TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT – 2004 ODYSSEY

[Sam Patel]

Hi Eric-
I have 2004 Honda Odyssey EX-L currently at 82,000 miles. The dealer suggested to change timing belt since the car is 10 years old. They haven’t visually inspected the car but they are going by Honda’s recommended service guide. Do you think the timing belt is really need to be changed at this low mileage?

Also, do you have video or instruction on how to change the front motor mount on 2004 Odyssey Ex-L?

Topic

[college man]

The dealer is looking at time vs mileage which is the recommendation.
The only way to know is to pull the cover and inspect the belt for cracks/
wear. see if this helps you.

[Dwayne]

Heat, load, material deterioration,wear-n-tear, etc. all contribute to timing belt failure.

Since factory recommended servicing interval is always on the conservative side of things, it is always to the car owner’s advantage to service the timing belt at the factory recommended intervals.

Oh and BTW: nothing lasts for they will wear out eventually.

If you have an interference engine, and the timing belt breaks at speed, then severe engine damage is most likely to occur . The timing belt is like a ticking time bomb, you never know when it’s going to blow!

[EricTheCarGuy]

Actually in my experience time plays a bigger factor than miles when it comes to timing belts. That said, I would recommend you replace it. I do in fact have a VManual on the procedure. You can find it here.

Honda J Series Timing Belt Replacement VManual

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Jerry Gilles]

Who sells the best timing belt kit w/water pump? 2nd question, is the hydraulic tensioner the only thing that puts tension on the timing belt?

[zero]

Yes the tensioner is the only thing that creates tension on the belt as nothing else should have any movement other than rotational.

Personally I would say go with a Gates kit. It should come with the water pump, tensioner, any idler pulleys (I think), any gaskets and of course the belt. For your own sake just make sure it’s a kit with a new water pump and tensioner.

[Author]

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