Hi Scotty!
I have a 2005 Honda Pilot with 205k miles on it. We have owned since new and replaced things per the recommended schedule. The timing belt was replaced at 100k miles. Does it need to be replaced again? Is this a job that can be handled by a DIY'er?
Pete The Missing Link
Check the manual. I think it suggests every 100K miles to change the timing belt.
Also, do an the inspection. I’m not too familiar with the V6. I believe there are multiple belts to be changed versus the inline 4. On the inline 4, there is a timing belt cover in the top of the engine, that one could pull off and inspect. If there are cracks, change. If it looks good, you might be able to wait. But my guess is that it needs to be changed.
I went the safe route, and did the mine at 270K on my 1999 Accord. Although it looked fine, I couldn’t remember if I ever had it done.
Is the timing belt a DIY job? For context, I’m not a mechanic. And I haven’t usually worked on my own cars. But had some time during the pandemic to work on it. And I was able to do it.
Granted, I needed to do a lot of preparation, like finding the timing belt diagrams to make sure I lineup all the gears and pulleys correctly, and watch a ton of different how to videos specific to my car, and Scotty videos for motivation. And making sure I had all the right tools to fit in the nooks and crannies.
I only expected the car out of commission for a day. The car was out for a week while I figured things out, because of being a rookie and making rookie mistakes. Some guys are more mechanically inclined than me, so they would be able to finish it within a day. I’m not so much, but took a week.
Good job! I am still nervous doing a timing belt job on my inline 4 on my 2000 Acura Integra. I’ll just pay my mechanic to do it for me.
It’s definitely nerve racking.
You have an integra?! 2 door? 4 door? How many miles?
2 door coupe, GSR, now with 315,000 miles.
Amazing! And nice mileage.
If the vehicle runs and still drives fine, you could leave it alone. If it needs to be replaced, look at your working area. If the engine area is easy to work around- you can fix it yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAuqOAp72m0
I've found that many mechanical procedures on popular cars and engines are on YouTube, and watching them shows me what's involved and what tools are needed. Here are some:
https://www.google.com/search?q=youtube+honda+v6+cam+belt+replacement
Call me chicken if you like, but considering the damage you can do to the engine if you allow it to jump timing , i'll let a pro do it.
Thanks for the replies. I was doing some more research on it and it seems that, yes, it needs to be replaced, at least by the elapsed milage. I will need to start planning for a weekend project before it gets too cold.