Purchasing 73K EP3 Civic Type R with changed Timing Belt

[tomrunner]

Old lady decided to drive into my parked car late on new years eve and it is potentially a write off. So looking into buying a privately sold 2005 EP3 Civic Type R with 73000 miles on it with full service history. Servicing has been regular (every 6-7k with its current owner who has had it for 3 years). Servicing prior to that is every 10k all the way back until new. Timing belt was changed at 62000 miles about 6 months after he purchased it (so fairly early on during his ownership). Makes me think that the owner before the current owner might have given it a hard life potentially?

Either......

Go for it if servicing by current owner is genuine and is fine on test drive?

OR

Leave it and look for another?

I'm keen on this as it is what I think is a good price and is a Cosmic Grey facelift model which is what I want!

Cheers

[HorneyMX5]

Pretty sure these a chain driven not belt. My FN2 TypeR certainly was.

[anonymous-user]

tomrunner said:

. Makes me think that the owner before the current owner might have given it a hard life potentially?

a bit of a jump to conclusions, if you like it buy it.

[Baz2000]

As already said these were chain not belt driven.

[addz86]

HorneyMX5 said:

Pretty sure these a chain driven not belt. My FN2 TypeR certainly was.

Agreed, the K20 should be chain driven

[Martin_Hx]

EP3 is a chain and wont need replacing so i would have a deeper look into what has happened there.

If its been looked after and has history which is in good order, i wouldn't worry about mileage. Mine is just under that mileage (06 plate).

Edited by Martin_Hx on Tuesday 3rd January 17:14

[stargazer30]

tomrunner said:

Makes me think that the owner before the current owner might have given it a hard life potentially?

Its a K20. As long as the oil changes are regular and its warmed up you can rev the nuts of them all day every day and all you will do is burn petrol and a bit oil! This engine is known for it reliability and being generally bullet proof.

The ones to avoid are the ones with obvious signs of modification with no or patchy history.

[Baz2000]

I'm on the look out for a low millage, very good condition EP3 Premier edition and am finding it very difficult, I will admit I'm very picky but good examples have become hard to find.

[AyBee]

Worth looking into buying yours back? Unless it was a heavy "driven into", it's got to be repairable and at least you know it's history...?

[TooMany2cvs]

tomrunner said:

Old lady decided to drive into my parked car late on new years eve and it is potentially a write off. So looking into buying a privately sold 2005 EP3 Civic Type R with 73000 miles on it with full service history. Servicing has been regular (every 6-7k with its current owner who has had it for 3 years). Servicing prior to that is every 10k all the way back until new. Timing belt was changed at 62000 miles about 6 months after he purchased it (so fairly early on during his ownership). Makes me think that the owner before the current owner might have given it a hard life potentially?

It's an 11-12yo car, that the current owner's had 3yrs. So he replaced it at about 8yrs.

What's the time-based interval?

[Butter Face]

TooMany2cvs said:

tomrunner said:

Old lady decided to drive into my parked car late on new years eve and it is potentially a write off. So looking into buying a privately sold 2005 EP3 Civic Type R with 73000 miles on it with full service history. Servicing has been regular (every 6-7k with its current owner who has had it for 3 years). Servicing prior to that is every 10k all the way back until new. Timing belt was changed at 62000 miles about 6 months after he purchased it (so fairly early on during his ownership). Makes me think that the owner before the current owner might have given it a hard life potentially?

It's an 11-12yo car, that the current owner's had 3yrs. So he replaced it at about 8yrs.

What's the time-based interval?

Here isn't one. It's a chain.

It's been said above many times.

If they put a new chain on it's either because they're

A) Lying thinking it sounds better
B) very cautious
C) the car has something wrong with it.

Hard to make an assumption on the car without seeing it or knowing what why're asking for it?

[Slow]

Maybe the guy knows nothing and had a belt done but not timing?

[Butter Face]

Slow said:

Maybe the guy knows nothing and had a belt done but not timing?

Very possibly had the aux belt changed and they don't know the difference!

[MRobbins1987]

Some change the timing chain as a precautionary measure, so long as the history stacks up don't worry the engines are generally bulletproof. Check gearbox synchro's for chrunching and listen out for knocking from the steering rack.

[*Al*]

Butter Face said:

Slow said:

Maybe the guy knows nothing and had a belt done but not timing?

Very possibly had the aux belt changed and they don't know the difference!

Almost certainly this! Have they got the receipt?

[Paul671]

If it was only changed as a precaution then great.

K20's have a common (ish) issue with the chain/chain tensioner, as they get towards 100k it can be a good idea to change them, they get noisey and the slack can destroy the chain guides (throwing bit's of plastic into your engine).

It happened to my old EP3 before I purchased it, the chain/tensioner was changed at Honda, but they neglected to fish the broken bits of the old tensioner out.

[tomrunner]

This is a copy of the servicing book that the owner has sent me. This is what was replaced

[aka_kerrly]

There are plenty of K20s that have required new chains and tensioners and a small number that have been destroyed as a result of the chain failing.

It's a relatively expensive job so buying a car with documented proof that it has been changed in my opinion should be perceived as a good thing.

[DaveH23]

tomrunner said:

Makes me think that the owner before the current owner might have given it a hard life potentially?

Makes me think preventative maintenance.

I also believe stamps in a book mean absolutely no work has been done without the corresponding invoice.

[fivepointnine]

just remember...an EP3 CTR will have lived a tough life (with the exception one or two babied cars). Just the nature of the beast. I had a pre-facelift EP3 with 166k miles on it, still ran great. Actually the engine and transmission is still going strong, it was swapped into an older civic shell by the guy that bought it off me. Timing chain tensioners are a weak spot and you will find that a lot of K20's have had the timing chain and tensioner changed when they get north of 100k miles and become noisy. I think the one in my car had been changed at like 125k miles.