2007 36k miles Do I need to replace the Timing Belt

Sorry to hear about your father. And Yes. DEFFINATELY! At minimum the timing belt and water pump. Everything else is fine. Time doesn't really ruin all the other stuff mileage does. They will probably give you the speal "might as well do it when we are in there" But the other stuff is probably $300 in parts. Unless you can afford it..then by all means get it all done.


EDIT: THE BELT IN THE BELOW PICTURE HAS 45K ISH ON IT BUT IS 8 YRS OLD. FULLY CRACKED. CAME OFF A 4CYL. SO YOURS PROBABLY LOOKS THE SAME BUT IS ON A V6....SO THERE YA GO.

That's an excellent question. Your low mileage RL is an outlier on the bell curve.

If you plan to drive it regularly, I would probably drive it to 60k miles and consider changing it then. I assume it has been driven in normal service conditions (no towing, etc.).

Do you know if all the other maintenance events are up-to-date? (fluids and filters)?

If you don't know, here is a ballpark maintenance schedule (the RL uses the Maintenance Minder for maintenance prompts)

Basics for normal service conditions:
Oil and filter at the MM prompts (could be 3000-12,000 miles)
Rear diff (VTM-4 fluid) at 15,000 miles then every 30k miles
Transmission fluid (and transfer assembly) at 45k miles, then every 30k miles.
Air and cabin filters at 30k miles... or earlier, as needed.
Brake fluid changed every 3 years in service.
Spark plugs, timing belt, hydraulic tensioner at 105,000 miles.

Many of us modify that schedule to satisfy our own OCD issues.

Sorry to hear about the passing of your father.

I think part of the confusion about when to change the TB comes from the era when Honda published maintenance schedules. At that time there was a time and miles spec given for the change. When Honda switched to the MM system, they did away with the time factor for the TB and left it as a mileage factor.

Personally, I'm comfy with 120k mile change intervals. I honestly think that's conservative. Regardless, that's the time to change that I've adopted. I also do the water pump, hydraulic tensioner, cam seals if needed, change the serpentine belt and tensioner/idler pulleys, change out the radiator and use fresh coolant, do a valve adjustment and the spark plugs.

In between, I like fresh fluids and change the tranny fluid every other oil change. I use the 30k mile interval for the transfer assembly and rear diff. 3 years-ish on the brake fluid. 50k-ish miles on the power steering fluid. Coolant change at 60k miles, halfway to the radiator change. Oil and filter at or about 0% on the MM.

I probably forgot something, but that works for me. If you're a diy-er, you can save significant cash.

It seams as if some are recommending and some not recommending to go ahead and change out the TB now. And most are recommending because the dealership is recommending. So confusing......

Im inclined to wait, however I do want to be able to trust that the truck will get me to my destination and back home without a breakdown. To me a $1,000 is a lot of money (I'm retired) as I stated before to spend on a whim.

Things I've already done around 33k mile and 10 years:

1. Change transmission fluid (not a flush).
2. Change rear differential fluid.
3. Change transfer case fluid.
4. Change power steering fluid.
5. Change break fluid.
6. Replaced engine air filter and cabin air filter (non Honda brand).
7. Oil change twice now.
8. Replaced all 4 tires (Michelin Defender LTX M/S)
9. Replaced windshield wiper blades.
10.Dealer replaced Driver/Passenger Airbag Inflators (Honda recall).

So as you can see I've already spent a few bucks.

Thank you all so much for your recommendations...

Well I'm not recommending because of the Dealership. I'm recommending because it's an "Interference Engine" and the Cost for a Timing Belt although High, is probably 20-25% what a new Reman Engine with Installation would cost. Did you look at this post by S.T.U.V?

I do agree that the price is high, and I'd feel comfortable driving it until I found a dealership with a reasonable price. Using Anderson Honda, Baltimore, MD as an example the price is obviously on the high side. Shop around, DFW is a large area and One of the Honda Dealers has to have a good price

I did my timing Belt @ 10yrs and 75k miles, and paid about $900 with Cam & Crank Seals, Timing & Serpentine Belt, Tensioner and Water Pump. I had already changed my Radiator and I did provide 1.5 Gal of Coolant, which I was credited back.

Sounds like you're in pretty good shape on the routine services.

There is no absolute answer on your TB service question. I'm well known here for concentrating on preventative maintenance rather than reactive maintenance. And yet with what little I know of your 07, I'd still be comfy driving it to at least the 60k mile point before doing that service. Others feel differently and I respect that.

It would be nice if someone knowledgeable in the industry could address the time in service aspect of timing belts vs mileage as regards optimum time for replacement.

This has been a question for as long as I can remember here at the ROC and I haven't seen it addressed authoritatively yet.

You will have to define your own comfort zone and level of risk you're willing to take. If zero risk, then you better buy new and trade before your 3/36 runs out... or take a gently used and well maintained vehicle and continue to drive and maintain it properly and expect a long and relatively trouble free life. But nothing is guaranteed, of course. And you get what you pay for, as usual.

You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Edit: I agree the price for the TB service is high, assuming that's all it includes. $650 for just the tb/water pump is more reasonable, imo.

I went and pulled the invoice for my G1 which I had done last fall. It only had 63,000 km (36,000 mile), but it was six years old and we do have extreme winters. They replaced the tensioner as a warranty item, but I had to pay for the timing belt (wear item) and the water pump, since it wasn't leaking. If they could find any sign of leak warranty would have covered that, but they couldn't.

Labor was 4.70 hours, 625.50. The timing belt and water pump was 113.93. plus taxes and this is Canadian dollars, so you'd have to take it from there. The main thing to look at is the labor. Make sure they aren't double dipping by charging labor on the timing belt and again on the water pump, as the water pump has to come off to do the TB anyway.

I know its hard to justify an expenditure like this, but you probably spend this same kind of $ on insurance each year, "just in case". The timing belt really is "just in case" insurance against a 4 or 5K engine job.

Other can probably answer, is there not an inspection hole to look at the condition of the belt? I know older Fords had them. If you can see any cracking, fray or contamination, the answer has been made for you.