Timely car maintenance is the key to safety on the road. Often the cause of an accident is the malfunction of the systems that provide movement, so the life and health of the driver, passengers, and other road users depend on the quality of car care. Consumables and components have their own service life; replacing them after a certain mileage is a mandatory procedure that the motorist can perform either personally or with the assistance of service employees. To ensure proper operation of the systems, along with oils and filters, it is also important to monitor the suitability of the belts and change them on time.
Determining when it is time to change the timing belt, unlike the alternator belt, which is easy to evaluate visually, is not so simple, especially if it is hidden under a protective casing. Replacement is carried out depending on the degree of wear, mileage of the car and design features of the engine. This element of the gas distribution mechanism, which will be discussed below, is regularly subject to loads during operation and plays a vital role in the operation of engine valves, so if you miss the deadline for replacing the part, problems will not be avoided. In some cases, a major overhaul of the motor may even be required, which is many times more expensive and more difficult than replacing the belt in a timely manner.
Service life
Without breakdowns, such a part can be used for a period of time that arises from individual factors. These include quality indicators, model features, design, etc.
You have to replace the timing belt depending on your careful and even careful attitude towards your own car. How aggressive are his rides?
- Despite the fact that the time period after which the replacement procedure must be performed is indicated by a specific manufacturer, the mileage of the car itself varies greatly.
- It ranges from sixty thousand kilometers to one hundred and twenty thousand. However, the life of the part may be longer if the owner takes good care of his car.
When the driver does not use the car constantly, over time the part loses its elastic properties as the rubber becomes obsolete.
Such operating conditions do not allow us to set an exact replacement period, since it must be changed in a timely manner. This is associated with an increased risk of drive failure and will have a negative impact on the safe driving of vehicles.
Let's sum it up
The timing belt is an important part of your car, without which the normal operation of the gas distribution system is impossible. Consequently, without a belt, the car will never drive or even start. Therefore, it is important to monitor the quality of operation of this mechanism and constantly change the belt when necessary. It is much cheaper and easier to regularly service your car than to deal with the possible consequences of a broken belt.
If the belt breaks or there are problems with the power unit, it is better to call a tow truck and transport the car to a service station. Extra movements while being towed will clearly not be beneficial for the car. All experts recommend using factory belts to ensure normal operation, but sometimes analog options can serve for quite a long period. Tell us what rules you follow for replacing the timing belt.
How often do you change the timing belt?
It is worth contacting specialists at a maintenance station when the exact date of the upcoming replacement is known. Then the installation of new parts will become timely and necessary.
The positions in the technical documentation indicate not only how many years the corresponding replacement should take place, but also the mileage traveled for this. Not all cases, however, are considered the same.
It is, of course, necessary to know the manufacturer’s recommendations, but if there is a serious degree of wear, a more urgent installation of the timing belt will be required.
Moreover, the timing when, according to the manufacturer, the belt will require replacement is indicated with a considerable margin of time. When the standard mileage is slightly higher than specified, you should not always expect the belt to break.
The ticking sound of a motor
If your timing belt is worn out enough or its “age” is more than 4-4.5 years, then it may simply become frayed or crack. At the same time, the engine begins to make various unpleasant sounds:
- tick;
- shuffling;
- clicking.
All of them come from under the system covers. All these sounds have a certain periodicity, which depend on the engine speed: the higher they are, the stronger and more frequent the sound.
It is worth noting that even if such sounds are heard from the engine, this is not a fact that there is a problem with the timing belt. They can occur due to problems with the bearings (they get stuck) or with the water pump. However, in any case, you should not delay with engine repair, since all this can result in serious problems.
Belt wears out prematurely
There are some signs that indicate that certain problems have arisen in the operation of the drive device.
From these we can conclude that the belt has reached the end of its service life:
- If there is a loss of power or there were signs of uncertainty when starting the unit. This situation is largely connected not only with the timing of replacing the belt part, but also has various reasons. If, among other things, there are malfunctions in the operation of some systems along with the ignition, then the time has come to replace the device;
- When an unpleasant rather strong odor comes out of the exhaust hole of a pipe, accompanied by a dark stream of smoke, this is regarded as an indirect sign. Not so often, but there is oversaturation of the mixture in cases of wear of the timing drive part. The problem is clarified using a scanning device using a diagnostic method;
- When the power plant is running, there are uncharacteristic sounds similar to ticking. Then replacement should be carried out immediately, since such a sign indicates tooth wear. Sliding along the pulley surface, they emit a similar whistling accompaniment. In this case, it no longer becomes particularly important how many kilometers are left before the end of the car race. Already at this moment we have to take care of updating this spare part;
- When loud sounds similar to either a squeak or a whistle occur, the liquid could well end up on the surface of the belt part. Humid weather conditions, as well as engine oil or antifreeze, contribute to this. Cleaning must be carried out in all cases, since various types of problems with the timing belt cannot be avoided in the future.
Mileage at which timing chain replacement is required
The chain has a longer service life compared to the belt. The interval from replacement to replacement depends on the design of the consumable, the engine model and the class of the car. Thus, in the budget segment there are single-row chains with a service life comparable to a belt. The need to replace them occurs after a mileage of 60-100 thousand km.
In the middle segment of cars, both single-row and double-row chains are used. The former have a resource of 150-250 thousand km. Double-row chains have an even longer life. Their replacement is required after a mileage of 200-350 thousand km.
The timing chain drive has proven itself well in Japanese cars. Replacing consumables is usually required after a mileage of 350-400 thousand km. In German cars, attention to the timing drive is not required until 400-450 thousand km.
The timing chains of premium cars have the longest lifespan. Some cars often have chains that last 500-750 thousand km without problems.
Unscheduled timing belt replacement
In some cases, deviations from the standards established for replacing the timing belt are allowed. Firstly, this concerns moments when the weakening of the belt tension is felt literally immediately after its adjustment.
Moreover, this may be due to both the deteriorated properties of the rubber and the presence of defects in the internal layers. To avoid problems in other key parts, including the engine, it is worth changing the timing belt right away.
- You can significantly reduce the possibility of a break before the expiration of the allotted period if you know exactly after what mileage it must be replaced.
- Thanks to the special level of protection in modern automobile vehicles, the group of pistons will not be immediately subject to deformation.
The great news is that the engine is still able to work, however, it is not recommended to immediately try to start the engine after a belt break occurs. The power unit may “fly”.
For such cases, the option of installing a new belt instead of the old one is provided. Using a tow vehicle, you will have to ensure the delivery of the car to the service station.
Tips on how to increase resource
- Warm up the engine before driving in cold weather.
- When replacing, also change the rollers and pump, following the manufacturers' recommendations.
- Buy spare parts from trusted brands, check whether you have purchased a counterfeit.
While writing the article, I was able to find statistics on the mileage at which the belt broke on cars. The statistics are as follows:
Timing break statistics
Of course, the data is difficult to analyze, since neither the car brands nor the operating conditions are known. In general, we can conclude: check whether the timing belt on your car has reached the end of its life, replace it in proven places and do not skimp on spare parts.
