Am I better off replacing my 2002 Honda Civic's timing belt at 60,000 miles or waiting for a problem?

Question

I took my car in for an oil change and I was a little overdue, so I let the shop talk me into an oil flush and a new airfilter. When I got home, I found out they also told my husband he needed the same thing during his oil change a few days ago. I'm starting to doubt whether they're being honest or trying to pad the bill.

They also told my husband that he had oil leaking into his spark plugs, but it was a slow leak so he should bring it in next week for maintenance that was according to them "similar to a tune-up" and would cost ~$550.

I mentioned that I was a little overdue for the 60,000 mile maintenance on my car, but at least it wouldn't cost as much as my husband's upcoming repair and they said that replacing the timing belt should cost over $500.

I also noticed after I left that even though I had a coupon for a $19.95 oil change with an added $4 rebate, they charged me $32.99 minus $5.

Is this all on the up and up or are they taking advantage of us?

Answer 1

well, after working at pep boys with a service center for 2 1/2 years, taking about 3 automotive classes and being with a mechanic for the past 7 years, i have never heard of having to do an oil flush unless you put in regular oil instead of synthetic or have a major problem going on where you have oil leaving (for lack of a better word at the moment) clots.

a few things to keep in mind
1) oil changes are factory recommended to be done at 5,000 mile intervals, though 3,000 will actually be better for your car - don't freak if you get to 5,000
2) if you question what they are doing - make sure you ask them! especially with the spark plug issue, ask them how they saw it. did they take the plugs out? if so, you want to see them and ask to see the in the autolite (or most other spark plug catalogs) exactly what they are talking about (the catalog will show pictures of what your plug should look like and what other problems look like). if they don't want to show you, leave.
3) check the labor rates in your area. that is where the most of your money in maintenance is going to be spent. make sure they are charging a fair rate (it's been a while since i've checked in the states, but 2 years ago it was between $75 & 80 an hour). if you think that they are trying to screw you, you can always ask to see the time the service takes according to the mitchell manual (they HAVE to have one of those behind the counter, though i am not sure they are required to show you if you ask... but they should be).
4) if in the end you think they are cheating you the states have this wonderful thing call the BAR (bureau of automotive repair). look it up for your state so you are familiar with the regulations (they can be different depending on which state you are in). you should see the reaction you get when you say that you feel you need to contact the BAR because of BAR violations that the shop is doing. however, don't jump to conclusions with this. it is your spare, not something you throw out anytime. most states even require shops have the information for the BAR in the area posted somewhere visible to customers.

EDIT: also, you should have gotten a maintainance schedule in your car manual that came with the car. see when it says you need your timing belt replaced. some vehicles are 60, some 90, and a few even 120. i'm not certain on your particular vehicle. and depending on what is covering your timing belt $500 could be right. again, ask to see the mitchell manual for the time it say the maintainance should take.

Answer 2

the cheap oil change prices are for the cheapest oil and filters they have. If you wanted a better filter or perhaps synthetic oil or adatives then that will raise the price, and if your car uses more than 4 qts of oil that will raise the price too. I don't understand why the reccomended to have the oil flushed, but yes, that is an adative that will raise the price and they probably charge you a few bucks for the flush itself.
I do not know what kind of car your husband has but if he has something like a newer Honda or small Chrysler engine, or anything that has the spark plugs in the middle of the valve cover then yes it is possible he had oil leaking on the spark plugs and filling the spark plug holes around the top of the plugs...

actually now that I think about it, I think Toyotas do that really bad when you pull the plug boot off there is a bucnh of oil around the plug.

and if the oil was actually leaking into the spark plugs, like into the combustion chamber, then you basically have to overhaul the engine to fix this.

but yes it is possible they have to take alot of stuff apart to fix the oil leak, but that still seems a little high.

as far as your timing belt, change it when the manufacturer says to change it, if they say 60k then do it at 60k, I think all Hondas are around 60k and I think all of them have a no interference engine if the belt breaks, but some other cars, and possibly some Hondas have a "0 tolerance" timing belt so when it breaks it smashes the valves into the top of the piston in the cylinder and at the very least you will have to get a new cylinder head if that happens.

the timing belt gives no warning before it breaks, the motor just stalls, and when you try to start it, it cranks really fast and sounds funny... if it is not an interference engine, if it is yer screwed and the motor will not turn at all, either way it will not start and you will be stranded.
In my oppinion changing the timing belt when the manufacturer says to is the most important thing to do exactly when they say to change it.

Answer 3

You are always better off to do routine maintenance, oil and filter every 3000 miles and air filter at least every 5 to 10,000 miles. The general public usually overlook these things and think "as long as it is still running it is ok". Not always the case. Timing belts are recommended every 60,000 miles for a reason. If you engine is considered an interference engine it is wisest and cheapest to replace it at this mileage or before. If you feel that you qwik change oil place is steering you wrong then go to one that you know is reputable. You may spend a bit more than $500 to replace the timing belt now instead of when it breaks and costs you 4 times that amount. Usually the coupons you get for an oil change for say $19.95 are for most cars, different cars may have different procedures that have to be followed (welcome to the new age technology)

Answer 4

ok... to answer your first question, you should definately replace that timing belt before there is a problem, if it breaks the valves will hit the pistons and destroy the whole engine. the timing belt is much cheaper than an entire engine, although on a honda it is costly because it is difficult to change, however necessary before you blow the engine.

as far as the oil flush, it's a matter of opinion, if you change the oil regularly i.e. every 3 months or 3000 miles whichever comes first, its not necessary, but it is benneficial if you have an older car with sludge in the oil that could block oil passages, starving a part for oil and ruining the part.

as for the oil leaking into the spark plug tubes, this is common on hondas, the plug wires go through the valve cover and there is a seal around the whole they go through, that seal isn't very good and over time leaks, your pug wires are made of rubber, when rubber sits in oil it swells and splits, this can cause the engine to miss, so if the car were in my shop, i would recomend valve cover gasket, tube seals, spark plugs and wires.

as for the 19.95 oil change thing, you should bring it to a manager's attention, and if they didin't charge you for anything else, you should probably get reimbursed for someone's mistake

Answer 5

Where are you taking your car for the maintenance? I would take the car to another mechanic to have him to check it out. You should not be needing a timing belt change for another 30,000 miles. You also should have the oil drained completely with a new oil filter when you service your car or you have a dirty oil filter that cannot filter the oil. 60,000 mile maintenance does not mean it is time for a timing belt. Get your owners manual out and read it so you will know what you are supposed to be having done.

Answer 6

For one, they are taking advantage of you guys, find a different mechanic, timing belts vary in price, but it should not cost 500 dollars to change it, it sounds like the shop is trying to put the wool over your eyes (no offense), but probably because your a women, shops have done that kind of thing to my mother, but when i walk in with her, there attitudes change drastically. Talk to another shop about the cost of getting the timing belt replaced, it is best to get them replaced before the slip or break, sometimes that can cause severe damage to an engine. I apologize for the inconvenience you have had with that shop, but like i said, find a different mechanic and talk to them about the pricing. The timing belts are only recommended to use for 60k miles, after that you should change them for preventative maintnence.

Answer 7

I would call my dealer or a really good mechanic that I trusted because you can't always believe what you hear, see, and read!!!