Hi all,

I have a couple of questions (one of them is quite general, the other might count as model specific, apologies if this is in the wrong section) regarding timing chains.

The potentially model specific question is:
According to Honda Service, my 2003 Cl9 accord euro has a failed timing chain that needs replacing. This happened while driving one day, and I attempted to restart the engine a couple of times not knowing what the issue was, before getting the car towed. My understanding is that on Honda engines there is the potential for damage to the valves when the timing chain fails, but does anyone know how likely this is? I.e. is it more likely to have sustained damage than not?

The general question is
Is timing chain failure something that could have been predicted by the mechanics at Honda? The car has had every single service in its 230k history done at the same Honda Service Centre (every 6 months), and was serviced only 4 weeks ago (costing $400, of which $300 was labour). Should they have detected problems with the timing chain then, or at a previous service? My issue is that while I have no problem replacing the chain (because these failures do happen), I will be extremely angry if there is damage to the engine that could have been prevented if the servicing had been done properly - particularly given how much I am paying for each service these days.

Cheers,

A