do i need to change the timing belt in my 04 tl acura 39000miles
Asked by marygauer5 Mar 16, 2016 at 05:09 PM about the 2004 Acura TL
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
The dealer said we need to change the timing belt. Its a 04 with 39000miles
do i need to change it
3 Answers
The timing belts in these cars typically last about 100,000 miles. The dealer is being a little premature in suggesting you change it at 39,000 unless there are other issues with your engine. Honda/Acura designs their cars this way and it is wise to change it out when you get closer to the 100K mark.
As Tom mentioned (2 years ago), the belts dry rot and can break. This could lead to $1000s of dollars in engine repairs and is best to service by 7years OR 105k miles. Since your car is 12 years old, it is very fortunate that it has lasted so long, but is not worth the risk to wait any longer if you intend to keep the vehicle (assuming the body is in good shape). If your water pump has not been changed before, I'd suggest doing that at the same time, as it could also potentially cause severe engine damage. If you take care of these things now, you should expect the car to run for another 100k miles before needing to do this maintenance again. I think it's worth the investment. P.S.--Since it's 2 years later, have you had the work done or did you take the gamble and let it go? If you didn't change the timing belt and the car is still running, consider yourself very lucky. Still, the luck must run out at some point. Either way, I wish you the best of luck!
