Timing Belt Replacement; What Is a Timing Belt & When Should You Replace It?,When it comes to engines, a timing belt is virtually identical to a drive belt, with one key difference: timing belts have teeth. Many modern engines replace the metal timing chains (similar to a bicycle chain) that once connected the camshaft and crankshaft gears with timing belts. Valve timing refers to how well the camshaft and crankshaft coordinate during the four-stroke combustion cycle (intake, compression, power, exhaust).
Similar to conventional engines, timing chain engines can either interfere or not. Unlike their metal counterparts, timing belts are quieter in operation. They are typically made of rubber or neoprene, have strong fibres or steel running the length of the belt (like a tyre), and are moulded to precise specifications. As a result, they are robust and long-lasting. However, their usefulness is finite.
What Is the Recommended Interval Between Timing Belt Replacements?
A straightforward solution is impossible to provide known as timing belt replacement. Before doing anything else, look at the owner’s manual to see when servicing is due. Alternate recommendations range from 30,000 to 120,000 miles for timing belt replacement. When deciding whether or not to replace a timing belt, it is also important to consider the following:
- Poor engine performance may be due to a timing belt that is too loose and is throwing off the valve timing. A worn timing belt is a sign of a faulty spark plug wire or coil and can cause an engine to misfire. Noise coming from the engine that sounds like clicking or squealing is likely the result of a timing belt that is missing teeth. High-pitched squealing, rattling, or squeaking noises can be caused by a faulty timing belt tensioner or a glazed idler pulley.
Timing belts are especially vulnerable to the rigours of city driving, rapid acceleration, and high temperatures. Logic dictates that you should not purchase a used car with more than 50,000 miles on the odometer if the seller cannot provide documentation that the timing belt has been replaced.
Signs That It is Time to Replace the Timing Belt
When a timing belt fails, there usually are not any signs that it is about to. However, here are a few warning signs that it could be time to get a new belt:
- Having less power from the engine
- Shaking or vibrating
- Faulty ignition preventing vehicle start.
- Belts that squeal or rub
- The engine was making a ticking sound.
- Broken oil seal
- Warning Lamp On