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Would a good mechanic be able to tell how long it has been since the cam belt has been changed on a 2000 Honda Accord LXi? The car was bought second hand 18 months ago and I do not have a service record of work carried out.

Mike

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 23 April 2010

Unless these is a sticker around the engine bay stating the date and mileage a new belt was replaced then a mechanic is only going to guess which isn't good enough as there is too much at stake.

What is worth doing however is contacting any Honda dealer (service department) and provide them with the vehicles registration number. All Honda outlets run an identical computer system so if the car has had any work done in the past (anywhere in NZ) it will show on their records.

Failing that get the belt replaced. The Accord runs a separate balancer shaft belt in addition to the cam belt so don't be surprised if you are told that needs to replaced as well as the water pump (driven by the cam belt).

It can become an expensive job but left unattended the damage a broken belt can cause is even more costly.

Let's hope the Honda records give you the right answer.