Honda Civic DIYs and Civic Tech ChatHonda Civic DIYs and Civic Tech Chat - for the true gearheads! Bring your wrench, it's time for some Honda Civic DIY projects! Questions about problems with your car do NOT go here.
In SoCal you are looking at 450-500 ish from a reputable indie shop for a full service job. This should include:
Timing belt, alternator and AC and PS belts
Cam and Crank seals if needed, definitely new VC gasket and spark plug tube seals
Coolant flush
Timing Belt replacement
Waterpump Replacement
Timing belt Tensioner replacement
Without the Tensioner, you can do it for $400.
Damn you are close by me - I'm in north OC. I'm busy this month otherwise I WOULD help you do it for gas money and beer. PM or something if you need the crank pulley holder or tools.
I kid you not, if you attempt this yourself and get stuck, PM me and I'll safety net you - I don't know if I have time to spend a whole day out working though.
Fuckin cake wake......1 day at the most.........TDC,valve cover, side covers, unbolt & flip p/s pump up,loosen tensioner, bam......throw a water pump on. Get the honda instructions step by step & you can't go wrong
its very easy. if you have the free 7thgen manual posted on this site you can do it. as long as you can follow directions well and have the right tools. the most key thing to working on cars is patience. if you get mad at your car dont work on it... your prone to break things when your frustrated.
i wouldnt pay more than $400 labor for replacing timing belt and waterpump. thats the max not including parts ($20 belt, $80 pump from dealer). if you really have money to spend, replace the crank pulley too.
Honda charges like 580 with new belts and pump. I did it myself for around 250, but that included tools I could keep like a 24 inch breaker bar.
Oh and don't change your TB before 115k. The 90k thing is bullshit.
care explaining the "bull shit" for me? i am curious. if honda and like 99% of car manufactures say to change it 100k or before?
(no sarcasm intended, i am really curious to what ur explanation is)
Honda doesn't say to change it before. I've got a 6th gen and in both the shop manual AND printed car manual it say 115. Yet, in the hane's manual it says 90k without the mechanic justifying it in any way. We're talking 25k difference! I wonder how much he got payed to write that. Whatever the situation, Honda is benefiting from that discrepency.
Why should I have changed it at 90k when Honda says 115?
Why should I have changed it at 90k when Honda says 115?
well, i ask myself "risk going an extra 15kmiles with a belt that is at the ends of its life... or just change it at 90k (im actually at 101k rite now) and have a peace of mind..." plus, ur gonna change it sooner or later arnt you? so why risk ur engine for a mere 15k?
well, i guesss you do have a point...that is if you dont drive ur car much....
but i commute to college 5x a week...and put about 25k+ a year on my car... so i really wouldnt want to take that chance, especially getting stuck on the freeway; and after watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGh-3...eature=related
i dont wanna take that chance...but i guess thats me.
I watched your vid. Nothing like the daily dose of fear pumped out 24/7 by the media. I'm not saying the mechanic isn't right, but you gotta wonder if what he's saying is true. I mean if what this guys says is true --telling us to change it BEFORE the maintenance schedule-- then the implications are that Honda is having us replace the belt late so that we fuck up our engines, which is pretty much consistant with the asses they are. I don't know what the truth is.
What I do know is that the video you posted has a sensational quality about it. It's like the mechanic was frothing at the mouth to get us to change belts. Maybe HE'S the one who's full of shit, since he wants people to change belts at a quicker interval. (more work for him) He didn't say anything about the conditions the vehicle which threw a belt was in. Extreme weather results in a different maintenance schedule.
Last edited by Cleft_Asunder : 07-22-2008 at 04:01 PM.
I mean if what this guys says is true --telling us to change it BEFORE the maintenance schedule-- then the implications are that Honda is having us replace the belt late so that we fuck up our engines, which is pretty much consistant with the asses they are. I don't know what the truth is.
It's called preventative maintenance. If you replace the timing belt and water pump, you're looking at about $50 of parts and three hours in the garage. If the timing belt snaps, you're looking at about $1200 of shop work to pull off the head and have a full set of valves seated, because odds are you bent every last one. That, and your car's out of action for the better part of a week. I mean, hell, it's your car. The fact of the matter is, the timing belt on a D-series motor is not readily visible, thus cannot be checked as standard maintenance. As such, it's better to err on the side of caution for reasons mentioned above.
Everyone drives differently, it all comes down to how much wear and tear your engine's gone through. If you go easy on your motor, you probably won't need to replace as soon. Simple logic.
telling us to change it BEFORE the maintenance schedule-- then the implications are that Honda is having us replace the belt late so that we fuck up our engines, which is pretty much consistant with the asses they are. I don't know what the truth is
to my understanding, he is telling us to replace it, because after xxx,xxx miles, ur timing belt could go out at any chance...and IF IT DOES go out, then ur mech is gonna fu*k you up the ass...
...anywho, i got my timing belt, water pump, tensioner, power steering belt, alternator belt, crankshaft seals, and a few other seals replaced for 400$ today....
my wallet is feeling it...but the price wasnt too bad.
