Originally posted by nsxtasy:
Juice,
With all the timing belt issues coming up, it is becoming hard for me to justify the costs.
Would you rather risk replacing your engine?
Now I'm supposed to turn around and drop 3G's into routine maintainance?
Skipping scheduled maintenance to save money is just plain stupid -
).]
At the considerable risk of challenging these opinions:
The timing belt issue is one that I've spent a lot of time agonizing over, and it certainly, IMHO, is not as simple as "the owner's manual says do it, so just do it."
I believe that Honda's recommendation for timing belt replacement is at 90000 mi or 6 years. (Checked my owner's manual quickly, and can't find the 6 year stipulation, but suspect it's there somewhere.)
When to perform timing belt replacement on a car as uncommon as the NSX is problematic. In fact because of the rarity of the NSX, relatively few technicians can have performed timing belt replacements. I suspect that most Acura mechanics have never done one. Although I certainly am not a mechanic, I suspect that, as the most expensive of the schedule maintenance items, it is probably the most technically challenging and time consuming. In the hands of a mechanic inexperienced in this procedure, the chance of either doing something wrong in the repair or messing something else up or even doing cosmetic damage to the car is probably relatively likely. Certainly this could be avoided by seeking out a mechanic experienced in the procedure, but it is often hard to justify the need for travel perhaps to a distant city, with competing work, family commitments, etc. to find such a mechanic.
I think that few would disagree with the 90000 mile criterion, but the problem arises with the six year stipulation. Many of us have more than six year old cars with less than 90000 miles. Again because of the rarity of the NSX, a timing belt taken off the parts room shelf theoretically could be older than the one that you're removing from your car!
Finally, on the maintenance schedule in my owner's manual, an asterix comment next to the "R" for replacement of the timing belt says "this service is recommended only". Not sure what that means, but it suggests to me that Honda may be hedging even on that recommendation.
Since I've been following this Forum, I've heard several allusions to NSX timing belts failing, but I haven't read any posts from anyone who has cited first-hand knowledge of a belt breaking. It would be very useful for me to know of specific instances (mileage, with normal driving vs. on the track...)of belt failure to help guide me in in my decision about when to replace my belt.
