US/Canada timing belt interval scam?

In the US the recommended interval for timing belt change
for a 91 Accord is 100,000 miles. Correct?
In Canada it is 100,000 km. Correct?

But, 100,000 miles = 160,000 km.

Are Canadians being scammed?

Forget about conditions.

I live in Ottawa, which approxiates Minnesota.

On the other hand, should time take precendence?

I've got 200,000 km + but the belt was replaced in Apr 97 with 102,000 km.
(6 years old).

So belt is only 100,000 k -- but 7 years old.

Advice?

Bob Morris

 

No, the interval is 90,000 miles under "normal" conditions, or 60,000 miles
under Minnesota / Arizona conditions.

 

90,000 miles or 6 years whichever comes first.

144,000 km or 6 years

It's due.

Do me a favor would you? I'm in B.C. now, but when I was in Ottawa I
always went to Pat at Plus 1 Performance in Nepean. That's a small
independent shop in Bell's Corners behind east Side Marios. Could you
look in the yellow pages and see if he's still in business? I can't
find his website.

 

http://www.plus1performance.com/

Still in business. His web site was hard to find. I came up with it
through the Motorpsort Club of Ottawa web site.
Dan

(This account is not used for email.)

 

Thanks! I have always preferred small independent shops in
out-of-the-way locations. They get no walk-in business and depend on
word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers. Pat always did
a good job for me at reasonable prices.

 

90,000 miles according to
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=981&location_id=540&go=preset663Gates

and

90k miles/6 years at www.autozone.com (91 Accord, repair guides, routine
maintenance, maintenance schedule). This is probably what's in the owner's
manual for U.S. 91 Accords.

http://www.honda.ca/HondaEng/YouAndYourCar/HondaService/MaintenanceCalculator.ht
m
suggests it's 96k km = about 60k miles .(The site doesn't go back to 1991, but
96k km is the interval for a 92 Civic sedan and 94 Accord.)

But for more recent Canada Hondas, like the 1997 Accord Sedan, the interval is
given as
84 mths/168,000 km Replace Timing Belt & Inspect Water Pump
100,000 km Replace Timing Belt & Inspect Water Pump if regularly driven in very
low temp (-29 C, -20 F)

So I don't think Canada Honda is trying to scam anyone. From 1991 - 1997, design
changes likely occurred in the Accord to justify a different interval.

People do report several timing belt failures a year here. If this were my car,
I'd change the timing belt now.

For the future, if I lived in Ottawa, I'd split the difference between 60k miles
and 90k miles and try an interval of 75k miles and 6 years. Then again, if the
timing belt failed and destroyed my Honda's engine, I could probably buy a new
car tomorrow if I wanted, so my priorities may not be the same as yours.

 

how much do you like the car?
has the coolant been cared for/replaced every 3 yrs?
how pissed would you be if the belt broke?
do you feel lucky?

my 98 CX hatch has 47k, and the original belt. however, the coolant is
changed religiously and i live in a temperate climate. however... i
might have it and the water pump changed next year. either do it myself,
have a dealer do it, or a trusted independant. im not sure how lucky i
feel

 

the only "premature" failure i recall was one with an aftermarket belt

most of the failures are due to neglect... OEM belts that have been on
for 150k miles, etc... which means likely the coolant was neglected too.

all depends how lucky ya feel

 

My rough recollection is the failures were not premature but were due to delays,
as you say below. The point being: Don't have a nervous breakdown over being a
month or a thousand miles or so late with a TB change, but also try not to roll
the dice.

Well, I wouldn't, anyway, speaking as an amateur.

Someone can google the archives.

I defer to the technicians who do this for a living. For the record, I am
working strictly from discussion here, a bit of outside reading on the subject,
and personal experience (13+ years) with my 1991 Civic LX (love that velour).

 

Another factor is belts that failed not because of belt age or milage,
but because of oil seal leaks, idler-tensioner failures, or water
pumps siezing up.

 

I am wondering if there are any warning signs before a timing belt breaks.
My 1998 Honda Accord has 118k and has never had the timing belt changed. I
want to know if I should do it immediately or just very soon!

 

none at all. it just snaps.

 

Read this, from "The unofficial rec.autos.makers.honda

FAQ PAGE"

http://honda.lathi.net/faq.html#interference

 

Long, long ago, on a Pinto far away, I offered to change the belt for my
sister, since she was way over the mileage. My dad and I had the car in
the driveway, pulled off some covers, and we were trying to turn the engine
with a wrench on the driveshaft pulley to line something up when the belt
broke. I may have been fussing with the tension, I don't remember, but i
pulled a broken belt off the engine that had been drive to that spot with
no indication of any impending doom.

 

Good gosh! Is that still up?

Here's the URL for the new one. I've moved to the west coast.

http://www3.telus.net/public/johnings/FAQ-intro.html

 

Nope.

 

No, my booklet indicated 168000km (104000 miles) in normal conditions.

To the original, I agree; it is a kind of scam. I am at 140000km and will
change it soon at 6 years. 100000km / 4yrs is too early. I never heard of
premature TB failure for Accord, but for a few Civic, yes.

 

He asked about a 91 accord....

YOUR car may very well have the 105,000 mile timing belt interval.

 

Yes, my son goes there, and he did a great job on my 91 AC.