Hi,

Thanks for all your replies.

I bought the car at 87K. the previous owner had all the bills except
the belts' one.
You guys are right, its better to get it changed now rather than seeing
it dead later and pay a heavier price (much heavier).

I enquired at the local Honda Dealer with good reputation. They are
charging 700 dollars for the stuff which includes water pump and couple
of other things.

My car is fine except its milleage has gone down I guess. My driving is
very less (60 miles a week) in normal city/town conditions. I think its
giving me around 25-27 mpg.

I don't know what it is related to...may be oil filter??
I will get that done too.

Thanks.

Elle wrote:
> "Pankaj" <sharmapankaj@gmail.com> wrote
> > Sorry if this question is asked thousands of times.
> > I will make it as simple as possible.
> > I have 99 Civic EX and it has done 95K.
> > I purchased it from a lady who wasn't sure about timing
> > belt was
> > changed .she said she got some belts changed. She didn't
> > know much
> > about the CAR and service. I got it checked before buying
> > and the
> > mechanic told me that he cannot check the state of TB.
> > There is a lot
> > of work involved. My questions:
> >
> > 1) Can I get it(TB) checked?
>
> No, it's impossible to tell much by just looking at a timing
> belt.
>
> For "normal driving," the timing belt for the 99 Civic is
> due for replacement at 105k miles or seven years, whichever
> comes first. Unless the former owner was a pushover, then it
> seems more likely that the belt has not yet been changed.
>
> This interval is listed in the owner's manual linked via
> http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id9.html .
>
> Do you have an owner's manual? Start using the free online
> one linked above to identify what maintenance should be done
> on your car. Lurk here, too, to learn important details
> about maintenance! :-)
>
> At what mileage did you buy this car?
>
> > If yes then how much it would cost me? I
> > guess a lot.
> > 2) What is the cost involved in changing of TB (without
> > pumps and with
> > pumps) and other things which usually go with TB change?
>
> Based on recent reports here, $500 to $700 seems to be the
> going rate, with independent shops generally charging less.
> This should include a new water pump and possibly also a
> balance shaft belt for your Civic. I recommend doing the
> water pump, too, for peace of mind. It's about $50 of the
> price, and the labor for the belt and pump overlap
> significantly.
>
> > 3) I am in east coast near DC. Any suggestions who should
> > be the best
> > for this job. I know dealers are good but the expenses at
> > their shops
> > are very high.
>
> An independent import shop might do just as good a job as
> the dealer, but it's more likely the dealer will do this job
> 100% correctly. For at TB replacement, you pay more at the
> dealer, but arguably you do get more.
>
> You could ask the original owner if she ever had a bill
> upwards of say $350 or so for "belts." If so, this would
> most likely be a timing belt.
>
> If you really can't be sure of whether the belt has been
> changed, then have it changed as soon as possible. Your
> Honda's engine can be seriously damaged if the belt fails,
> to the tune of a few thousand dollars or a total loss. We do
> get reports of timing belts failing here.
>
> Other tips for keeping your Honda running optimally appear
> at:
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id9.html