[ezrez]

New to me Pilot and I’m having the noise in the link below at start up. It’s pretty cold out here right now. The noise gets much better once the engine warms up. Does this sound like the timing belt tensioner?

According to the previous owner the belt and all the relatd parts were replaced just over 20k miles ago.



Cold start engine noise

 

[BYUFAN]

Yes that sounds just like a failed tensioner. I wouldn't run the engine until it's changed.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[briantii]

New to me Pilot and I’m having the noise in the link below at start up. It’s pretty cold out here right now. The noise gets much better once the engine warms up. Does this sound like the timing belt tensioner?

According to the previous owner the belt and all the relatd parts were replaced just over 20k miles ago.



Cold start engine noise

Unfortunately when sub-standard parts are used this can be very common. Unless you KNOW what parts all went into it I'd be tempted to just redo the whole job. Ideally you want the Aisin kit OR genuine Honda OEM from the dealer. DO NOT buy Timing Belt components from eBay, Amazon, or anywhere you cannot 100% trust where they are coming from. These parts are FREQUENTLY counterfeited and they will break and destroy your engine. Yours might have counterfeit parts now which is why the suggestion is to replace them all since you don't KNOW.

Additionally the suggestion to NOT drive it is a very good one. In fact I'd call a tow truck and have it towed to whomever is going to do the timing belt job. If the belt jumps time / comes apart (which it very well could right now) then you will need a LOT of $$$ in engine work. Much better to pay $100 bux for a tow.

RockAuto is a safe and trusted source for the Aisin kit, unfortunately it tends to be out of stock a lot lately...

More Information for AISIN TKH002

 

[Alc50]

Unfortunately when sub-standard parts are used this can be very common. Unless you KNOW what parts all went into it I'd be tempted to just redo the whole job. Ideally you want the Aisin kit OR genuine Honda OEM from the dealer. DO NOT buy Timing Belt components from eBay, Amazon, or anywhere you cannot 100% trust where they are coming from. These parts are FREQUENTLY counterfeited and they will break and destroy your engine. Yours might have counterfeit parts now which is why the suggestion is to replace them all since you don't KNOW.

Additionally the suggestion to NOT drive it is a very good one. In fact I'd call a tow truck and have it towed to whomever is going to do the timing belt job. If the belt jumps time / comes apart (which it very well could right now) then you will need a LOT of $$$ in engine work. Much better to pay $100 bux for a tow.

RockAuto is a safe and trusted source for the Aisin kit, unfortunately it tends to be out of stock a lot lately...

More Information for AISIN TKH002

Also from Amazon, but ONLY from the Aisin store.

 

[AVC]

Yeah, even with Honda parts and the work done at a Honda dealer, no guarantee of reliability. My '12 has two years and 35k mi on the TB job and I hear a similar but less pronounced "puttering" noise at idle, coming from middle front of block. And no, it isn't the accessory serpentine. Will have to muster desire to pull covers to inspect.

 

[briantii]

Yeah, even with Honda parts and the work done at a Honda dealer, no guarantee of reliability. My '12 has two years and 35k mi on the TB job and I hear a similar but less pronounced "puttering" noise at idle, coming from middle front of block. And no, it isn't the accessory serpentine. Will have to muster desire to pull covers to inspect.

I think it’s something to do with the angles or pressure put on these tensioners. Even the OEM ones frequently leak early on. What’s odd is the design is almost identical to the 2jz tensioner but they NEVER go bad. I’ve reused them and never seen a problem nor read anyone with an issue online…. Yet with the J35 it’s pretty common.

 

[undivide]

I took off the upper covers entirely and watched my engine idle at a cold start and could see the belt flapping around.
lucky for us rock auto has the honda tensioner for a generous $173.79

the only other kits I might consider besides the aisin are the dayco OR the continental

 

[dr bob]

Dayco has moved way down my belt supplier list after a couple bad experiences with belts reported from owners of some other cars. The belts seemed to continue to stretch after initial run-in, these on engines that cost more than a whole Pilot. On those cars the go-to is Gates at least on the belts. Gates is supplying the factory replacements and offer the same belt through their normal distribution channels. No opinion on either Dayco or Gates for tensioner replacements.

 

[ezrez]

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll be taking it to the shop to have everything looked at.

Is there a possibility that it’s the drive belt tensioner?

 

[BYUFAN]

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll be taking it to the shop to have everything looked at.

Is there a possibility that it’s the drive belt tensioner?

