Ever wondered what a timing belt is? Timing belts are part of an internal combustion engine that control the rotation of all the moving parts inside the engine. The timing belt ensures that each part of the engine is in perfect sync with each other so that you do not have any problems with it running smoothly or overheating.
If you notice any signs that your timing belt has failed or is about to fail, there are a few things that you can do right away:
- Make sure nothing falls out of place inside the engine compartment when turning over the engine by hand (make sure no bolts are loose or missing).
- If there is any oil leaking from around where this belt goes through its pulley system (even if just a little), allow some time for this oil leak to stop before taking your car for inspection.
What Happens When Your Timing Belt Breaks?
When a timing belt breaks, all sorts of things can happen:
- Your pistons could stop working altogether, which means your car will not move at all. If you are driving at highway speeds when this happens, you could be forced off the road.
- The cylinder head could be damaged by debris from the front pulley (where the belt has broken). This can cause serious damage to your car's engine or even lead to an oil leak because of loose parts inside the engine block itself.
- The valves themselves could get damaged if they were not closed properly before impact with other parts inside your engine. This would mean replacing both valves and replacing parts within those valves themselves.
When the timing belt breaks, it can cause serious damage to your engine. The valves can open or close too soon or too late, which in turn causes them to break or become damaged. This can cause more serious problems with the engine's operation including stalling and rough idling. It may also cause damage to other parts of the car's engine such as cylinder heads, pistons and crankshaft bearings.
How Often Should You Replace Your Timing Belt?
Timing belts need to be replaced every 50,000 miles, or so—which is about every five years or so depending on how many miles you drive per year. If you have an older car with a manual transmission, you may need to change your timing belt even more often because these vehicles tend to be driven harder than newer ones with automatic transmissions. If you need timing belt replacement, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!