WHY DOES THE TIMING BELT ON MY CAR NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY SO OFTEN?
Timing is everything to a well-operating engine, and that is why a timing belt is so important. Most of our customers at Central Avenue Automotive are aware that their vehicles require timing belt replacement after a recommended period of mileage, but not many understand why. That’s why today’s blog is dedicated to educating you on the importance of a timing belt and why the timing belt in your vehicle needs to be replaced every so often.
Think about how a metronome determines the speed of a piece of music, or how the second hand on your watch counts off the minutes of each hour. Now, think about how out of sync the world would be if we did not have metered time in music, or if clocks and watches took a willy-nilly approach to keeping time.
Think of a synthetic rubber timing belt, which is reinforced with fiber cords. When the engine is on, it’s in constant, timed motion. Thanks to the belt, the connection between the crankshaft and camshaft is in sync. So why is this important? The crankshaft converts energy from the pistons, which move up and down in rotational energy that is applied to the transmission, which eventually turns the wheels. The camshaft opens and closes the engine’s valves to allow air and fuel in the engine through the intake valves, and out through the exhaust valves. The timing belt links the two in harmony. Without the timing belt, the pistons and valves would collide, fuel and air would not enter the engine correctly, and exhaust would not exit correctly. All of this chaos will prevent the engine from running. Just like a bicycle chain, if it’s damaged, the bike will not pedal forward.
The timing belt does wear down and stretch out over time. Timing belts are exposed to engine oil and coolant leaks, which will damage the belt and make it more likely to slip or break. If the timing belt slips or breaks, this is bad news for the vehicle and its owner’s pocket book. Why? This internal collision can destroy a large amount of the engine and sometimes entire engine replacement is required. Therefore, it’s important to stay ahead of your timing belt’s life span by replacing it every four years or 60,000 miles, or in newer vehicles, every 100,000 miles. Be sure to check your vehicle’s maintenance manual or give Central Avenue Automotive a call to see what your car or truck’s manufacturer suggests.
Timing belts on most vehicles range from $300 to $600. Some European cars and exotic cars can cost more. When you replace the timing belt, there are some other components that need to be inspected during the repair process. These components include the following:
• Water pump
• Idler pulleys
• Tension pulleys
• Drive belts
• Engine oil seals
Usually, it is cheaper to inspect these components as preventive maintenance work while replacing the timing belt because there is no extra labor cost. Most of the time, it is best to replace the other belts due to the fact that they are already removed in the preventive maintenance process. Camshaft and crankshaft seal replacement will also have a substantial labor reduction, due to the fact that most of the components removed during timing belt replacement are much easier to replace when the timing belt has been removed from the vehicle.
Fortunately, timing belts are not expensive (compared to major engine repair) and can easily be replaced during your vehicle’s major maintenance service. Any time you bring your vehicle into Central Avenue Automotive for scheduled maintenance, we will visually inspect your timing belt for cracks, shredding, tears, or excessive slack. If we see that your timing belt requires replacement, even if it’s before the recommended 60K or 100K mileage marker, we’ll notify you so you can authorize replacement.
Not only are we honest about our timing belt repair processes, but we are meticulous about doing the timing belt replacement correctly on all the foreign and domestic vehicles we service. That’s one of the reasons why Central Avenue Automotive is the mechanic you can trust for timing belt replacement in the Kent, Washington region. Click here to schedule an appointment for timing belt replacement. Or, if you prefer, give us a call at (253) 854-6762.
