So I just got back from getting my oil change from the dealer (yes I was lazy), and they tell me with the oil change that they spotted a few things that need to be replaced. Could you please give me a rough estimate of each because they gave me an estimate of theirs but I don’t know if I should do these things yet:
-Brake Master Cylinder is leaking
-Need to replace ALL the hoses in the engine (ten year old car)
-Timing belt (even though it only has less than 60,000 miles on the car, they say this because the car is ten years old that it needs to be replaced)
-Oil pan is seeping (he said it is no worry but wanted to bring that to my attention)
-Cam seal plug (I have no idea what this is or what it does)
If any of you can give me your insight it would be so much appreciated from a fellow teg member! Oh and for what it’s worth, I think the brake master cylinder really is going bad because the brakes just don’t feel right…everything else i haven’t a clue!:rant: :sad: :tsk: :uhoh: :danger:
hmm no idea on anything but just imagine all the hoses has to be replaced. wow thats going to cost a lot. sounds to me i should do that sometimes too. never knew we had to do that. :sad:
Hmmm…let me try and give you some insight on this.
Brake Master Cylinder
Should be just 1 to 1.5 hours worth of labour. And don’t forget that the brakes should be bled and adds extra $$$ on the bill.
Timing Belt
It’s not because it’s 10 years old that you should change the timing belt, but because you have reached 60000miles (100000kms) which is the universal number for timing belt change intervals.
Best to buy straight from Acura and don’t forget the tensioner pulley & bolt (they normally sell a “timing belt kit”).
Highly recommended to change the water pump at the same time.
Expect about 3-4 hours worth of labour for replacing the timing belt and water pump.
Oil Pan Seeping
Have this re-evaluated by a second mechanic.
Pinpoint exactly where the leak is.
If the oil pan/oil pan gasket are the culprit, then I recommend that you do the work. It is an easy job.
Mechanic should only charge you 1 hour of labour on this.
Cam Seal Plug
Our B18A engines are known to have leaky cam seals. Switching to Synthetic Motor Oil may lengthen the life of Cam Seals.
I believe they are located beside the distributor.
Many have Recommended to use STR Cam Seals which are roughly $30US I think.
Expect around 1-2 hours worth of labour on this.
It’s best to have this done while doing the timing belt since the valve cover will be already off the engine.
Holy crapola though…i’m looking at a lot of money to spend then eh?! So, i’m going to for sure get the brake master cylinder done because my brakes were feeling wierd in the first place and i suspected that it could be going dead.
Do any of you know where I can get cheap parts? I mean, i work for a car dealership and can get parts at a discount but does anyone know if they can get parts even cheaper? That would be appreciated!
Did they check every single hose? Most likely, knowing how dealerships often function, you have a few hoses in bad shape and therefore all hoses must be replaced. Each hose transfers different material (air, water, etc), and it subject to different amounts of wear/heat/tension…
So, I would also get that re-evaluated by another mechanic.
Well, they told me that the hoses need to be replaced because of age and that they look aged. And the Timing belt they said is worn too because of age and not because of wear and tear. This is horrific. I hope my car doesn’t blow up!
Originally posted by 1992gs206 Well, they told me that the hoses need to be replaced because of age and that they look aged. And the Timing belt they said is worn too because of age and not because of wear and tear. This is horrific. I hope my car doesn’t blow up!
It sounds like the mechanic is just pulling your leg. Is he/she a trustworthy mechanic? Put it this way, my friend owns an '87 Buick Grand National Turbo with only 10000kms. Has he changed the timing belt? Nope. Has he changed the hoses? Nope. And this car is older than yours.
I can understand if oil has penetrated the valve cover and infected your timing belt thereby deteriorating the integrity of the rubber material. Like I said already, I would change the belt just because it’s gone through 100000kms not 10 years.
As for the hoses, I forgot to tell you to check if they look bulged-out, if there are any rips/tears, etc.
Oh, and I just noticed…about the oil pan. Well, like I said earlier too, that you should pinpoint the leak. The leak could come from the Cam Seal dripping all the way down to the bottom of the engine (ie. Oil pan).
How was this Integra taken care of during its 60000mile life?
I would highly recommend getting this looked at by a second mechanic. And make sure it is a very trustworthy one.
Hey thanks for your help! I got the suggestions from an Acura Dealer so I’m assuming that it is halfway trustworthy and halfway money motivated. I mean, yes they can be trusted, but they make it sound alarming when it might not be at times. It wasn’t an independent mechanic, it was a dealer so that is why it brings concern to me.
