Hello, I'm new to the forum and am having major problems with my Pathfinder. 2 nights ago my timing belt broke while I was getting on the interstate. I had the pathfinder towed to the Nissan dealership and went up there the next morning to see if they could fix it. They told me that since the timing belt broke they would have to replace it, the tensioner, and the water pump. They said it was going to cost me $1000. I can get all the parts for it for about $150 dollars and they say it will take 5 hours to replace it at $79 an hour for service. Here are my questions. Do I really need to replace all of that stuff? I can understand the belt of course, and even the tensioner, but why the water pump? And why, if I can get the parts for to them is it going to cost me almost $800 for 5 hours of labor when they only charge $79 an hour? That's only $395. Thank you in advance for all of your help.

The easy question, Do you REALLY need to replace all those parts.

In a one word answer, NO. But you would be a complete FOOL not to. The water pump should always be replaced when a timing belt change/fix is done (when applicable) as cheap insurance. It'd be a world of suck if you paid a minimum of a few hundred bucks to change the timing belt just to have the water pump start pissing 5k miles later and have to pay the same price for a mechanic to go back into the exact same area.

On the hard question about the price. To me $1000 is way too much. But the service writer is "hiding" more charges in there. Figure $150 for the primary parts, $395 for the 5 hrs labor, then you toss in "incidentals". They have to charge for the 2 gallons of coolant they are replacing. Maybe there is a full coolant flush in there. Maybe a new radiator cap, who knows with out more info.

From your description they are probably doubling up on the time. The timing belt is one job, the water pump is another billable job. So maybe he said it would take 5 hours(the billable hours for the belt and the ACTUAL hours the job will take) but they are charging you 10 total because the pump is also a 5 hr job.

Well the father in law had it towed back to the house while I was gone and had it torn apart when I got home. The belt was broken but it wasn't destroyed so we're not sure what exactly happened to it. The dealership said that when the timing belt breaks it can bend the valves so when he puts it back together we're going to start it up and see if the valves are bent. He said if they were that it would be better just to buy a used motor and put it in there than replace the valves and everything. Not sure I agree with all of this process so far but I guess I'm just along for the ride.

cochran191 wrote:.....when he puts it back together we're going to start it up and see if the valves are bent.

I guess that's one way to do it. lol. I usually check a less intrusive way but you'll find out quick enough.

I can't confirm whether or not your engine is an interference one or not but bent valves are possible in certain engines with belt breaks.

What do you mean "broken but not destroyed"? If it lost any teeth or stretched it can jump sprags on the gear and that's not healthy.

It just snapped in half, it wasn't stripped and cracked, if we hadn't had the car since 99 then I would have thought it was new.

Ahh, I got you. Stretched and snapped. How many miles on that thing?

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