mikey1

My wife had the timing belt replaced at about 60,000 miles, the car now has 120,000 miles on it, when she had it replaced an aftermarket belt was put on,

My question is, will this belt last as long as a honda belt? Honda recommends 90,000 miles to change it I think, is it safe to let this belt go a bit longer? I'm thinking it won't last as long as a honda belt would, is this correct?

When I start the car up in the morning I am hearing a slight "chirping" noise and I'm hoping this is not the timing belt, the noise goes away when the engine is warmed up,

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

timing belts do not chirp

lowlife9

i use napa belts there are certain products that should only be honda brand but a belt is not one of them i would use napa. and your alternator belt is whats chirping in the morning tighten it.

mikey1

Thanks, so are you saying an aftermarket belt should last as long as an original honda belt??

lowlife9

yes and no i mean if its some weirdo no name ebay product from borat country i would be weary. were did it come from ??? anything like napa,advanced auto parts,o'reillys,car quest,pep boys you know those kind of places. honda doesn't actually make there own belts there basically aftermarket with the honda logo on it.

mikey1

I'm not positive but I would assume it would be napa or equivalent, it was done at a local shop here in canada, most part stores around here sell napa

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

I would personally only use Honda, however I believe you can go 90k miles or even as far as 110k miles. I also would have to agree and say that your timing belt isnt chirping. It has teeth on it and its not a bird lol. Look into replacing your drive belts.

marccayen

I use hondas belts. But thats mainly because I can get them at cost.

itzcashew

To be honest I'd go OEM.

But that chirping noise you're hearing is your accessory belts. Just get a pair of Gates and it'll stop the chirp.

lowlife9

lol who do you think makes that oem honda belt ill give you a hint the same people that supply NAPA there belts.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Yeeea actually Napa as lowlife mentioned has great parts in general. Belts are okay. I however wouldn't use even their water pumps/tensioners etc. You have to draw the line where you pay top dollar somewhere and let's be realistic, a belt is a belt.

lowlife9

what i always use napa stuff for all of my cars all my belts,water pump, timing belt tensionor,and valve gaskets are from NAPA and they have been there for over 60,000 miles with not one problem.

pjb3

Not always. Companies make V-belts by manufacturing very wide belts and then cutting them to the correct width. Usually there is waste since the material between the bottom of two adjacent belts is thrown out. A company could save money by cutting wider between the V's so that the inner material becomes a belt when it is turned inside out. To do this the cord in the belt has to be in the center instead of toward the outside where it should be to carry the load. I would guess that the cords were probably smaller also.
I hadn't thought about this in years since most cars now use serpentine belts so this is no longer a factor. You might be surprised at the ways manufactures find to cut corners. I agree that paying top dollar is often a waste, I think the key is to find a good value. Sometimes it is worth it to pay a little extra for a name you know and trust.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

This is good to know. I think at 300k (kms) when I go to replace the stuff again I'll use Napa.

lowlife9

also the toyota dealership i used to work for got most of there parts from NAPA down the street which also gave me a discount.gates the company napa gets there belts from also manufacturers belts for honda.