Get Accord 2004 V4 instead of V6 re timing chain / belt

I had a 99 Accord and just got another 04 Accord for the family. I did
research the subject of not getting another vehicle with chain instead
of belt. I found out that 04 Accord does have timing belt and gave up
the idea. Somehow the saleman talked me and gave a discount and I have
another Accord.

And to my pleasant surprise, it has chain not belt as in the V6
version (which I checked).

The thought of a piece of vinyl in the engine always bothered me
between the mileage of 100 K KM - 160K KM (in my 99 Accord). And no
matter how well it is made, it is subject to a fluctuation of
temperature between 30 degree below zero to 400 degree in Celcius

Was I paranoid about this?

Daniel

 

Sorry the salesman talked you into a V6. The 2004 Accord I4 has a chain
drive as well. Oh well, you'll know for next time.

http://honda.ca/HondaEng/Models/AccordSedan/benefitdetails.asp?section=Powertrain#4-CYLINDERENGINEOVERVIEW

 

Very, very low failure rate if changed on schedule. Possible for it
to break, of course, anything can.

By the way, it's polyester cords in timing belts. Not vinyl.

JM

 

The salesman talked me to a 4 cylinder Accord despite my preference
for a Camry (mainly because Camry has no belt). Well I have the
discount to compensate believing that I would have the timing belt. I
checked V6 Accord earlier and I have the mistaken idea that they all
have belt.

I stressed earlier it was a pleasant surprise.

Daniel

 

It is the other way around. The 4 cyl. has a chain and the V6 has a belt.

 

Also, timing chains are not without problems too. They stretch, can jump
sprockets, they break, etc. There is no perfect solution.... other than to
follow the manufacturer's suggestion and service the engine on schedule and
replace the things that are supposed to be replaced WHEN they are supposed
to be replaced.

 

Seems a bit muddled to me - if you got an Accord I4 you got an engine with
a timing chain.

It's not vinyl and the hard rubber is only there to give form and shape to
the belt and its teeth - the real strength is in the internal fabric, which
I believe now includes Kevlar. Even in a Honda a belt is easier to change
than a chain; in some vehicles, chain's have been known to go bad as early
as 150K miles and since you have to go into the wet part of the engine, are
more work to replace... and can get noisy near EOL or if the tensioner gets
sloppy.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Yes . Timing belts work very well and are efficient. Timing chains and
their gears can and do wear out as well, and are much harder to change than
is the typical timing belt.

In either case, this is not something to loose sleep about or to rule a
vehicle in our out over!

John

 

arent chains considered "lifetime", pretty much?

 

Not hardly. Only timing gears could be considered "lifetime."