[jammike]

62,000 miles on a 2014 MDX (bought it new in Oct 2013). Maintenance is recommeneded at 105,000 miles or 7 yrs which ever comes first. So its 8.5 yrs in use but mileage wise its not even close to the 105K.

Dealer is recommending replacing
a) Timing Belt, Alternator Belt, Water Pump, Auto Tensioner, Coolant etc for $1200 + tax.
b) If I do the spark plugs at the same time, he can do it all for $1500 + tax.

I plan to keep the MDX for a while. So definitely want to get the OEM parts put in only.
So the question is
1) Should I wait for another year or 2 to get all the work done at the dealer ?
2) Get the Timing Belt work done now at the Dealer and spark plugs later. Getting Spark Plugs done later will cost $450.
3) Get all the work done now and not to worry for next 7-8 yrs for this kind of maintenance based on no of miles I drive per yr.

Appreciate your response. Thanks.

 

[datechboss101]

This is an interference engine. Suggest getting the belt done now and the plugs done later. If you postpone it you may or may not regret that decision. But this all depends on whether or not you can afford the job right now in the present.

You can DIY the spark plugs for cheaper. $450 is overkill. Honda uses NGK plugs for the MDX.

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[jammike]

Thanks. Just trying to decide if its right price dealer is asking and if its a good idea to get it all done now or later. The OEM spark plugs 12290-R9P-A01 - (DILZKR7B11G) (Ngk) are $40 each at hondaacuraonline.com, so 6 of them will be $240 + Tax and labor. So if I do it now, he will do it for $300 including labor.

 

[datechboss101]

Thanks. Just trying to decide if its right price dealer is asking and if its a good idea to get it all done now or later. The OEM spark plugs 12290-R9P-A01 - (DILZKR7B11G) (Ngk) are $40 each at hondaacuraonline.com, so 6 of them will be $240 + Tax and labor. So if I do it now, he will do it for $300 including labor.

The $1200 TB job sounds identical to what I was quoted for mine over at Acura. Honda on the other hand is a bit expensive. Have you looked at indie shops for the spark plug job or have you thought about working on it yourself? Spark plugs are one of the easiest jobs to do DIY.


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[mrgold35]

I would check with your local Honda dealership for prices for the same service. They can do the work just like Acura since both Honda and Acura use the same 3.5L DI, sh-awd, and 6AT/9AT.

 

[crokett]

I paid 60.00 for the OEM NGK plugs for an’05 MDX last weekat RockAuto. I paid about the same for the OEM NGK plugs for a 2012 Pilot a few months ago. 40.00 a plug is insane. Spark plugs aren’t that difficult to change. An independent shop will do your timing belt, water pump, etc for a third less than the quote you got and still use the same aisin kit. If you can find one that will install the kit that you bring them, you can get it online for ~250.00 and pay ~400.00 in labor.

 

[mdxstang]

That NGK plug, part number DILZKR7B11G, or 95350, appears to be $23 at Autozone, $27 at NAPA.

Your plugs don't need to be changed based on a time basis so I wouldn't do it unless maybe you live in a rust belt environment where there might be concern about the plugs being in the heads too long. I haven't heard of that being an issue on the MDX but long time serial Honda owners here would know more about that than me. If you don't think corrosion is an issue then I'd wait until closer to 105K miles. The plug change isn't related to the timing belt change - i.e. it's all just additional work - not like how the water pump and serpentine belt come off to do a TB regardless so may as well change it at the same time. You can consider DIYing the plugs but otherwise, an independent mechanic, Honda dealer, Acura dealer can install plugs and an independent would get the identical plugs from NAPA or someplace for $23-26 rather than the Acura $55 ($40 through an online discount Acura dealer) cost each.

 

[jammike]

The Honda dealerships in NJ are even worse $1200 is best price I could find by calling atleast 10 dealers here for TB and Tensioner replacement. I don't want to go thru the aisin kit route for such major work on a vehicle I plan to keep for a while.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I will call get the TB work done at the dealership and then do the Sparkplugs myself at 100K.

