hey all,

I'm closing in on the timing belt change according to my 2009 v6 outie manual (168,000km I think).

Since the warranty is up at 160,000km, do you guys get it done at the dealer?

I know the dealer would cost more, but I just don't want to deal with problems down the road if my local mechanic messes it up.

Thoughts on this?

Anyone already price out the cost at a mitsu dealership vs local mechanic? Do other things get replaced while they are doing the belt BESIDES the spark plugs?

Thanks,
Dave

 

if you trust your mechanic, do it there. I've done this myself and it is quite a job...but I'm also a weekend warrior with a service manual and a father with a lift (doesn't help much with this job though). Worst piece of it was removing a motor mount and I think the crankshaft pulley.

I recommend replacing your two accessory belts while you are at it...you have to remove them anyway...might as well put new ones back on. I didn't, but might also be a good idea to replace the tensioner as well.

Be happy to know you have a non-interference engine in your '09...so if for whatever reason your belt does break down the road, you do not blow your engine up. yay!

I know you said "besides spark plugs"...but honestly, do them at the same time. you are already ripping into the engine bay pretty heavily, and plugs rips into the top side. Replacing them does provide a noticeable difference. Felt like new again.

40k more miles to go and I get to do it all over again. :/

 

I only said that about the spark plugs because they were replaced about 10,000km ago when we were trying to track down a p0300 code.

I have no idea if I trust my mechanic that much as I've only been taking the car to him for regular stuff.


Just an aside.....I think I posted a while back that I was getting that stupid p0300 code and sometimes the engine would just SHUDDER and make one hell of a weird noise on startup. Hasn't done it for a while. However, this winter we are getting absolutely awful gas mileage (worse than ever before.....) Could those hard starts that threw the code messed up something (o2 sensor, etc.)?

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Dave

 

I just had the belt in my '07 changed by a dealer in January, and the quoted cost was $450. Minus a 10% coupon I had, the job was just over $400. (Just the belt was replaced. Idler and water pump were fine.) Given the pain that it is to change the timing belt in these, I was more than happy to let someone else do it for a reasonable price!