question regarding NSX's scheduled maint.

[Veleno]

Hi Guys,

I was reading up on the FAQ again, and some other post on here, and I'm still unsure about some questions I have.

1. Based on the mileage(1,2xx) and year('92) of my car, would I need to have the timing belt changed?

2. What other "things" should be changed as well, either as a safety precaution or because of the year of my car.

Here's what's I had them change before I picked up the car at no cost:

-spark plugs
-oil
-oil filter
-fuel filter
-air filter
-coolant
-gas
-brake pads F/R
-tranny fluid

I know there's some other things changed/replaced that I can't remember at the time, but you get the picture.

*It should also be noted that my car is still under FACTORY WARRANTEE because I just recently purchased it new(Sept. 2000), so any repairs or replacement parts needed are covered under the factory warrantee*

Any input or advice is appreciated. Thanks




------------------
Richard
NSXTASY

 

[nsxtasy]

The factory recommendation on the timing belt is 90,000 miles or six years, whichever comes first.

There are two extreme philosophies on whether to change it on a car that has passed that time interval: (a) "the schedule says to do it, so you ought to do it"; (b) "I haven't heard of a timing belt failure so I won't do it" and/or "I don't want to pay for it". Under (a), you would have done it three years ago; under (b), you'll NEVER do it until you hit 90K miles. Most of us fall somewhere in between these extremes.

In my own case, I had mine changed on my '91 in early 2000 after 39K miles and nine years. I didn't really expect the timing belt to fail, but I just felt that "it was time". There were two reasons I felt this way - partly for my own peace of mind, and partly because I don't like to go against the factory's advice and give ANYONE the opportunity to second-guess in the event of a failure and say "I told you so".

My advice on what to do for all owners of '91 and '92 cars is, if you feel the same way, go ahead and do the timing belt, and do the water pump at the same time (standard procedure, since the labor is the same either way). In fact, if you have a factory warranty, you should DEFINITELY do these to keep it intact (don't give the factory the opportunity to deny coverage for a failure due to failing to follow the maintenance schedule).

You've done a lot of other items and that's good. In addition, I would suggest adjusting the valve clearances, replacing the small coolant hoses in the front of the engine, and check the struts holding up the trunk lid and the engine hatch (if they don't keep these items in the air, you'll want to replace these).

 

[Lud]

Richard - In your situation, I personally would not replace the belt yet. Obviously you will have to do it eventually, but your low mileage is so extreme it is very hard to say when. If it is going to keep you up at night or you're going to go crazy trying to figure out how long to wait, just go ahead and do it.

Likewise I cannot imagine a need to replace brake pads, air filter, or spark plugs or adjust valve gap with such low miles. These are not things that typically degrade with tme.

 

[Veleno]

Thanks for the response guys.

nsxtasy
-I've had the trunk and rear glass shocks replaced already under warrantee

Lud
-Although I didn't have to have those things changed because of the mileage, I wanted it changed just to be safe. Guam is almost like CA in weather, except it's probably hotter here, and we're surrounded by water, which means more salt in the air. I wanted to be on the safe side and just have those things changed anyways.

I'll talk to the dealer and find out what they have to say about the timing belt.
Thanks again for the input


[This message has been edited by Veleno (edited 20 March 2001).]