Not likely at all. You can see that one easily without taking any covers off. They also don't sound like that when they go bad.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Tacoma'03Pilot]

Yes that sounds just like a failed tensioner. I wouldn't run the engine until it's changed.

@BYUFAN ...

What's unique about this rattle that tells you tensioner?

Trying to add to my troubleshooting toolkit. Appreciate any education.

 

[BYUFAN]

@BYUFAN ...

What's unique about this rattle that tells you tensioner?

Trying to add to my troubleshooting toolkit. Appreciate any education.

It's experience. I've been through it. You can also youtube "Honda pilot tensioner noise" or rattle and you'll hear the sound you are hearing. You can also remove the accessory belt and start the engine to be 100% sure it's not that belt.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[undivide]

it almost sounds like valve train noise except it's isolated to the timing side of the engine. the best is when your brain can listen to the sound while watching the belt flap, 1 and 1 makes 2

 

[Piloteer359]

New to me Pilot and I’m having the noise in the link below at start up. It’s pretty cold out here right now. The noise gets much better once the engine warms up. Does this sound like the timing belt tensioner?

According to the previous owner the belt and all the relatd parts were replaced just over 20k miles ago.



Cold start engine noise

I had the same thing and it was the tensioner

Unfortunately when sub-standard parts are used this can be very common. Unless you KNOW what parts all went into it I'd be tempted to just redo the whole job. Ideally you want the Aisin kit OR genuine Honda OEM from the dealer. DO NOT buy Timing Belt components from eBay, Amazon, or anywhere you cannot 100% trust where they are coming from. These parts are FREQUENTLY counterfeited and they will break and destroy your engine. Yours might have counterfeit parts now which is why the suggestion is to replace them all since you don't KNOW.

Additionally the suggestion to NOT drive it is a very good one. In fact I'd call a tow truck and have it towed to whomever is going to do the timing belt job. If the belt jumps time / comes apart (which it very well could right now) then you will need a LOT of $$$ in engine work. Much better to pay $100 bux for a tow.

RockAuto is a safe and trusted source for the Aisin kit, unfortunately it tends to be out of stock a lot lately...

More Information for AISIN TKH002

I would buy only OEM for timing components.
You can get them wholesale at alldiscountparts.com (Fisher Honda's discount site in Boulder Colorado) you can pick up locally and avoid shipping costs if your in the area. Just trying to spread the word and save everyone some cash and get quality parts.

 

[briantii]

I would buy only OEM for timing components.
You can get them wholesale at alldiscountparts.com (Fisher Honda's discount site in Boulder Colorado) you can pick up locally and avoid shipping costs if your in the area. Just trying to spread the word and save everyone some cash and get quality parts.

Generally I agree, but Aisin makes a ton of Honda / Toyota OEM components and the parts they didn’t make they sourced from other top quality manufacturers. In short Aisin IS OEM quality and half the parts in that kit are exactly the same parts that Honda sells and the ones that aren’t are no less quality. Side note, my original Honda tensioner (we bought it new) was leaking at 7.5 years in service and 65k miles, garage kept, and generally babied. Sadly that’s not uncommon.

 

[RAL]

Generally I agree, but Aisin makes a ton of Honda / Toyota OEM components and the parts they didn’t make they sourced from other top quality manufacturers. In short Aisin IS OEM quality and half the parts in that kit are exactly the same parts that Honda sells and the ones that aren’t are no less quality. Side note, my original Honda tensioner (we bought it new) was leaking at 7.5 years in service and 65k miles, garage kept, and generally babied. Sadly that’s not uncommon.

I don't dislike Aisin but what are you saving over the age and mileage of the average timing belt that you would want to take any chance on the parts, particularly a timing belt or tensioner on an interference engine? I don't understand the cost/benefit there.

To me the issue is not Aisin per se, but there is so much counterfeit junk out there, and I have experienced it and been burnt by it, that I would not take the chance anymore really with any brand of car or truck that I own.

 

[briantii]

I don't dislike Aisin but what are you saving over the age and mileage of the average timing belt that you would want to take any chance on the parts, particularly a timing belt or tensioner on an interference engine? I don't understand the cost/benefit there.

To me the issue is not Aisin per se, but there is so much counterfeit junk out there, and I have experienced it and been burnt by it, that I would not take the chance anymore really with any brand of car or truck that I own.

