Hey all,
My 2009 outlander v6 has 167,000km nt and is needing the timing belt replaced.

Should I get anything else done with this like the water pump and the timing belt tensioner? I wonder if the dealer service automatically includes more than just the physical belt replacement?
Any suggestions?
Just looking to get some info before calling around.... I'm not in a big city and I'm thinking taking it to the dealer would be safer than trying a local mechanic.
Thanks
Dave

 

Your manual should tell you what should be done at the same time - I know the water pump, etc, are usually done at the same time, but not sure if the dealer would "include" thoes.
I would certainly shop around - as it's a big expense. I also would check (local) dealerships for special offers. For example, I just saw an offer at a local Mitsubishi dealership which does the whole job (water pump, etc included) for $750 (discounted.)
So, definitely nose around a little - you might find a special close enough to you. Local mechanics will also usually be cheaper - and usually if you have been fairly faithful, they cna also sometimes negotiate a lower price on such a big job.
Good luck!

 

Would have to agree with The Silent Seed..shop around. It's pretty standard practice to do the water pump and tensioners at the same time as those components are accesible during the belt replacement. If you are planning on keeeping your Outlander then I would do the whole job at one go...just my opinion. It would be a shame if the water pump goes soon after you've done the belt//same with tensioners.


If you have a mechanic you trust..he could order the O/E parts and save you some money on the labour that the Dealers overcharge for. Best of Luck..let us know how it goes. Cheers!

 

That's the whole issue..I don't have a trusted mechanic. It's either a shot in the dark or the dealership.
So it sounds like the consensus is the timing belt, timing belt tensioners, and water pump should be replaced. Stupid question but is it just the water pump or are there other accesories for that as well?

What about the drive belt? I don't think it has ever been replaced

Thanks

 

Go by local reviews for a local mechanic - doesn't hurt to start a relationship with one - you won't know, until you get on the ground and talk to some of them.
Is this, then, your first car?

 

No...we moved a few years ago and landed in a rural setting. I was going to this one mechanic, but recently things have developed and I'm probably not going back. Stuff like trying to fix things that aren't broken, etc....I'm certainly not a mechanic, but I'm not a total noob either.

We are an hour from the city where the dealerships are.

If the dealership does it and something breaks, they are technically responsible for up to a certain time frame correct?

 

Well - you have a bunch of good recommendations above. Good luck.

 

I admit that at a dealership you're more likely to get a mechanic who knows what he's doing, but that does not mean that the job is going to be done correctly, by a competent person, the first time at the dealership.

I once took a '92 Honda Accord to a local Honda dealership for an alignment on a Friday before a long, Monday-holiday weekend. In short, the "technician" screwed up by screwing-out an inner tie rod end; would not put it back together by re-using a spring washer which certainly could be re-used; could not get a replacement part until the following Tuesday; and would not give us a loaner car for the weekend. To add insult to injury, the dealership refused to release our car unless we paid for the failed alignment.

So we forked out and my wife and I ended up getting the car towed home from the dealership by AMA. I had the vehicle up and running in under an hour. While doing the job, I noticed that the tech also failed to re-install four plastic wheel-cover retainers.

I immediately drove our vehicle back to the dealership and told the sevice rep. about the missing retainers. He said that the tech. had noticed that the vehicle did not have all the retainers when he took the wheel off the vehicle, which was a bald-faced lie.

I then went into the showroom in order to look at the mandatory-displayed ownership plaque. There were three owners and I noted their names and addresses. I wrote a long, registered letter to each owner that explained in great detail what had happened and that we would be taking every measure possible to get reimbursed and the plastic retainers returned.

Within one week we received a letter from the local service manager that stated that although the dealership did not admit fault, enclosed was a cheque for the cost of the alignment, and that if we went to the service dept., 6 plastic retainers would be given to us.

I went to the dealership and met up with the service rep. who had told us that the part could not be re-used; there was no loaner; etc. As soon as he saw me approaching, his smile turned into a stone-face. Obviously, he had already been informed by the service manager of the results of my effort to get satisfaction. Without my saying a word, he immediately told me to go to the parts counter and I would be given the retainers. That I did. I left the place and never returned for any reason.

The above is what can, and often does, happen at these wonderful stealerships. The one advantage the customer has is that if the job that their "technician" has done is obviously incompetent, and you and they notice it, generally they will correct the problem. However, if it's a big, expensive screw-up, as is very possible on a timing-belt, etc., change, there is a good chance that they'll try to blame their mistake on a "pre-existing condition" in the engine, or blame it on your lack of fulfilling all of the recommendations in the maintenance manual.

In short, watch those f..kers like a hawk and expect the worst. Many, but not all, are lower than whale feces.

 

I have a best friend that's a service manager at a Nissan dealership. They generally hand out typical maintenance jobs like oil changes and alignments to low level techs, which are generally not very skilled or fresh out of automotive school. If they prove themselves, then they get harder and harder jobs. Unfortunately your alignment was most likely done by the most bottom barrel tech. Jobs like oil changes and alignments should just be done at a normal shop(but with modern laser alignment equipment) which usually charges less money.

For things like timing belts, it could go either way. The mitsubishi dealership will have all the specialized OEM tools to do the job, while other shops will have universal tools which may or may not work right. For the outlander, there are 2 specialized tools called for in the procedure. I think it was a oem crank socket and an oem holding tool to prevent it from spinning. But most shops can still do this job with universal tools. I think in this particular case, you don't need to go to the dealership. But generally, dealerships will use a mid level or high level tech for this kind of job. The added benefit is they've done this same exact job on the same exact vehicle and engine numerous times, so they'll be quicker and better at it.

Another benefit of dealerships is direct access to oem engineers, literature, and oem diagnostic tools to troubleshoot a complicated problem a normal shop might take a while to figure out. So for complex problems, might be best to take it to a dealership who has more resources, and can better diagnose complex gremlins. They usually put their best techs on this problem.

 

Thanks for the comments!

It's not like I don't have a relationship with the dealer...I have taken it there before and actually am generally pleased with everything they have done. I actually trust one of the mechanics there. unlike many stories I have read about mitsubishi, these guys have been quite helpful and understanding, and above all, fair.

I just know it's an expensive job and a fairly big job. If I do take it to the dealer, and something does happen (i.e break, etc) at least I have a bit of rapport with them rather than a completely new independant mechanic....

I did call the dealer and they said they usually don't replace the tensioner or pump unless there is obvious signs it needs replacing.

What would be a good ballpark in Canada for the 168,000km service with a new water pump and tensioner? Anyone have a clue?

Thanks!