Honda CR-V Timing Belt

2001hondacrv

Is it true the timing belt won't give any warning? Since the weather has gotten colder, my 2001 Honda CRV has started making a high pitched whining noise when cold (it's a belt, and I can see it, so I'm almost sure it isn't the timing belt), and below 32 degrees. If it's warmer than that, there's no noise at all. My dealer is trying to tell me I need to replace the timing belt, water pump, and all other belts at a cost of around $800. I'm in the middle of buying a house and if I can put this off a little longer and not worry, I'd like to - any thoughts? Thanks!

crvme3

Yes, the Timing belt can fail without warning... What's the current mileage of the vehicle?. The Timing belt is under a cover so you will not be able to see it just looking under the hood... You can have someone pull off (3-4 10mm bolts I think) the upper inspection cover & get an assessment of the Timing belts condition... If it has cracks or looks/feels brittle & portions of the belt are frayed then change it... If not then you will have to make a judgment call!... This is where mileage comes into play - if you are beyond the scheduled mileage for replacement then you are on borrowed time... Remember the old mechanics saying "pay me now or pay me later"... Good luck

2001hondacrv

Thanks - the mileage is 66,000, and I know because of the age of the car it's due to be changed (the dealer told me last summer). I have an ex-husband whose a mechanic, it's just a matter of actually getting him to check the belt that I see making the noise. I'd rather have the dealer do the replacement and end up with Honda parts, as opposed to taking it somewhere else - I just hate the cost, although I know if the belt goes at some future point, the results will be disasterous. Thanks for the reply.

crvme3

Your most welcome... I agree in the long run your are better off with original honda parts, but the cost does hurt!... I have always been of the mindset (many will argue this) that the time/age of the vehicle & parts are not as important as the miles... Physical/material things (ie: timing belt) cannot tell time... but are more inclined to wear/fail with mileage, you are on the low end of mileage so time is probably on your side. Either way the result of timing belt failure is not a good thing, so play it safe & replace when you can. Cheer's

trumpynz

Leaving the replacement of a critical part like a timing belt can be very serious stuff.
I once owned a vehicle, (not a Honda) that broke a timing belt while I was driving one Friday afternoon.
If a timing belt breaks, the valves inside the engine cylinders will often collide with or pierce the tops of at least a couple of pistons.
Think new engine or very expensive repair.
I'll never forget the sound the engine made the day my timing belt broke.

Cheers,
Mike T.

mcdermott

You may be premature on your timing belt service. At www.gates.com it shows the 1997-2001 Honda CRV timing belt due for change at 105,000 miles - a long, long way from your current 66,000 miles. That sound you hear can also stem from a water pump going bad, or a different belt that needs to be replaced. To second a previous responder, you can't see your timing belt because it is under a cover, so why do you suspect it? I would get a second opinion from a professional before letting a Dealer hose me for possibly-unnecessary $800 repair. Think of it, you might take the Dealer's advise, replace the expensive timing belt, then still have the squeek.
Regards,
Jack

thegraduate

I know this is an old post, but many timing belts are rated for both time AND mileage, whichever comes first. Something like 90k miles or 7 years, for my car. Make sure you read ALL the details!

grafzeppelin

My wife and I have a 2000 CRV and she was driving it when the timing belt broke (right at ~ 100, 000 miles). She said it just went dead, and of course would not start. At the time we had a shade-tree mechanic who said that we were looking at an expensive repair since the "Honda's use "interfering valves/ timing"", which I understand means that if the timing belt breaks when the engine is running, then the valves crash into the piston heads and wreak all kinds of expensive havoc to repair. In our case we were apparently lucky in that he simply installed the new belt ( and a new water pump since he already had it taken apart), and we have had no problems since then. I know now not to go past the recommended mileage to replace it next time, because we were lucky nothing was damaged..

Another thing I've been curious about for years. Our Honda (2000 CRV EX Standard Transmission) is supposed to be four wheel drive. I think they call it "real time" four wheel drive. Is there any way to know when the four wheel drive engages? I bought the car new in 2000 and I have NEVER felt anything to indicate that the four wheel drive has engaged. I understand that it should only engage, typically, when wheel spin is sensed by the system. As far as I know there is no indicator lamp in the cabin, but I used to drive a 4WD Ford Explorer, and while that vehicle had a manual button on the Dash to engage or disengage the 4WD, I would typically hear/feel a "thump" when it engaged. I have never felt this in the Honda, and I'm sure the Honda is a 4WD since it has the rear drive shaft, differential and rear CV joints. Anyone care to take a stab at that one?

312capri

Interesting! I've read that the 2007/2008 engines used a timing chain rather than a belt. Our 2002 Toyota Corolla which also had Variable Valve Timing (VVT) used a chain. It might be the VVT places a heavier load on the timing belt so they went to a timing chain.

Comments please!

kyfdx

They went to a timing chain with the 2002-2006 generation..

stevedebi

" Another thing I've been curious about for years. Our Honda (2000 CRV EX Standard Transmission) is supposed to be four wheel drive. I think they call it "real time" four wheel drive. Is there any way to know when the four wheel drive engages? I bought the car new in 2000 and I have NEVER felt anything to indicate that the four wheel drive has engaged. I understand that it should only engage, typically, when wheel spin is sensed by the system. As far as I know there is no indicator lamp in the cabin, but I used to drive a 4WD Ford Explorer, and while that vehicle had a manual button on the Dash to engage or disengage the 4WD, I would typically hear/feel a "thump" when it engaged. I have never felt this in the Honda, and I'm sure the Honda is a 4WD since it has the rear drive shaft, differential and rear CV joints. Anyone care to take a stab at that one? "

RT4WD is an automatic system that uses a clutch which automatically senses that the front wheels are spinning faster than the rear wheels, at which time the clutch engages and the rear wheels spin. There is no indication that this is happening.

lal6

I know that the timing belt on my 2001 crv is due to be replaced , but the dealer is also telling me they need to replace the water pump and the drive belts at the same time. My manual says to just inspect the drive belts and replace as needed. What should I do?

blueiedgod

I know that the timing belt on my 2001 crv is due to be replaced , but the dealer is also telling me they need to replace the water pump and the drive belts at the same time. My manual says to just inspect the drive belts and replace as needed. What should I do?

