Most manufacturers will cover it by saying “Replace the timing belt” every 100,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first”. Rubber deteriorates over time so there will be cases when the timing belt replacement is justified after X number of years before the stated mileage interval is reached. The exception might be for vehicles that are rarely driven. You will have to replace the timing belt at the manufacturer’s recommended mileage. Without being able to see, hear, or feel signs of wear, it’s impossible to make a judgment call. That means various accessory drive belts and other external components bolted to the front of the engine will have to come off first. In order to see the condition of the timing belt, you have to remove the cover plate which essentially forms the very front of the engine. That said, a worn timing belt can create a slight ticking sound from behind the engine cover but that sound could be caused by other unrelated issues. Also, because timing belts have teeth, if they are worn and slip, they will not make the traditional loud squealing noise that worn serpentine belts make. Unfortunately, that makes a visual inspection impossible. Timing belts are located behind the cover plate and are not exposed to destructive elements from inside the engine compartment. If you do not know which kind of setup your engine has, call the vehicle’s manufacturer and find out. Also, piston connecting rods have been known to push through oil pans after the crankshaft broke because of a violent shock.Įngines with a “non-interference” setup will not be affected by the piston and valve collision damage but you will end up stranded. In other cases, the pistons and cylinder heads can become damaged by rods and valves pushing through the metal. Permanent damage to the valves along with the bearings and other components will take place. In one case, the 4-cylinder engine, pistons, and valves were colliding and then destroyed when the timing belt broke. If the valves come to a complete halt too far into the cylinder heads, the pistons will smash into them before coming to a halt. During normal operations, timing means the pistons are never trying to take over the same space as the valves. This is an engineering call that’s done for performance or emission reasons. With an interference motor, both the intake and exhaust valves will extend further into the cylinder area when they are opened. When valves stop moving simultaneously with the rest of the engine, you will end up with bigger issues than a stalled engine.ĭamage to the valves and cylinder heads that house them can result if your engine has what is known as an “interference” design. If the timing belt breaks, your engine will immediately stop operating because the intake and exhaust valves will come to a complete halt causing compression in the cylinders to disappear. The Importance Of A Timing Beltīecause they are made from rubber, the timing belt will eventually dry up, harden, crack, and come apart. Over time, rubber compounds have become more durable making replacements up to 100,000 miles or even more. There are manufacturers that suggest replacing these belts every 30,000 miles. Over the first 20 to 30 years of their existence, manufacturers usually recommend replacing them between 45,000 and 60,000 miles. In many cases, chains will last the entire lifetime of the vehicle. Also, a timing chain lasts a much longer period of time than a timing belt.
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