Hello there. I'll try to make this as brief as possible. I'm broke and headed to graduate school for the next 3 years. I want to perform as much maintenance as possible before starting school. I have a 99 Civic LX with 155k miles, and I'm getting close to due for my second timing belt. The car looks to be in good shape, but before I had the belt done, I wanted a compression test to make sure the engine was sound. I took the car to a dealership for a compression test and overall inspection. I was going to get the timing belt done too and wanted a quote for it. After dropping it off, they called and said it'd be about $3k for all kinds of repairs. They said that I because I can only afford a small amount, they started the timing belt and a few seals, and "already had the timing cover off". I said I didn't authorize the repairs, and to give my car back; I only wanted a quote. They apparently put it back together, though when I received the car, the valve cover still had the exact same gasket sealant I used when I repaired the valve cover gasket two months ago, which tells me they hadn't actually started the repairs, and were trying to bully me into letting them do the engine work. At any rate, I'm going to get the timing done somewhere else, but I have this itemized list of things they say are wrong with my car.

I'd say I'm a novice at doing repairs. I have a small floor jack and jack stands and an ok amount of tools. I'd like to know if anyone can tell me if the following operations are easily done by a novice. I'd also like to know if any of the following options are even worthwhile if I plan to have the timing belt changed professionally in the next month or two:

- Replace crank case front main seal
- Replace distributor sub assembly
- Replace secondary ignition
- Automatic transmission right axle seal
- Replace header pipe
- Clean throttle body; air induction service

Also, this is totally odd, but when they returned my car, my front passenger side window no longer rolls down. I will call about this on Monday, but I get the feeling they won't fix it. I have a voltometer and figured I'd check the window motor to see if it's receiving power when the switch is lifted, but I could use pointers if anyone has any.

Sorry about the long post. I'm a little overwhelmed about the scope of work that they mentioned, and am hoping to do some of this myself. I already knew dealerships charged a high amount but figured it would be the best, most honest service. After this fiasco, I'm never going there again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I dont see any urgent maintenance work listed unless you have a very bad oil leak. Cleaning the throttle body, you can do that yourself. For timing belt, just do some reading and videos and you can do them as well. I dont change my belts,pump,tensioner on the 90k mark. After it hits 90k, i just inspect the belt every 6k miles( 2 change oils) until it reach 140k or it shows sign of trouble which ever comes first. Tensioner and pump is now 130K in my use + the miles it has before I bought the engine. Belt is now 90k+ and still looking good.

 

Looking at the paperwork, they also mentioned my water pump was leaking and said my timing belt should be done sooner than later. So I was thinking, if I get my timing belt done, would it make sense to have any of those other seals replaced at the same time?

Also, isn't the distributor and secondary ignition the same thing? They said I have oil leaking at the distributor, so I don't know if there's a gasket to replace, or if I'd need to replace the whole thing.

At this point, I'm losing a quart of oil every 2 months or so. Not a major leak, but mildly annoying.

 

The front seal is simple to replace during a timing belt job. Some people replace them pre-emptively every time but I would suggest replace only if leaking (which it seems that yours is). Timing belt job should include a new water pump-- always replace it pre-emptively unless you're really cheap and doing your own labor and don't mind going back in later.

Know that if you just keep driving until the timing belt breaks, suddenly your car will not run at all and will need to be towed. There is also likely to be major engine damage. They are not just blowing smoke there.

There are two seals associated with the distributor. One keeps oil from leaking around the outside of the base, where it will then run down onto the transmission. This is about a $3.00 part and 5 minutes to replace. The other seal is a shaft seal which keeps oil from coming into the distributor itself via the shaft. If that one is bad the distributor will fill up with oil and eventually stop working. It is not intended to be replaced separately, trade out the whole distributor.

By "secondary ignition" I assume they are talking about the spark plug wires. No need to replace those if the engine is running OK. When they go bad it will misfire, especially when you press the gas pedal hard at low rpm.

 

mk378, thanks for the reply. Glad you are still posting here. So when I get my timing belt / water pump replaced, I will ask for the front main seal replacement as well. As for the right axle seal, would it make sense to have this done as well? I've done my own brakes and such, and from my limited research, it looks like I'd have to jack the car up, remove the wheel assembly (or whatever it's called) and pull out the axle to replace the seal. I couldn't find much literature on this so maybe I'm totally off.

As for he header pipe, would you guys recommend I remove it and inspect it first to see if it's the pipe or just a gasket that's leaking? I have never noticed any holes in the pipe itself, though I have noticed exhaust smells in the engine compartment, so I don't doubt there's a leak somewhere... but maybe all I need is a gasket?

Finally, if I replace my distributor, would it make any difference if I do it before or after I have the timing belt done?

Thanks for the pointers on this. Sorry there are several conversations going on at once.

 

Speaking as someone who just graduated from 3 years of grad school with a 00, dude, dont go to the dealer, and by no means go to them saying you want an overall inspection on a 10+ year old car. Honestly, I'm not surprised by their response and quote....you probably saw the dollar signs in the service guy's eyes when you said that.