The genral practice with Honda engines with timing belts is to replace the water pump when the timing belt is replaced. This is done to save you money down the road, should the old pump start leaking and needing replacement. The major cost of timing belt replacement is labor. Since you are already paying $300-$400 in labor to replace the timing belt, it would make sense to use that oppotrunity to replace the water pump. Otherwise, you may have to pay another $300-$400 in labor to replace a $100 water pump later.

stever

Not specific to Hondas, but I've been reading a few posts in recent months that discourage people from "automatically" replacing water pumps whenever the timing belt is replaced. Some mechanics seem to think they rarely fail.

If I was doing a timing belt at 60k intervals, I might skip it the first time. For the 105k interval, I'd probably put a new one in.

lal6

OK, thanks. I'll ask my mechanic what he thinks about the water pump. But what about the drive belts? Should they all automatically be replaced at this point? (I've got 65,000 miles on the car).

stever

What usually causes you to break down on older cars is the "little" stuff and drive belts fall in that category. I did my '99 minivan's belts last year and I'm sure they were overdue at 124,000 miles.

But it's not just the miles, it's their age. In theory, most belts are good for 100k, but you should at least have them checked for cracks or excessive wear. (Tom's Corner Garage). Unless your mechanic has two boat payments to make, it's usually pretty cheap insurance, compared to the inconvenience of a break-down and cost of a tow.

Your car is far from a beater, but this article may help.

Broke With a Beater: How To Maintain an Old Car

canyon711

Yes, its true I have a 2000 CRV with less than 24,000 miles on it. I just took my car in to have it all checked out and it was suggested that I consider having the timing belt done in the near future since it was past the recommended number of months that Honda suggested replacement. I think it was 7 years and I am going on 10. This is a repair place many people I know go to and AAA approved and he quoted me $700. It is not so much the price as whether I really need to do this. Any advice. Thanks :confuse:

lzc

All belts deteriorate over time. Hot and cold weather take their toll. You don't say whether you live in a mild or harsh climate or if you garage the vehicle. Those conditions influence the rate of belt deterioration. Of course, I really don't have a clue whether the low mileage sufficiently offsets 10 years of time to keep you in a safe operating range.

As to a $700 price, it sounds high to me. But maybe not. Prices vary considerably by region. I'd check the dealer's price and 1 or 2 reputable shops that specialize in Japanese cars.

Me, I'd change it. But then the thought of being stranded I find a real incentive to perform car maintenance.

blueiedgod

Yes, its true I have a 2000 CRV with less than 24,000 miles on it. I just took my car in to have it all checked out and it was suggested that I consider having the timing belt done in the near future since it was past the recommended number of months that Honda suggested replacement. I think it was 7 years and I am going on 10. This is a repair place many people I know go to and AAA approved and he quoted me $700. It is not so much the price as whether I really need to do this. Any advice. Thanks

Check with Honda dealer. I am pretty sure it is a $600 service there.

And, yes it absolutely has to be done. Once the timing belt breaks, the pistons will hit the valves and bend them. It will cost more than $3000 to fix that problem.

Also, while at the dealer, have them adjust the valves. They need to be adjusted every 30,000 miles.

canyon711

Thanks for the help. I live in a moderate climate, never very hot or very cold. Everything is more expensive here as I live in the SF area. Thanks for the tip on the valve adjustment. Same price at dealer. $225 to do valves. A lot more convenient to go to this mechanic than the dealer and since he comes well recommended think I will just stay with him.

mikek847

I read through postings about timing belt. I've seen a mention about the CR-V engine type. I have 1999 CR-V with 2.0L engine. Is this engine interfere type or not? It seems like most of Honda engines are interfering type but if anyone knows for sure, and if you don't mind sharing....

canyon711

I don't know what you mean by interfere. The mechanic read off the different months and mileage for each year but I don't remember what yours was but it was pretty close to mine. Mine is a 2000 so I would guess they are about the same. All the Honda's CR-V's have this same type of belt that needs replacing.

kyfdx

All the CR-Vs through the 2001 model have timing belts...

From 2002+ models, they use a chain..

mikek847

I know that the 99 CR-V, 2.0L engine requires a timing belt replacement. Interfere type engine would cause a valve damage when the timing belt snaps whereas the non-interfere type does not. This depends on how the engine is designed. If there is a enough clearance between piston and the head when timing belt snap in high speed, valve will not be harmed but if there is not enough clearance, one of valve will snap and requires a replacement of valve and that could be a very costly repair.

So the question is does this engine have enough clearance or not?

canyon711

My mechanice read off a list while looking at the Honda site and as I remember 99 were supposed to replace at around 6 years but any mechanic can bring up that information. If it was a non interfere I wouldn't think there would be anything about months mentioned, just mileage as it wouldn't be a problem it if broke. From what the mechanic told me on my 2000 CR-V and before there would be so I have to assume that mean it is an interfere type. I am sure if you google "timing belt change CR-V 1999" you will find the interformation you need or call you dealer.