Heat shields around catalytic converter
 

I have a Honda Accord LX 2001 4-cylinder with Manual transmission. It has run 88,500 miles on it. No major parts have been replaced as of now.

I took the car in for a 90,000 mile service to the Honda of Lisle (zip:60532) dealership and I get the feeling that they are beginning to find something or the other each time I go there to report as "need fixing" or "need replacement". This time around, they came up with the following items:

1. Wiper blade inserts need to be replaced = $35
2. Power steering wheel fluid needs to be flushed and replaced = $198
3. Top and bottom heat shields around catalytic converter are rusted and need to be replaced = $220
4. New Timing belts = $967

That last item blew me off my feet! The 90,000 mile service costs $375 by itself and all these are additional. I drive the car less than 5 miles every day so I opted out of both the heat shield replacement ($220) as well as the new timing belt ($967), for now.

I am not a very handy person but willing to learn quickly, at least enough to make educated decisions. I am also willing to consider taking my car to some other [trustworthy/reliable] service shop if it will help me save money and don't have to compromise on quality.

Any tips/pointers are much appreciated!!!

Ashwin

The heat shield is something that you can replace on your own. They typically rust near the bolts and will start rattling. You can also do a temporary repair by putting a big hose clamp around the shield to prevent it from rattling as a temporary fix.

The timing belt is important. Check the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual for the mileage. I can't remember if it was every 90K for the timing belt on the 98-02 accord.

I am a novice at car repairs but I replaced the heat shields myself. All you need is access to a lift(preferably but you could roll under the car if you wanted to), and a rachet set. The parts cost me like 60 bucks from an online store and installing was self explanatory and a breeze. My bolts and nuts were rusted on though so I ended up using a pneumatic cutting tool to cut the bolts off. Still it wasn't a big deal. Good luck!

You can run without them safely don't park ontop of long grass though, you run the risk of starting the grass on fire and probably the car then.

There's also heat-shields above the cat, and those are to protect the floorpan of the car. I don't know whether you'd set anything on fire, but maybe blister the paint & promote corrosion.