[FormerFordGuy]

Just bought the wife an 08 Steel Blue Metallic EX-L to replace her Forester. It has 162K on it but was single owner, very clean, and bought originally about an hour from me and serviced religiously at the dealer it was purchased from (about 40 times over 13 years) so says the carfax. The owners.honda site only shows maybe 20 visits so I’m not sure how good this dealer is at uploading information.

Neither the carfax or owners.honda site says timing belt was done, many of the carfax details just say “recommended service performed” I tried calling the dealer to ask for service history but they are very busy, or short-handed. So I think I may schedule an appointment to have it looked over and hopefully get a better picture of the car’s past.

I removed one of the timing belt inspection covers, pulled the fuel pump relay(that’s a pain) and had the wife bump it over until I could find marking. There is a very clear green “Honda” on it as well as a less clear string of numbers (I should have taken pictures, didn’t think of it until the cover was back on) The string of numbers looked like maybe a manufacturing code and may have had a date of “16” as in 2016. My first question is has anyone pulled a high mile belt that was still clearly marked? My logic is if the belt was original I don’t think the markings would still be visible. I planned to do the belt on whatever Pilot we got but would prefer to hold off a few months while I gather the parts to do it all (plugs, mounts, radiator, trans cooler, crossover pipe and o rings(while the coolant is drained)valve adjustment, etc.)

Secondly I found a coolant leak I’m going to have the car lot I bought it from deal with. I’ve attached a picture

 

[Nail Grease]

If the T belt had 162k miles on it, I highly doubt you would be able to read any markings on it. The belt would appear rippled and thin. But don't give up searching for when it was done based on what I've said here.

 

[andywatson]

I just pulled a timing belt off my 04 that was changed in 2013 at a dealer using a genuine Honda belt, but there's nothing in the printed numbers on it to indicate a date code, only a part number.

 

[FormerFordGuy]

I just looked up the Tbelt part number, doesn’t currently end in 16.. not to say it hasn’t been superseded and the belt 13 years ago did end in 16.. wish I took a picture. Gonna get the leaks I found fixed and then take it an hour north to its old home to investigate further.

Anybody else want to weigh in on the likelihood of a 162k mile belt having clearly legible markings. I’ve seen them on Subarus so thin that the ribs were visible from the backside of the belt.. it did not have this appearance either. I’ve had a lot of Subarus and usually have used the Tbelt maintenance as a good bargaining point. This is my first Honda but the wife and I are already quite smitten with it.