I dont see anything on that list that has to be done immediately. It all looks like minor fluid leaks, which could be fine for another few years. As for the header, just get a good flashlight and look, and listen with the engine running if you hear an exhaust leak.. it not, leave it. Dont try taking it off unelss you have all the new replacement seals.

If you really want to keep this old of a car, your best bet is to find a private mechanic nearby and have him do the timing belt, WP, front seal, with Honda OEM parts, and let all the other stuff go for now and just put some money into an ING savings accout just in case you need funds later.... just my 2 cents..... also speaking from experience, you dont want to dump a ton of your last money into an old car because if it gets totaled in an accident you're really up sh**s creek.

btw, where are you located? there may be people on here willing to teach you....

 

boiler1, thanks much for the pointers. I have definitely learned to avoid dealerships. In honesty, I just wanted a compression test done, but they told me the minimum charge is 1 hour and said they could squeeze in an inspection as well so I figured, why not? The guy who sold me the car sold it to me with a bogus title and let me tell ya... not a fun process. I've owned the car for about 3 years now with a pretty minimal amount of driving, but thought I'd better be sure about this thing before I rely on it for the next few years.

When I changed out my intake manifold gasket a while back, I inspected the part of the timing belt that was visible. It looked brand spanking new. The drive belt also looks new so I get the feeling the timing belt was done at least once during my car's history. I've read over the timing belt process a few times over the years and it just seems gnarly, though I do enjoy working on the thing, in my limited experience. Maybe I should quit being a ***** and give it a shot.

Out of curiosity, how can I verify a leaking water pump? I've never had to add water to the radiator once since I've owned the car. Also, regarding the header, is it true that I can place my hand over the exhaust while it's running to determine a leak? I've tried to listen for whistling sounds and have never had luck, but maybe I have crappy hearing...

I'm in Portland, Oregon looking to drive this thing to Texas in a couple months.

 

Timing belts are straightforward DIY if you have a good impact wrench to take out the crank pulley bolt and the motor mount. Coolant leaking from the water pump will appear at the "weep hole" on the back side of the engine near the timing belt cover and the alternator. Enlist a helper for the exhaust leak test. The usual place for the manifold to crack is on the front of the engine under the heat shield.

 

They don't call them "stealerships" for nothing.

Go to this site: hondatech.info: Honda service manuals
Look for the factory service manual for the 96-00 Civic. It's an incredible resource and it's out there for free.

The timing belt, water pump, belt tensioner, and front seal can all be done at once. Use all OEM Honda parts. The cost is a little higher but you won't regret it.

If they're talking about your header being cracked... Every single 96-00 Civic header will crack right down the middle. There's no escaping it. Either patch it with JB Weld (band-aid temp fix) or have it welded. Otherwise, leave it unless you are suffering from lower MPGs than expected. (O2 sensor could be reading things differently due to the leak.)

Look at the Maintenance DIY section on this site for details about cleaning your IACV and throttle body. It's really easy. Unbolt from the intake, spray with carb cleaner, reinstall. "Air induction service" likely means that they want to change the air filter. Psh, easy.

Like mk378 said, secondary ignition likely means spark plug wires. Those are super simple. Get new ones, replace one at a time so you don't get the firing order wrong. While you're at it, spark plugs are a cheap and easy maintenance item. "Distributor sub assembly"? Like... distributor cap and rotor? Easy. I just worked on mine for the first time. I thought about doing a writeup because I was a bit daunted by working on it for the first time. Turns out that it's easier than expected.

What were your compression numbers?

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. I am thinking more and more that I should try doing the timing belt myself. I've done a decent amount of simple projects on the Civic, like valve cover gasket, distributor cap, rotor, plugs, wires, IACV cleaning, I have attempted to set the timing, I've done my front brakes. I think the most complex thing I've done is replaced a timing chain tensioner on my old Nissan Sentra I had. That said, I really don't know anything about cars, I've just followed a few guides on this forum over the past couple years, but I'm comfortable taking things apart. I think the tough thing about trying to take on the timing belt project is that I don't have the tools, and I live in an apartment complex and would have to find a place that allows such a procedure. But the more I look at the DIY, the more straightforward it seems (except for sections that talk about top dead center).

Can anyone reading through this recommend specific tools I need? Or is there a thread that mentions the specifics? I would like to maybe compile a list of parts and materials to measure the cost of doing it myself with OEM parts, vs having it done elsewhere.

Also, am I allowed to post links in this thread in case I find a specific tool I might buy? I know links are a no-no on some sites.

Thanks for all the suggestions and such. You guys are awesome. Having a small amount of money to budget car repairs and a ghetto honeymoon with my fiance is a real pain in the a$$.

Edit: Nevermind, saw links on another thread. Would you guys advice against going with a kit like this: http://www.amazon.com/Timing-Belt-Ho...sim_sbs_auto_1