Comments on: The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: Timing Belt Edition

By: Vicky

Vicky — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:07:16 +0000

Trent, I’ve read your blog for years. Thank you for writing it! I have gotten some great tips, and even more food for thought. I comment on articles maybe once or twice a year and I have to tell you that I admire your calmness. I don’t understand why there are so many remarks such as these on how/why/when you replaced your timing belt. I’m constantly amazed at how many people approach your personal topics with a critical eye. Anyway, thank you for opening up your life.

By: reulte

reulte — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:01:56 +0000

I usually buy a manual for my car and find it very useful in being able to knowledgeably discuss my car with the mechanic — even if I don’t use it to replace filters or head gaskets.

By: Charles Cohn

Charles Cohn — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:44:19 +0000

I have replaced tining belts a number of times with no particular problems. This job has a lot of steps, but none of them is especially difficult. The most important way to make the job easier is to invest in a factory shop manual for the car in question. It will provide detailed step-by-step instructions for the job. These manuals are expensive, but they are a great help in understanding your car and are very useful. It’s the first thing I always get for any car I buy.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:37:32 +0000

I loved reading about the scavenger hunt. We’ve let our almost six year old take pictures with the digital camera for several years. The unexpected side effect was seeing the world from his level which many times meant in a completely different way. Every time we upload pictures, we never know what we’re going to find. Thanks for sharing that!

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 01:34:39 +0000

The timing belt is rather well concealed so a frayed belt isn’t something you’d notice. What were the symptoms that lead to the discovery? The few times I’ve heard of premature timing belt failure is when it was damaged as a tensioner, idler bushing or water pump wore out.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 23:16:11 +0000

You need some professional advice here, either:
1) They didn’t actually change the old one and a honest mechanic should be able to tell by the condition of the belt.
2) They did the work wrong and should make it good.
3) The part was defective and the manufacture should make it good.

Still rotten luck on your part. Hope it broke somewhere convenient.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 23:13:29 +0000

Timming belts are pretty bad, I am so glad I married into a family of mechanics. My car shouldn’t even be running if it wasn’t for my father in law. With the bad economy he does of lot of work trades, like his neighbor paints his porch while he replaces the brakes on his car. No money exchanged, just services.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:35:41 +0000

So the car only has 10K on it or you’ve already driven it 10k?

Isn’t that under warranty?

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:16:51 +0000

Timing belts are of the devil. Timing chains are the way to go. I had to replace my timing belt and water pump last week (oh, and while we were working on your car, we found these three other issues that we think you should fix immediately lest you be left on the side of the road in psycho killer territory). Yay emergency fund.

By: Almost there

Almost there — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:49:26 +0000

Hope there was a warranty on the work since the timing belt didn’t last very long. My honda element has a timing chain. No belt, yay. My Saturn vue has the same engine as the Pilot but many miles yet before the belt needs attention.

By: Trent

Trent — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:38:41 +0000

I did replace it. This one went bad at the 10K mile mark.

By: Charles

Charles — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:15:25 +0000

Ouch! Timing belts are expensive! I think newer cars having chains and do not require frequent change like the belt version.

By: Kat

Kat — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:11:01 +0000

Trent, your timing belt wore out at the exact moment Honda timing belts do, not early. If you look back to your post when you bought it, some people pointed out that if the previous owner hadn’t just replaced it, you should. Replacing the timing belt in Hondas at 100k miles is routine maintenance, and as you bought the car at 90k miles, you should have planned for this.

By: AndreaS

AndreaS — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:59:10 +0000

Valleycat1 is exactly right. The key is to do things all the way. I’ve known people to do a renovation project 95%, and never quite get around to the other 5% for decades. So I am a stickler in finishing jobs all the way, even if I am tired. A house renovation is not done until the work area is clean and all tools are put away. Mail can be placed in a temporary holding spot, but then it needs to be dealt with completely, including the final filing of important papers.

As for stuff, the key to controlling disorder is having designated places where things belong, and always putting things down in their proper place. I do have some holding areas… things to go upstairs can stay in a small pile in the bottom of the stairs until my next trip up. But rarely does my pile have more than three items.

Similarly I never understand how people let their cars get so cluttered. Every time you get out of your car remove everything that doesn’t belong there permanently; surplus jackets, empty food containers, shopping bags and so on. Then put those things in their proper place once you get in your house. If you have a habit of just dropping all that stuff right inside the door, then you will always have a clutter heap in that spot.

My husband is bad about keeping his workshop neat, but he doesn’t take the time to put things away when he finishes projects, or doesn’t put things away a few times mid-project. So the disorder from a project will still be there weeks or even months later. This makes it hard for me to find tools, and it is hard to work in that space. I said to him it is the same as making a meal. You wash the dishes the same day you prepare the food.

This doesn’t mean my house is always in perfect order. It means that if company is coming, it takes me about two minutes to pick up the five items out of place. I know people who need days to prepare if company is coming.

By: Trent

Trent — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:36:31 +0000

“The timing belt is a maintenance item, similar to tires and oil changes, that requires replacement. A known expense should not be an emergency.”

It is when you have a defective one and it frays out early.

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:28:21 +0000

The timing belt is a maintenance item, similar to tires and oil changes, that requires replacement. A known expense should not be an emergency.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:43:03 +0000

Being a do-it-yourselfer myself I have fixed my cars a lot! From axles to fuel pumps. (BTW, the fuel pump on an Excursion is a bear!) Oil changes are of course the simplest. The timing belt is one thing that will take me to a shop every time! I’m sure I could do it, but, my time has some value! The time I end up saving on that will be well spent being assured it’s done right.

By: Chris Gagner @ SmartPF

Chris Gagner @ SmartPF — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:39:31 +0000

Timing belts are the worst when the break. I ended up on the side of the road a few months ago in my Ford Escort. Luckily, it didn’t damage the engine and they were able to fix it. It only cost around $500!! That will take a nice chunk out of an emergency fund.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:52:33 +0000

Mail Center – we don’t have a “mail center” as such, but most of the disposition options are within a few feet. We are in the habit of making sorting the mail part of collecting the mail (so we don’t go out to get it unless we have a minute or two) – recycle/shred/toss the junk, put the (few) hardcopy bills we still receive – along with other items we need to track – in the tickler file system, and put reading materials in their spot. Done!

We apply the same idea in a lot of areas(basically, see a job through to completion): doing laundry includes folding & putting it away; cooking includes cleaning up afterward; playtime includes putting away the toys/games afterward, etc.

By: Darwin's Money

Darwin's Money — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:20:31 +0000

Ahh, the timing belt. I watched my dad fight with car repairs my whole life and it somewhat tainted my view of self-repair. I now pay for oil changes and repairs and try to save money elsewhere like mowing my own lawn and doing home repairs/upgrades myself. But cars…just something about memories of cursing and oil-soaked clothes has always left me with scars :>

Thanks for including my article from Darwin’s Finance, really a lesson learned there on what “not” to do when resiging.