Friday, April 1, 2011

Why is Timing Belt Replacement So Important?

If you've ever worked with us - or any other highly accredited repair shop, for that matter - before, you probably have been asked at your car's first visit when the last time its timing belt was changed. Auto technicians who emphasize preventive car maintenance pay special attention to timing belt maintenance, and for good reason. Imagine the following scenario...

Your six-year-old vehicle is starting to show a bit of wear and tear, but everything mechanical still works fine, so maintenance gets pushed to the back burner. Until it doesn't. Specifically, the engine suddenly goes dead silent one fine day, and you find that your vehicles timing belt failed!

Due to the damage the broken timing belt has caused, not only do you have to pay for the tow and the belt replacement, but also a costly valve job, because there's no compression on two cylinders. You're one of the unfortunate car owners with an "interference engine" -- an engine that can leave one or more valves still propped open far enough to contact a piston when the belt parts. Sadly, car sales brochures don't list whether or not an engine might suffer catastrophic damage if the belt goes.


In most cases, this bit of unpleasantness could have been prevented with timely maintenance. It's best to replace the timing belt according to your vehicle manufacturer's recommended schedule. Some rarer engines -- like those in more expensive models -- still use timing chains, rather than belts, like they did back in the day before the popularity of overhead camshafts. Unlike belts, timing chains usually don't have a routine replacement interval, but for most car owners, regular timing belt replacement is critical.

The timing belt (or chain) is the sole component that keeps the camshaft (make that camshafts on a DOHC or V-type OHC engine) and crankshaft in sync. So replacing this cogged reinforced-rubber belt at regular intervals -- generally every 60,000 miles unless the car manufacturer specifies longer -- is a lot less expensive and aggravating than having it break first. To find out what your car's maintenance schedule is, consult with us here at Cars for Keeps or read the owner's manual.

17 comments:

Air Coupler said...

Hi,

Belt replacement regularly is most important for every vehicle owner, you should have detail knowledge about the parts of it. It is safe maintain your own car properly so that it looks nice. Thanks a lot.

auto mechanics said...

There are many mechanics in the automobiles company but some of them are not properly trained and professional. How we can find the best and good auto mechanics for our vehicles within affordable and reasonable prices?

garage equipment said...

The purpose of a timing belt is to provide a quiet, flexible connection between the camshaft and crankshaft to keep the valves opening and closing in phase with the movement of the pistons.

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Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Yup, this is important to save from car crash.

JakeNicholls said...

Do you have any guide on Timing Belt?

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