My 2001 Acura CL Type S has 202K miles. I am the orginal owner and am meticulous about its service and maintenance. The dealer is suggesting to perform the pricy valve adjustment job. I am hesitant. The car runs great, I hear no noise/knocking, and feel I should not fork the $550 he is asking. What are your thoughts.
Check your owner’s manual recommended maintenance schdeule. I’ll bet there’s no periodic valve adjustment listed.
My thoughts are that he’s trying to prevent your bank acount from accumulating excess deposits.
If the valves need periodic adjustment there will be a specified interval in the maintenance schedule that came with the car.
And if there is such an interval the valves should have been adjusted several times before you reached 202K miles, but based on the tone of your post you’ve never had it done before.
Perhaps there is no need for a valve adjustment. I’m not familiar with the 6-cylinder engine in your CL.
The engine in my '97 CL requires a valve adjustment every 30,000 miles, but the Acura dealer, given an opportunity to charge me for this service at 90K, declined to do it. I was shocked, but they told me it wasn’t necessary.
I have to admit, when I checked the valves at 30K and at 60K they did not need any adjustment, but I was really surprised that the dealer didn’t even want to check them. I’ll have to do it myself to make sure it’s done.
If you discover that there is a requirement for periodic valve adjustments, I’d try to find an independent Honda mechanic and see if he or she can do the adjustment for less money.
You should not need any more valve adjustments. They are fully worn in and should not go much farther than they already have. Your valve stems have stopped rising and the valve lash will remain where it is.
Thank you. The owner’s manual says “if you hear a noise”. So I am inclined not to do it.
Thank you. That is where I am going.
When you change the timing belt changed have the valve clearance inspected/adjusted. My honda dealer did it for free as part of the ($400) timing belt change. I believe the valve covers are already open to change the timing belt anyway. So they simply run across the valves with feeler gauges.
When choosing an automobile to purchase, rubber timing belts and valves that require periodic adjustment are two features that spell expensive repairs and maintenance down the line and are therefore to be avoided…There is no reason to burden yourself with these archaic and trouble-prone engine designs…
Oil changes are more expensive than timing belts over time.
Say the oil is changed every 3,000 miles in a hypothetical car and the timing belt replacement interval is every 100,000.
100,000 / 3,000 = 33 oil changes * $30 per change = $1000
Timing Belt job = $600 - $800.
I will never let a rubber belt keep me from buying a car. But that’s just me.
I agree…Timing belt never stopped me from buying the car I wanted…Cost is a lot less when you do it yourself too.
For people like me…timing chains can be a LOT more expensive…I tend to keep my vehicles 300k+ miles…Every vehicle I’ve owned with a timing chain had to have it replaced by 250k miles…Replacing a timing chain ONCE is far far far more expensive then replacing several timing belts…A LOT more is involved.
I do prefer hydraulic valves so there isn’t an adjustment…but it’s NOT a deal breaker…All our Honda’s had to have valve adjustments…Either buy an extremely reliable vehicle that needs a valve adjustment every now and then…or buy something like my sister-in-law Fords Taurus that was junk LONG BEFORE my wifes Honda needed it’s first timing belt or valve adjustment.
Tight valves can cause problems and do damage without making a sound.
Honda had to change its “if you hear a noise” recommendation on the CRV when people started getting burned valves.
The marketing department wants to minimize the apparent need for maintenance.
A good independent shop can do this for much less than $550.