 

[mdxstang]

^^ I received a flyer from the local Acura dealer the other day that indicated the price for the TB work and I think it was a few hundred higher than your price and I don't think it included the tensioner - so I think your price may be a pretty good one, but I haven't actually shopped it yet and have never had to have a TB replaced before (I had real timing chains in my other vehicles).

 

[brian_tii]

Honestly doesn’t seem that bad. If you must have OEM Honda bagged parts I’d be tempted to just do it all.

If $$$ is a concern, you can have an independent shop do the work with an Aisin kit. The Aisin kit is very high quality and some might argue even better quality than the Honda ones. I’d argue they’re equivalent quality. Personally I would use either and I put an Aisin kit on both our Pilot and Lexus. They’re not junk. Aisin is the ONLY alternative that’d I’d consider.

 

[mdxstang]

I would use either and I put an Aisin kit on both our Pilot and Lexus. They’re not junk. Aisin is the ONLY alternative that’d I’d consider.

Honda/Acura doesn't make most of the parts that are in the vehicle (same with all vehicle manufacturers) so I wonder if Aisin actually makes the TB, etc. for Honda OEM. Someone here may know the answer.

 

[brian_tii]

Honda/Acura doesn't make most of the parts that are in the vehicle (same with all vehicle manufacturers) so I wonder if Aisin actually makes the TB, etc. for Honda OEM. Someone here may know the answer.

From what I can tell it varies based on component:

Timing belt - the Aisin one made by Mitsuboshi which is a Japanese belt manufacturer that’s been in business for > 100 years. They do manufacture belts for some OEMs. The OEM Honda belt is made by Unitta which is Gates OEM division. I think they are both of equal quality, though I’ve had some argue with me that Unitta is lower than Mitsuboshi because Unitta screwed up and shipped a bad batch a few years back which made into new engines and had to be replaced under warranty/ service bulletin by Honda / Acura. I dunno, but neither is junk.

Hydraulic Tensioner - Appears to be an Aisin part and the same exact component between OEM Honda and what’s in the Aisin kit. I looked, couldn’t tell any difference.

Idler and Tensioner Pulley - Both use Koyo bearings on both Honda OEM and Aisin kit. I cannot tell any difference in the casting for the tensioner arm either. I’m calling them exactly the same.

Water Pump - Aisin kit uses an Aisin water pump. Has a high quality seal and matches perfectly to OEM including alignment pins and captive gasket. It should be noted that Aisin makes most of Toyota’s water pumps. I’ve never seen one leak or go bad and I’ve run double intervals on my Lexus before with them. The Honda OEM water pump is a Yamada pump, also high quality. Different parts but equal IMHO. Personally I maybe biased to the Aisin pump just because of my personal experience with them.

 

[brian_tii]

Also to be clear - the weak point on these is the tensioner. Lots of Pilot owners have found them leaking or losing tension. Mine was leaking at 65k miles and 7.5 years old. I’m very glad I replaced it based on age and didn’t wait for my wife to complain or worse… jump time and destroy the engine. OEM Honda tensioner and we bought the car brand new so I know it’d never been touched.

 

[clrgrant]

62,000 miles on a 2014 MDX (bought it new in Oct 2013). Maintenance is recommeneded at 105,000 miles or 7 yrs which ever comes first. So its 8.5 yrs in use but mileage wise its not even close to the 105K.

Dealer is recommending replacing
a) Timing Belt, Alternator Belt, Water Pump, Auto Tensioner, Coolant etc for $1200 + tax.
b) If I do the spark plugs at the same time, he can do it all for $1500 + tax.

I plan to keep the MDX for a while. So definitely want to get the OEM parts put in only.
So the question is
1) Should I wait for another year or 2 to get all the work done at the dealer ?
2) Get the Timing Belt work done now at the Dealer and spark plugs later. Getting Spark Plugs done later will cost $450.
3) Get all the work done now and not to worry for next 7-8 yrs for this kind of maintenance based on no of miles I drive per yr.

Appreciate your response. Thanks.

Find a good local mechanic and save $300-400. The spark plugs can wait. I paid $8-9 for Ruthenium plugs(NGK) in 2020. They will last 200,000 miles per NGK rep.
Because of the interference engine I would do the timing belt, etc. ASAP. Do your mechanic research.....the dealers just charge too much although their warranty
is worth something....matter of your comfort level I guess. Good luck!

