[Ken Grant]

I've been calling around.
Reputable shop not dealership quoted me $1562, had this price ready to quote as this is a job they do frequently. Explained to me everything included in job
Included:
Timing Belt
Water pump inc. gasket and o rings
Hydrolic Tensioner
Idler bearing
Tensioner bearing
Serpantine Belt
$660 Labor
$902 in HONDA OEM Parts ?!?!?! This seems very high.
This shop WILL let me provide my own parts, but does not guarantee work.

A European shop quoted me "couple hundred bucks" but will not let me provide parts
Called me back said I could supply my own parts and quoted $450 for job.
I don't think I'll be leaving my car in his hands.

Last shop, got all my information, will not let me get provide my own parts, but when I said I wanted ASIN parts or OEM parts he said he would call me back with a quote.
Last shop quoted me $1265 using ASIN parts.

 

[RickBlaine]

Outstanding and detailed report.

Thank you.

 

[03LXV6]

$1562 is too much. Google your local dealer and see if they have any timing belt specials like this one.
https://www.hondaoffreehold.com/service/service-specials/

 

[Ken Grant]

$1562 is too much. Google your local dealer and see if they have any timing belt specials like this one.
https://www.hondaoffreehold.com/service/service-specials/

I was thinking the same thing. My 2002 MDX has the same motor and it was only around $800.

 

[GolftangoV2]

Here's what my cost was on my Pilot's 105K service, doing the work myself. These are the part numbers for a 09-15 Pilot, but I'm sure the cost is roughly the same for the Accord 3.5:

Timing Belt kit - Aisin TKH-002 - $180.39 (Amazon as of 6/15/18) or $179.79 (Rockauto as of 6/15/18)
Thermostat - AISIN THH-009 Thermostat - $22.05 (Amazon as of 6/15/18) or $13.61 (Rockauto as of 6/15/18)
PCV Valve - Standard Motor Products V384 - $20.66 (Amazon as of 6/15/18) or $17.71 (Rockauto as of 6/15/18)
Drive Belt Tensioner - Continental 49461 - $124.79 (only on Rockauto as of 6/15/18)
Drive Belt - Bando 6PK2135 - $18.21 (Amazon as of 6/15/18) or $13.76 (Rockauto as of 6/15/18)
Spark Plugs - NGK DILZKR7A11G - $19.06 each, or $114.36 for 6 (Amazon as of 6/15/18) or $14.85 each, or $89.10 for 6 (Rockauto as of 6/15/18)
Honda Type 2 Coolant - I bought two gallons from my local Dealer for $34
Honda PS Fluid - $4

Total $518.46 if you go Amazon and need it in 2 days, or $476.76 if you go Rockauto.

$1562 is too much. Google your local dealer and see if they have any timing belt specials like this one.
https://www.hondaoffreehold.com/service/service-specials/

$599.95 *Including timing belt and water pump.''

Sorry, there is much more to the 105K service than just a timing belt and water pump.

 

[Ken Grant]

$1562 is too much. Google your local dealer and see if they have any timing belt specials like this one.
https://www.hondaoffreehold.com/service/service-specials/

Also, thanks for showing me the "Specials" at dealerships. I haven't found one for a timing belt yet, but I will keep looking.

$1562 is too much. Google your local dealer and see if they have any timing belt specials like this one.
https://www.hondaoffreehold.com/service/service-specials/

Found a $200 off coupon at my local Acura dealership.
$1250 after discount, plus piece of mind knowing its done by the dealership.

https://www.stlouisacura.com/service/service-specials/

 

[RickBlaine]

Found a $200 off coupon at my local Acura dealership.
$1250 after discount, plus piece of mind knowing its done by the dealership.

https://www.stlouisacura.com/service/service-specials/

Why does your dealership demand a piece of your mind? What kind of sadistic freaks would demand a body part plus $1250 for a timing belt job? Furthermore, if you give them the piece of your mind that serves as a memory function, how would you know that you ever got a timing belt job? Riddle me that!

I'd look elsewhere, especially if they demand an arm and a leg.

 

[Ken Grant]

Why does your dealership demand a piece of your mind? What kind of sadistic freaks would demand a body part plus $1250 for a timing belt job? Furthermore, if you give them the piece of your mind that serves as a memory function, how would you know that you ever got a timing belt job? Riddle me that!

I'd look elsewhere, especially if they demand an arm and a leg.

Piece of mind, because if I did it, I'm not confident enough to know I did it correctly. Because the guy who quoted me "a couple hundred bucks" called me back saying I could use my own parts after he said I couldn't and seemed sketchy over the phone. Because my Master Honda Tech lives 4 hours away, and is now a photographer and sold off his tools and doesn't moon light anymore, and the other 5 shops I called quoted me higher than the dealership.
I just can't see a reputable dealership taking your money to do a timing belt water pump job, and then not do it on purpose.

 

[RickBlaine]

In all seriousness, you will have to compare EXACTLY what they will replace. Many shops say "timing belt service" at a low price but leave out the cost of tensioners, so they "surprise" you at write up time.

You have to research here (search the forum as this has been asked/answered) and get a list of everything that should be changed with a proper timing belt service. Then email or call shops with everything listed and shop around. Many times you can lower the prices even more if they schedule you on a slow day. My local dealer was hurting for shop business so they put out a timing belt deal.

No one pays full price unless their car broke down and they need help that day.

Remember that it is NEVER the timing belt that fails or snaps- it is the tensioner that fails and allows a belt to "skip a tooth" and destroy your engine.

Search the forum- do you know what you need to replace?