I agree with your points, however there are a lot of OEM fakes out there too - arguably more so than with Aisin. Aisin is good OEM quality stuff. If Honda hadn't lost their minds on pricing I'd be happy to buy the parts from my Honda dealer, but frankly their pricing is just insane. Worse than BMW, Audi, or Lexus. So I won't pay their prices. I can get the entire kit from Aisin for the price of just the TENSIONER alone from Honda - even the "discount" online dealers. My local dealer charges OVER MSRP for parts and then makes you jump through hoops to get the parts since they got rid of the parts counter - you got to know a guy who knows a guy and then wait after you paid your king's ransom.

The Honda OEM tensioner isn't special - in fact it had the same exact casting marks as the Aisin one in the kit. I'm about 99% sure Aisin makes the tensioner for Honda.

The belt used in the Aisin kit? It's a mitsoboshi belt - they're a Japanese company that's been making belts for something like 100 years with a great reputation. Unitta (the Honda OEM part) was actually tsb'd / recalled for a bunch of defective belts for our engines a few years back. They made it into new Pilots even. I don't worry with a quality belt from Mitsoboshi.

The tensioner and idler bearings? They're both Koyo. Same exact as the OEM parts from Honda. Same bearing manufacture, same casting, same everything. Only difference is the bag doesn't say "Honda".

The water pump? It's an Aisin water pump. It's not a Yamada or whatever like Honda uses now (Honda used to use Aisin). Guess who else Aisin makes water pumps for? Toyota. You think Toyota uses Aisin because they're cheap junk? Nope - they use them cause they're one of the best water pump manufactures out there if not THE best. I've personally run Aisin pumps for two timing belt changes (just reused it on my Lexus) and I've never seen one leak or show any signs of wear. So I have no worries there.

Like I said - I wouldn't run a Gates or whatever timing belt kit but Aisin I have no concerns with. If Honda wants to sell me parts they should act like it.

 

[RAL]

I have driven and raced BMWs and Mercedes in various venues and I have never found the parts on any German car to be more expensive than Honda. You must have one heck of a poor dealer. I buy those parts from a dealer too, because we have lost tons of track time when supposedly original part equivalents failed after only a few hours of use.

There is nothing magical about Honda parts but if a dealer installs a Honda original timing belt kit and something goes horribly wrong with the parts, they are on the hook. Given that a timing belt and tensioner is done at a 90-100k mile interval or 6-7 years if based on time, I still don’t see the cost benefitunless you are being charged a ludicrous price. Then just go find another dealer.

 

[briantii]

Best price I've seen for the Honda parts is $511 from hondaautomotiveparts.com.

Rock Auto sells the Aisin kit for $192.

MSRP from Honda is $750.


As a DIY'er who also sees how Honda / Acura is "supporting" its customers with new cars under warranty I have zero confidence that if I had a problem using OEM parts that Honda would do anything beyond "wow, sorry about that, have a nice day" regarding my now trashed engine. So I personally see no value there. Further, at $192 for the Aisin kit, I see zero decrease in the quality of parts - for the most part I see the same parts just without the Honda name on them. Ultimately if you see value in paying 266% more (best case) for what essentially are the same parts doing the same thing then that's your right. I certainly do not see the value in "Honda OEM" when they price them as they do and when there are absolutely legitimate OEM quality equivalents for way less.

In the BMW world I can buy a Valeo Alternator for $350 or I can buy a Valeo Alternator with a BMW sticker on it for $600. Why would I pay that much more for a sticker? I would NOT endorse putting low quality parts on any car, but when you have legit Denso / Aisin / Bosch / Koyo parts that not only meet the spec, but in some cases are exactly the same part... why bother? My Aisin water pump for my Lexus was exactly the same as the one bought from Toyota - only difference the aluminum casting where it said "Toyota" had been ground off to destroy the Toyota branding on the Aisin one.

 

[freerj]

I experienced a similar noise on my '11 Pilot about 4 months after doing a timing belt swap from a $100 eBay kit. Parts all looked fine and matched up well... but 4 months later my wife comes in and says "the car's making a funny noise". Backed it in, parked it, pulled the top timing belt covers... Belt was way loose. It wasn't clear to me what exactly the root cause was... bad belt that stretched, tensioner, etc. The tensioner was fully extended, but the belt was just no longer tight. Long story short - I went to NAPA and got an Aisin kit. Swapped it in in an afternoon, and has been running great for years since.

The noise is definitely the tensioner slapping around in my opinion. Sounded just like mine.