Most components in a car will fail gracefully — you’ll start to hear worn bearings or see a slow oil or coolant leak as signs of any impending failures. The timing belt is not one of these parts, and a broken timing belt may result in catastrophic engine failure.
The timing belt connects the car’s crankshaft to the car’s camshafts. These shafts are connected to the internal parts of your car’s engine. All of these parts need to be perfectly ”timed” to operate with one another, which is where the timing belt comes into play.
If a car has an interference engine, as many modern vehicles do, parts may slam into each other and break in the event of a timing belt failure. In this case, the car may need a very costly repair akin to rebuilding the engine.
Checking a timing belt’s condition is almost as complicated as replacing it, so a timing belt should be replaced at intervals recommended by the manufacturer.
Replacing a timing belt is a very involved procedure, which performed improperly, may damage the engine and leave you without a working car. It is imperative that a timing belt replacement is performed before the belt’s lifespan is exceeded or you could end up stranded with a broken car and a very large repair bill.
If you know you are due for a new belt or just aren’t sure, find our ASE Certified technicians at our auto repair shop in American Fork, who will be able to recommend a solution and preventative maintenance that will help keep you safely on the road.