7 years.”
If your mechanic does not know that this means 105K or 7 years, whichever comes first, then you should start thinking about all of the other things that your mechanic does not comprehend. But, maybe he was depending on you to interpret the maintenance information correctly. Still, if you told him that you were not interested in having this maintenance done, he should have advised you on the folly of your decision.
In short, you have been very lucky so far. If I were you, I would have that belt (and the water pump) replaced yesterday.
Yes it and it will likely be your last one. Make to sure to include water pump and all accessories belts(they pull them off anyway to get at the belt).
Yah, cost savings on labor for anything like the pump and belts should be taken advantage of when the timing belt is replaced. Same for any tensioner mechanisms too.
One point…the timing belt should be changed at 105K miles not M MILES…m stands for MILLION. K stands for Thousand. I seriously doubt you have 81,000,000 miles on your car…ESPECIALLY with the original timing belt.
MOM, your car has a lot of life left in it, but certain things have to be done to make it age gracefully. I would, of course replace the belt, since rubber deteriorates with age as well as use! With that I would also replace the water pump as stated by others. If you follow the manual’s maintenance requirements, not what the dealer says, you can expect up to 10 additional years of happy motoring with your Honda.,
The essential question here, as with so many other questions posted in this forum is:
When will people finally learn to open the glove compartment, take out the Owner’s Manual, and actually read what it says regarding maintenance, the meaning of dashboard gauges and warning lights, how to replace a light bulb, etc.?
As always, the people who care will and the people who don’t care won’t. I’m sure my mom isn’t about to read an owners manual after driving for about 60 years. She will buy a new car drive it for a few years and trade it in on a new one, just like lots of other folks. Those of us who are enthusiasts usually go out of our way to find additional maintenance just so we can open the hood and play.
OTOH, I’m not about to start reading the laundry care instructions on my clothes or read the manual for my lawn mower, microwave oven, or my DVD player, I’m simply not that interested.