One of the most overlooked parts of a car is the timing belt. However, as a car owner, you should know how important this is to your car’s engine. After all, your car’s different systems and parts wouldn’t work so harmoniously without the timing belt. Thanks to this component, your car’s engine continues to run properly by enabling valves to open and close at the right time.
With the timing belt having such a significant role, it’s advisable to understand everything you can about it. The best part is that this doesn’t require extensive research and reading. In fact, below is an overview detailing everything you should learn about timing belts.
- What is a Timing Belt?
A timing belt, also referred to as the cambelt, is a rubber that controls the rotation of your internal combustion engine. Thanks to the timing belt, all parts of your car’s machinery work together at exactly the right time.
The belt itself is made out of rubber and is connected to the crankshaft, which is located at the front of your engine in a water-cooled motor. The crankshaft is driven by pistons that are positioned inside of each cylinder in your engine. At the other end of this belt, near the rear of the motor, there’s a camshaft that’s driven by the crankshaft through the timing belt.
Despite its terrifying looks characterized by teeth, the timing belt plays the crucial role of ensuring perfect synchronization of the camshaft and crankshaft. There are two reasons why this is vital. First, it ensures the valves and pistons are perfectly in sync without them colliding. This is the last thing you want because the engine valves are very brittle and easily susceptible to breakage. And because timing belt replacement cost isn’t cheap, it’s best to prevent the pistons from colliding.
Second, it ensures the valves open and close at the exact time required so that enough air flows into the engine, thereby promoting the fuel combustion necessary to generate energy. Any incorrect timing would result in a limited air intake, consequently hindering the engine’s ability to burn fuel effectively.
- When Should The Timing Belt Be Replaced
So, how do you know the most appropriate time to replace your timing belt? According to most manufacturers, it’s recommended you do this ideally after every 60,000 to 90,000 miles or have it inspected after every four years. The need to replace the timing belt varies between different car makes and models, so you need to look through your car’s manual for specific recommendations.
The importance of replacing the timing belt on time can’t be overstated, even though this component is long-lasting and durable, rubber is still likely to deteriorate at some point. Moreover, its failure could cause serious and expensive damage to the engine. Such damage can be caused by several issues such as:
- Wear and tear
- Mileage
- Damaged by oil leaks or coolant leaks that saturate them with damaging fluids
Once a timing belt is damaged, it can easily snap and cause severe damage to your engine. Because there’s no way to predict if or when a timing belt will wear out, most manufacturers recommend replacing it at regular intervals as preventive maintenance. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Why Is Replacing The Timing Belt Expensive?
The cost of replacing the timing belt amounts to hundreds of dollars. This is often confusing to many, considering the timing belt is made of rubber, making it reasonably affordable. However, replacing this component is usually expensive because replacing the timing belt is labor-intensive and time-consuming.
During the replacement of this component, technicians typically start by disassembling most parts of the car’s engine. While doing this, they’ll simultaneously inspect the tensioners, pulleys, seals, and other essential components. Only once they’re through with this will they proceed to take out the timing belt. Subsequently, a new timing belt will be installed and confirmed if it’s working as expected. It’s after that that the technician will reassemble the engine.
Besides requiring lots of labor hours, this entire process of replacing the timing belt also needs specialized skills. Because of this, the total cost of replacing this component ends up being expensive.
- What Are The Symptoms Of A Malfunctioning Timing Belt?
Replacing a failing timing belt plays a crucial role in preventing them from breaking and leading to a full-blown engine failure. Because you don’t want to be caught by surprise, here are some basic symptoms of a bad or failing timing belt to look out for:
- Overheating: Numerous issues lead to engine overheating, and this includes the malfunction of the timing belt. This happens because the component helps power the injection, water, and oil pumps. And should any of these not work as expected, it could lead to engine overheating.
- Trouble starting your vehicle or reduced engine power: The timing belt wears out as it controls numerous vehicle components for a long time. You might start experiencing trouble starting your engine or reducing engine power when it deteriorates. This happens because the intake valves that regulate the air and fuel mixture across the engine stop working correctly as the timing belt has trouble rotating them. You’ll notice power loss each time these valves open too early.
- There’s a ticking, rubbing, or squeaking noise below your hood: The continued wearing out of the timing belt results in its misalignment. As a result, this leads to a squealing sound produced by the timing belt colliding with the other parts of the engine, a clear sign that it requires immediate replacement.
- Your car’s engine shakes or vibrates while running: An uneven timing belt might cause your engine to start vibrating or shaking while it’s running.
- The check engine light is on: Although many car owners ignore the check engine light, it’s best not to make such a mistake. And when your dashboard check engine light is on, while the symptoms mentioned above are showing, this might indicate that the timing belt is failing.
Takeaway
The timing belt is essential to the proper operation of your car’s engine. Therefore, it makes logical sense as a car owner to want and learn everything possible about this crucial component. It’s precisely what this guide has done to ease your troubles by outlining all things you need to know about timing belts.
