I just hit the 90,000 mile mark on my 2002 Protege 5 and am thinking it might be time to replace the timing belt (seems like Mazda recommends replacement at 60,000).
How can I tell if it needs replacing? And how much should this cost? I'm afraid mechanics will see me as a sucker coming from a mile away.
Looks like the belt itself isn't that expensive but the the tensioner (?) and the idler (?) are with an entire replacement kit running around $200. Do I need the whole kit? Do I need a new idler and tensioner along with the belt?

Thanks for the assistance.....I sure do need it.

 

....this is you....you are lucky, lucky, lucky.... well, it does matter how many miles you have on your car..... I STRONGLY suggest that you take your car to a certified mechanic ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the car has no oil leaks in the timing belt compartment, it will last until it"dies"........

The current costs for the parts will definatley offset you havinbg to repair the cylinder head on your car.... the Protege has an interference engine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-interference_engine) .....

Let me give you a parts lists....

Timing belt ($45-60)
Idler ($150 OEM, 45 Jap)
Tensioner ($200 OEM, 65 Jap)
Two camshaft oil seals ($8 OEM)
One crakshaft oil seal (oil pump seal) -- ($8-10 OEM)
Valve cover gasket set (the mechanic has to take it out to do the job...) ($35-45 OEM)
Alternator Belt ($10-18)
A/C Belt ($10-18)

These puppies if you buy original Mazda equipment may run you in the upper $350, just for the parts. I'm going to give you an in-sigth..... Buy the timing belt, oil seals and the gasket set original from Mazda. The idler and the tensioner (the most expensive part of the job, you will probably save 175$ by doing this) get them as JAPANESE made replacents --- they are the same exact parts, just in a box that does not say MAZDA....

The labor should run in or about the same amount of money as the parts (the book says around 8 hours @ about 75-95 $/Hrs)

Enjoy your car for 90K more............$700 is better than $1200-1300 for the cilinder head replacement!!!

 

Hmmm...that does sound expensive. I've been looking online and I've found a lot of products for timing belts, tensioners and idlers by Gates and Dayco. How are they? Reliable?

 

I found a place online to get a Dayco Kit for $107....how does this sound?

DAYCO TIMING COMPONENT KIT -- Timing Component Kit, Designed To Provide The Convenience Of An Application Specific, Matched Set Of Tensioners And Idler Pulleys In A Single Package, Guaranteed To Fit And Meet The Specifications Of The Original Equipment Parts Being Replaced, In Addition, Each Tensioner And Idler Pulley Contained Within The Kit Is Individually Packaged In Plastic Bags So That The Parts Can Be Identified And Compared To The Original Without Compromising The Integrity Of The Kit

 

they are OK. Just remember to include the oil seals and the valve cover gasket, plus the alternator and A/C belts. Here are a couple of mazda sites:

http://www.mazda-parts.com/
http://www.mazdastuff.com/directory.cfm?CategoryID=193
http://mazda3online.web.aplus.net/pr...roducts_id=681
http://trussville.buymazdaparts.com/...mp;showall=yes

I have used three of the 4 that I posted here without any problems....

I have suggested the OEMparts, becuase that's what I use when I work on cars, specifically on the timing belt side..... Sure you can get quality replacement parts anyware, but at least make sure that the idler and the tensioner are good quality JAPANESE made replacement. If you get taiwan stuff, you will not like the problmes after a while........ they do not fit like they are supposed to..... I'm new to this forum, but I have worked with cars for over 15 years... my specialty while I was in the shop was timing belts of any kind.....

Hope that you get your car fixed before something catastrofic happens to it....

 

hey, did you "fix" your car already??????????

 

Going to do this fix soon!

 

might want to replace the water pump while you are in there. and by the way, our engines are not an interference engine.