Thermostat and Timing Belt Question
 

Well I'm having an issue with the heat which I beleive to be the thermostat. I only have heat when idling. When I start driving my temp gauge drops to cold and it blows cold air. I'm thinking thermostat, am I right?

And my car has 400,000 Km's on it. I don't know when the timing belt was done, is their any way to check my looking at the timing belt what kind of shape its in? I don't want to replace it and have the car go because it is getting old even though it is a honda. What can I do, will honda have it on file or can you tell the shape by looking. Thanks

RE: Thermostat and Timing Belt Question
 

Your heat problem DOES sound like a stuck-open thermostat.

You can't really tell the timing belt by inspection. It'll look good until 100km before it breaks. Do you really want to inspect it every 100 km?

There's a gazillion shops out there besides the dealer. If any one of them changed the belt, the dealer network isn't gonna know about it. Every 145k km you need a new belt.

RE: Thermostat and Timing Belt Question
 

seriously? the timing belt will look good untill 62 mi before it breaks!?!? i would have to check it twice a day :(

ive been wondering about mine too. I bought the car at 114k mi. dont know if carmax had it changed, and now its at 144k mi, i really dont want it breaking on me, and i really dont want to pay to have someone do it... guess i should do it to it

has anyone ever converted to a chain? would it even be worth it?

RE: Thermostat and Timing Belt Question
 

convert it to a chain...interesting...heh...pretty impossible since the chain would need to be lubricated though, and loud as hell.

dealers don't have a network of information. each dealer has their own records on a car. only warranty repairs are on the network. so if you know if the car was ever serviced at a dealer call that specific dealer and ask about the history.

RE: Thermostat and Timing Belt Question
 

To the op, I would bet you are right about the T-stat sticking open. And as far as the timing belt in concerned sometimes mechanics write the mileage on the timing belt cover so you know when it was changed. Other than that change it,better safe than sorry.

RE: Thermostat and Timing Belt Question
 

Well, maybe not literally. My timing belts ('95 Integra & '98 Accord) have looked pretty good when I changed them. If it can go 100k miles & still look good, I'm not prepared to believe it would have gone another 40k miles.