Took our 2011 Honda Pilot for its registration-required SMOG test. Passed. 125k miles on the odometer. It remains a good car to us all these years.

The were polite and busy! STAR SMOG CHECK CHECK CENTER 5402 Rosemead Blvd. San Gabriel.

Took the entire family and grandmother to Big Bear Lake recently.

Used our 2011 Honda Pilot to take everyone there. Was six passengers and luggage. Was the first "big trip" using the car fully loaded with passengers and luggage since doing the 100k mile valve lash adjustments and 100k mile timing belt kit replacement.

From the San Gabriel ( Read more... )

Noticed the plastic headlight lens covers were starting to look mildly cloudy / mildly dirty. Time to re-polish the lens covers for night time driving safety, and it kinda makes the car look "younger" too.

Used a shop rag and Novus #2 plastic polish.

For each lens cover, squeezed about 1/4 teaspoon or so, a small glop, into the shop rag.

( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement - PART 8
Reconnect frame electrical ground to motor mount

Reconnect the electrical ground wire to the motor mount. 10mm 1/2" bolt to the radiator-side threaded hole on the motor mount.
Reconnect electric bus bracket to top of elastomer motor mount

Reconnect stamped metal bracket to the top of the ( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement - PART 7
Do a painfully slow two crankshaft rotations

Connect a 19mm 6pt socket to the crankshaft bolt.

Do the below, one crankshaft tooth at-a-time, until two full crankshaft rotations are achieved successfully:

Advance the crankshaft, clockwise, one single crankshaft gear tooth ( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement - PART 6
Ordered replacement parts

During disassembly, discovered that some additional parts needed to be replaced

• passenger side motor mount
• air intake tube

Went to my local Kragen/O'Reilly auto parts store, and ordered aftermarket replacement parts.

Motor mount - B9411 - was about US$50 ( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement - PART 5

At this point, all of the stuff that "is in the way" for accessing the actual timing belt, and associated moving parts, should now be removed.
Remove the guide pulley

The guide pulley to remove is the one that is between the crankshaft and the radiator-side camshaft gear. It is 14mm. I used ( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement - PART 4
Secure timing belt tensioner

Remove the 10mm bolt that attaches the power-steering pressure hose bracket to the windshield-side valve cover. You'll have to move the hose out of the way, and secure it with elastic cords, to insert the battery hold-down bolt in the next steps. Also, with the ( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement - PART 2
Remove the serpentine belt

On the right side of the crank pulley bolt, at about the 2 o'clock position, is a 19mm nut, that is part of the serpentine belt tensioner assembly. Rotate that 19mm nut counter-clockwise to compress the tensioner cylinder. While compressed, the serpentine belt can be ( Read more... )

2011 Honda Pilot - timing belt replacement

Now that the valves have been adjusted, and the car passed its most recent California Emissions Test (SMOG test), I need to replace the timing belt.

I should have replaced it at 100k miles, but had to accept the Risk of waiting, due to Contagion, and finance constraints.

So, now I am researching ( Read more... )