You Can Change Your Car's Timing Belt
So, how is your car's timing belt doing? Have you changed it
lately? If, ever? If not, you must make certain that the timing
belt hasn't been driven too many miles or you could be driving
on borrowed time. Typically, a timing belt will last anywhere
from about 60,000 miles to just over 100,000 miles; your owner's
manual will spell that information out for you. A failed timing
belt can occur at any time, but if you are on top of things you
can avoid being left stranded.
A timing belt is used to turn the camshaft at precisely half the
speed as the crankshaft. The camshaft causes the intake and
exhaust valves to open and shut in time with the pistons as they
move up and down in the cylinders. When the timing belt breaks,
you aren't going anywhere as the engine can no longer run. In
some cases a timing belt failure could damage or even ruin a
car's engine. Unfortunately, too many motorists do not replace
their timing belt until it has broken. This can be a real
problem when you are miles away from the nearest help!
There is no absolute certain way to check that a timing belt has
worn out. Instead, changing it at prescribed intervals will
lessen the chance that the timing belt will break before it is
replaced. In addition, many mechanics advise changing the water
pump at the same time as the timing belt - even if it hasn't
failed - as most of the labor related to replacing a water pump
has already been accomplished when changing the timing belt.
This is your call as a water pump could last as long as your car
or it could fail at some future point. If the latter, you could
be faced with a big repair bill in addition to the inconvenience
of having your car out of commission for several days.
Many weekend mechanics feel comfortable enough to replace their
car's timing belt themselves. With a trusty Chilton or Haynes
auto maintenance and repair manual by your side you can pop the
hood and remove and replace the timing belt in no time. Shop via
a reputable online wholesaler such as the Timing Belt Pros to
compare your replacement timing belt options and to find a
product that is right for you. Save a bundle of money by doing
the work yourself and avoid the hassles and expense of traveling
to your dealer's repair shop.