 

[SoCalTouring]

I've been calling around.
Reputable shop not dealership quoted me $1562, had this price ready to quote as this is a job they do frequently. Explained to me everything included in job
Included:
Timing Belt
Water pump inc. gasket and o rings
Hydrolic Tensioner
Idler bearing
Tensioner bearing
Serpantine Belt
$660 Labor
$902 in HONDA OEM Parts ?!?!?! This seems very high.
This shop WILL let me provide my own parts, but does not guarantee work.

A European shop quoted me "couple hundred bucks" but will not let me provide parts
Called me back said I could supply my own parts and quoted $450 for job.
I don't think I'll be leaving my car in his hands.

Last shop, got all my information, will not let me get provide my own parts, but when I said I wanted ASIN parts or OEM parts he said he would call me back with a quote.
Last shop quoted me $1265 using ASIN parts.

Also you should replace the spark plugs and have them check the valve adjustment (mine needed adjustment). I had all the stuff you listed along with my spark plugs changed, oil/filter change and the valves adjusted on our other Honda. The parts were all Honda/OEM and ran me around $575 in total as I bought them from different places (i.e. Ebay, Amazon, etc.). Labor was done by someone I know who is a Honda mechanic as a side job. $900 for parts is a rip off...

 

[Dirt McGirk]

Why does your dealership demand a piece of your mind?

This one went a little over OPs head lol.


I’m actually ordering the Aisin kit with the drive belt and tensioner right now for 267$ shipped from rock auto. Plan on doing it over a weekend, so should be a total of around $300 after I grab the coolant.

Already did my plugs a few weeks ago.

 

[Jeremias Gomez]

Being a technician at Honda I bought my timing belt, water pump, cam and crank seals, Timing belt tensioner and drive belt, intake gasket and valve cover gaskets, spark plugs and coolant for under 500$ knocked out my t-belt and valve adjustment with plugs all at once.

 

[slimm1469]

There comes a point where you bite the bullet and have it done with OEM, Aisin or Continental (I have Conti) by a respected shop. The one here in Dallas who has worked on my cars for 15 yrs did the whole job, valve adjustment and all for $1,600. That was 38k miles ago and it runs like new. I don't regret one cent.

 

[t-rd]

This timing belt job, has been the same since the 2003 7th gen Accord on the J30A4/5 V6 engine, and the same for every J series on. You can collect all OEM parts for just under $300 on ebay, including 2 gallons of Honda blue type-II coolant. Add a set of Denso Iridiums for about another $45 on Amazon. Aisin TKH-002 costs less than $200 from Amazon if you go that route. You get warbling sound using the Aisin kit, something with the tensioning components, but no issues with it overall. Then use the below video. I said the same thing more than 3 years ago.... i'm not confident blah blah blah, until you go do it yourself, you'll never learn and always complain about the price because it's highly labor intensive. That's why it costs so much. I complained about the price, I nagged, then I did it myself over a weekend on my 7th gen V6. In the age of youtube videos, it's so much easier to do anything yourself.

Valve adjustment is not mandatory. Skip this until the 2nd timing belt job, or perhaps you'll dump the car by then for another one.

 

[visionguru]

Found a $200 off coupon at my local Acura dealership.
$1250 after discount, plus piece of mind knowing its done by the dealership.

https://www.stlouisacura.com/service/service-specials/

Be aware of what they are replacing. They don't seem to mention tensioner & bearings, which can easily add $200.

I thought St.Louis would be cheaper than Chicago. When I was calling around for my 07V6 timing belt job, $1000 was the standard price with OEM parts. The highest being the Honda dealer within walking distance from me, $1700, but they are in Chicago's Gold Coast. Other area dealers were several hundreds cheaper.

You might not need to get it done urgently, so plenty of time to call around:
https://www.driveaccord.net/forums/...orums/15-7th-generation/435769-psychological-physical-9yr-145k-timing-belt.html

 

[200366HFP]

ALWAYS ask for ALL the old parts if you have someone do it - then You have that “piece of mind” you are looking for to know they actually did the work.

 

[t-rd]

Your normal J series engine timing belt + water pump job with ALL parts replaced (Acura RL/RLX, Acura TL/TLX, Acura MDX, Acura ZDX, Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, Honda Ridgeline, Honda Accord V6), WITHOUT a coupon, should cost anywhere between $1000 to $1200 at a Honda dealer, not independent shops. For Acura dealers, add a few more hundred dollars due to the higher per hour labor rate. This consists about $200 to $400 in OEM parts, depending on how much price markup the dealer has placed on the parts. You can obtain all OEM parts + 2 gallons of Honda blue type-II coolant yourself for just around $300 ~ $350 after tax. If this job is costing between $600 ~ $800 at the dealer , then some parts aren't getting replaced. This is a how a dealer cuts this job's price. The rest is all labor, between 6 to 8 hours of labor. A well versed tech can do this within 2 hours with all power tools, the rest is just their profit. There was an Acura tech on tl.acurazine.net who was completing an entire timing belt job in 1.5 hours.

The parts that should be replaced are:
- timing belt
- idler pulley
- tensioner pulley
- hydraulic tensioner
- water pump + o-ring

Fluids:
- about 1.25 to 1.5 gallons of coolant without opening the block bleeder screw

optional:
- serpentine belt
- spark plugs
- side engine mount, if it's torn

 

[Ray Lucca]

One Dealer also said check and adjust the Valves too?? Necessary or needed?? Thank-you

 

[200366HFP]

One Dealer also said check and adjust the Valves too?? Necessary or needed?? Thank-you

If you don't hear any abnormal valve noise (noticeable ticking or clicking from one corner or the other on the top of the motor), I'd leave them. My '03 has never had them adjusted, purrs just fine with 190k.

 

[salcuta]

One Dealer also said check and adjust the Valves too?? Necessary or needed?? Thank-you

These engines don't usually have issues with valve clearances.