where in Bay Area to go change the timing belt on a 98 Civic?

Hello,

My 98 Civic LX with 87000 miles started making the tell-tale
high-pitched whistle, suggesting that a timing belt change is in order.

Where should I go do it? Or is this a routine job and would not matter
where I go? My local service center (SpeeDee in Westgate Mall, West San
Jose), to which I always went to do the oil change, quoted something in
the range of 700 bucks everything included.

Also, is this really a whole-day job?

Thank you,

Serban

 

I think you're overdue, years-wise, for a TB change. Do you
have an owner's manual? It will say.

Don't put this off. A failed TB can destroy the engine.

A good import shop is a pretty good bet. Dealer will charge
more, but it's more likely they'll do it right.

I think I'd go for a more specialized shop.

Call your nearest dealer and get a quote, as some kind of
benchmark. Dealer price should be closer to $700.
Independent shop, closer to $500.

Price should include new water pump, maybe a new tensioner
or balance belt, too.

Technically, it's only about a half-day of work, but given
the juggling among repairs shops have to do, plan on leaving
it the whole day.

 

Hello Elle,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I know that the TB breaking means curtains
for the engine (heard it on NPR's CarTalk, no less) and that I have to
do it pretty soon.

The issue I'm having is that all Honda dealers in the South Bay Area
have horror-stories posted in this newsgroup; because of this, I'm not
very willing to go to a dealer, except if someone recommends it.

What is an import shop?

Serban

 

A timing belt change is very routine. I would have more
faith that dealerships will get this right. Do check prices,
though. You can call and the front desk service person will
be able to rattle off the cost. Takes a minute or so per
call, because it's such a commonly done job.

Some dealerships will charge way too much. But not all. They
seem more competitive these days.

I mean a private, auto repair business unaffiliated with a
Honda dealership but specialized in, say, Toyotas, Hondas,
Nissans, etc. "Import car" = Car design originally done
outside the U.S.

Some independent import shops are indeed specialized in
Hondas. Look in your Yellow Pages under auto repairs, and
see if there is an "Import" section.

The Car Talk web site also used to have a section where one
could look up independent shops that were recommended by
others. Might surf that site a bit.

Check back. Someone in the SF area may chime in. Or they'll
reinforce or debate my opinions above.

 

My generic advice is to check the individual dealer websites in your
locality for service coupons. There's usually a timing belt special at one
of the local dealers. Once you have this as a baseline you can consider
your other options.

 

You want to make sure that top quality parts are used, which means
staying away from the chains for the most part.

If you don't have a dealer you trust, then use a specialist import shop
like Made In Japan, 1011 Dell Ave, Campbell, CA 408-370-2572.

John

 

do they do frame straightening?

 

I think most shops farm out frame straightening (and often all body work) to
independents specializing in body work. When our Volvo was hit and the
unibody bent the dealer farmed the work out to a local body shop. The
results were amazing. I looked hard at the places I knew were creased and
couldn't see a trace.

Mike

 

great, but where? i've been looking for a frame straightening shop here
in the bay area [my civic is a little too short] but most places want
you to spend thousands on a total body re-do, they won't do just the
frame. i want to find a shop that knows what they're doing and will do
what i want.

 

I did a lot of looking around and found even independent shops asking
as much as $800 for a complete 90,000 mi service. I finally found a
shop on San Antonio road in Mt. View, Valero Automotic Unlimiter who
did a complete 90,000 service for about $575. They did the coolant,
all belts inc timing, water pump, transmission, oil and filter. So far
no problems. They were recomended to me by another customer. Call
Fred Cheung at 650-941-2541. Bob

 

I doubt it. That is a body shop kind of a process.

 

Did they use top quality parts or the cheapest unbranded Chinese parts
they could find?

John

 

If you already know about cartalk, go to their web site. I'm not sure
exactly where, but somewhere on their web site, they have a list of
independent repair shops recommended by readers/listeners. Been a while
since I did that, so I'm sorry I can't be more specific.

Anyway, the one I used to get a timing belt done on my 99 civic is
located in Santa Clara. The nicest folks, don't advertise, and said
they only work through word-of-mouth advertising). The shop is called
Foreign Affair, and they specialize in Honda/Acura. They'll pick you up
at the Santa Clara Caltrain station when you need to pick up your car
(and drop you off there when you leave your car). They're cheaper than
the dealership, but not by much. But they do an excellent job. I wish I
still lived in the bay area.....

They did keep the car all day, but that was convenient for me as well,
since I dropped it off on a weekday. IIRC, they don't work on weekends,
which is a bit inconvenient. And yes, they use genuine Honda parts,
changed the water pump etc.

Good luck! You might find someone closer/more convenient to you from
the cartalk web site.

BT

 

I saw all of the parts sitting on the work bench. It was all good
stuff. Most was OEM.

 

I went to cartalk.com and there were a few service shops with more than
3-4 reports, among them Mr. Mazda and Foreign Affair. Since the latter
is specialized in Honda/Acura and they're conveniently located close to
my job place, I ended up going with them. The car is now in their shop
(I asked them to do some other things beside replacing the TB); at
least the TB change job was reasonably priced (around 600 bucks all
included) and they seem a very serious shop.

One thing they talked about was that the oil drain plug was abused in
the past (probably crappy jobs at oil-change stations in Chicago) and
that the oil pan thread was almost ruined. They suggested and I aggreed
to put in a valve instead (see fumotousa.com). It seems so simple that
it makes me a little suspicious, surely there's a catch! Have you ever
heard of this?

Will keep you posted.

Serban

 

I replaced my 91 Civic's oil drain plug with a Fumoto valve
a few years ago. Didn't like it--seemed to leak. I just went
to one of the local auto parts stores and bought a new plug.
No drips. I also now use a torque wrench to tighten the new
plug to the specified torque. Plus I always use a new
washer.

Others have reported that they love their Fumoto valves.

Glad to hear the Car Talk site turned up what might be a
good shop for you.

 

Glad to hear they worked out for you. They're not cheap, but they do an
excellent job. And in my experience, they don't recommend unnecessary
repairs.

Yup. Never used it, but a friend of mine had it on his Subaru. He loved
it. It's extremely convenient, especially if you do your own oil
changes. And if you go to the fast lube places, it ensures they won't
completely destroy the threads! I don't remember exactly how this thing
is designed, but you may want to make sure there's enough clearance,
etc., so the valve doesn't accidently open and drain out all the oil.
Another caveat is that you may not be able to get all the oil out of
the pan, because it extends a little bit above the drain. If you're
regular with your oil changes and warm up the engine before you do
them, it shouldn't matter.

Good luck!

BT

 

It sounds like you found a good shop. Fumoto valves are well known in
the enthusiast community and should serve you well. Watch out though
when taking the car elsewhere for service as they may not know how to
use the valve and might just wrench it off!

You have also hit on the main reason for using a real mechanic for
"simple" jobs like an oil change. Buggered up oil drain plug threads
are far more common than they should be!

John