Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,701 posts, read 41,830,560 times
Reputation: 41408
Advertisements
Okay so a week ago I take my car to a Tires Plus location in Louisville to get the timing belt changed on my 01 Honda Accord. I get a call later on in the day saying that they can't budge the crankshaft bolt on the Accord therefore can't even get to the timing belt. Ended up not doing the repair.
Appaerently on any Honda/Acura engine there is a special tool you use to get the bolt loose.
I did end up finding a mechanic in Louisville that was able to do the job and had the tool.
However have any other Honda/Acura drivers come across this problem at big chain shops?
can't directly comment but it is mostly true that without the "special tool" the job is difficult to impossible. Having said that, the special tool is not that expensive, I think I picked up mine for less than $40. Probably a good thing they couldn't get it off without the tool, because I'm not sure they would have been able to properly torque the nut on the crankshaft down without it.
Any shop working on Hondas should have that tool. Otherwise they are just pretenders. If they don't have it - then they don't really service many Hondas.
But in general - big chain shops are terrible for service. I would choose the dealer over one of those. But even better is an established independent.
The WORST thing you can do is go to one of the big chain shops for any kind of major service. The best bet for that type of work is a good indie mechanic knowledgable with the brand. Failing that, go to the dealer. The big chains are OK for oil changes, tires and brakes, maybe some light suspension work, but that's about it. Even then an indie mechanic is still better.
The WORST thing you can do is go to one of the big chain shops for any kind of major service. The best bet for that type of work is a good indie mechanic knowledgable with the brand. Failing that, go to the dealer. The big chains are OK for oil changes, tires and brakes, maybe some light suspension work, but that's about it. Even then an indie mechanic is still better.
I'm not sure I'd even trust a big chain for oil changes ... there's too many white box no-name filters that they use.
As well, brake parts can be a bit less than OE level at the chains, especially friction materials.
At least you can buy name brand tires at their shops ... and many have a good reputation for alignments.
Okay so a week ago I take my car to a Tires Plus location in Louisville to get the timing belt changed on my 01 Honda Accord. I get a call later on in the day saying that they can't budge the crankshaft bolt on the Accord therefore can't even get to the timing belt. Ended up not doing the repair.
Appaerently on any Honda/Acura engine there is a special tool you use to get the bolt loose.
I did end up finding a mechanic in Louisville that was able to do the job and had the tool.
However have any other Honda/Acura drivers come across this problem at big chain shops?
Dude, in a way you dodged a bullet without trying - the big chains are in no way better than a good independent shop. This is an interference engine, you want an OEM or equivalent belt put on by somebody who knows what they are doing.
Just one example - if one nicks the aluminum cam belt sprockets by hitting them with a wrench, unless the tech knows that the nick has to be filed/stoned away completely, it will cause the belt to break prematurely, not realize it's normal service life.
Yes. Chains often have a hard time with timing belt replacement because they don't have hands, or eyes, or brains; they are nothing but a bunch of steel links that are too hot to touch in the summer and too cold to touch in the winter. Therefore I prefer to have this kind of work done by humans.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