 

[Spooner]

62,000 miles on a 2014 MDX (bought it new in Oct 2013). Maintenance is recommeneded at 105,000 miles or 7 yrs which ever comes first. So its 8.5 yrs in use but mileage wise its not even close to the 105K.

Dealer is recommending replacing
a) Timing Belt, Alternator Belt, Water Pump, Auto Tensioner, Coolant etc for $1200 + tax.
b) If I do the spark plugs at the same time, he can do it all for $1500 + tax.

I plan to keep the MDX for a while. So definitely want to get the OEM parts put in only.
So the question is
1) Should I wait for another year or 2 to get all the work done at the dealer ?
2) Get the Timing Belt work done now at the Dealer and spark plugs later. Getting Spark Plugs done later will cost $450.
3) Get all the work done now and not to worry for next 7-8 yrs for this kind of maintenance based on no of miles I drive per yr.

Appreciate your response. Thanks.

 

[Spooner]

I have a 2009 MDX, bought in late 2019, has 137,000 after putting front pads/rotors and both O2 sensors car seemed to run fine. Just recently, last fall, needed a new battery. That went well except for the clock not showing the correct time. I see that MDX tech is working on a solution for that issue. So this spring I was wondering about the coolant flush, not sure when or if the previous owner ever had this done. I also thought that by the maintenance chart said to do a timing belt also. Took it to my mechanic to ask. The MDX now has 148,000 miles. With the timing belt kit, it would come with a water pump and would flush and install new fluid. His comment was, if you don't change the timing belt, you are running on borrowed time, could be fatal if it were to break. So not knowing if the motor ever had new plugs, I had one issue with a backfire and under heavy acceleration, didn't seem to be running on all clylinders. So I thought I should just do timing belt and plugs. Cost from my mechanic was $1436 for all. Car runs better and I am getting 2mpg more now that before the service. Hope this helps with your decision.

 

[notmycar]

how about the valve clearance adjustment as well? or did they finally went to hydraulic adjusters in the later generations??

 

[jammike]

I have a 2009 MDX, bought in late 2019, has 137,000 after putting front pads/rotors and both O2 sensors car seemed to run fine. Just recently, last fall, needed a new battery. That went well except for the clock not showing the correct time. I see that MDX tech is working on a solution for that issue. So this spring I was wondering about the coolant flush, not sure when or if the previous owner ever had this done. I also thought that by the maintenance chart said to do a timing belt also. Took it to my mechanic to ask. The MDX now has 148,000 miles. With the timing belt kit, it would come with a water pump and would flush and install new fluid. His comment was, if you don't change the timing belt, you are running on borrowed time, could be fatal if it were to break. So not knowing if the motor ever had new plugs, I had one issue with a backfire and under heavy acceleration, didn't seem to be running on all clylinders. So I thought I should just do timing belt and plugs. Cost from my mechanic was $1436 for all. Car runs better and I am getting 2mpg more now that before the service. Hope this helps with your decision.

Did this include Tensioner Replacement too ?

 

[Sal And]

My 2015 mdx sh advanced tech has 126k and timing belt, water pump has not been changed out, they traded in before they did the 100k service on it. It still drives likeba beauti. My mechanic drove it and drives like bran new. So ill get all that done in the next 10k or so. 2015 engine is more reliable than normal. Look at consumers reports as the pilot 2014 (same engine) is the most reliable suv.

 

[datechboss101]

My 2015 mdx sh advanced tech has 126k and timing belt, water pump has not been changed out, they traded in before they did the 100k service on it. It still drives likeba beauti. My mechanic drove it and drives like bran new. So ill get all that done in the next 10k or so. 2015 engine is more reliable than normal. Look at consumers reports as the pilot 2014 (same engine) is the most reliable suv.

Consumer Reports is a laughing stock (i.e.: Great for entertainment purposes). Please take what they say with a grain of salt even if it’s positive or negative. Any engine can be reliable if the owner takes great care of it and maintains it properly.


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