What Do You Know About Timing Belts?

If your auto has a timing belt, you should be sure to give it the TLC that it deserves. These simple, rubber compound belts have an important function. Controlling the camshafts, this toothed belt is responsible for opening and closing the valves at the right time. This provides you with a quiet, smooth ride. When the belts fail, you may experience some serious damages to your engine. This is a situation that most car owners hope to avoid. Before you need an emergency auto repair from Federal Way, consider these facts about timing belts:

• Timing belts might fail without giving you any warning signs. The best way to prevent this is to change the belts as recommended in your owner’s manual or the mechanic.
• Most autos can get by with a replacement every 60,000 miles, but some automotive brands (Porsche and Volvo, for example) have models with different requirements.
• The belts don’t stretch as you use them. Instead, they get brittle as they age and then they begin to break.
• Replace the timing belt any time you have your engine rebuilt. The risks that you take by reusing an old belt far outweigh any savings you might hope to get.
• Consider having the water pump replaced along with the timing belts. If your car is older or has given you problems in the past, then this step will combine two repairs into one, saving you both time and money.

Do You Know When to Change Your Belt?

Many car owners maintain a consistent schedule of vehicle maintenance, including when they change the tires and how often they take their car to check their emissions at Federal Way. Unfortunately, the timing belt is easy to overlook. There are several factors that affect how often you should have the belt replaced:

•  Does your vehicle have an “interference” or a “non-interference” engine?
• How often does the owner’s manual recommend replacement?
• When is the last time the belt was replaced?

Timing belts in “interference” engines need to be replaced more often than in “non-interference” engines. If you have any questions regarding the age of your belt, it is best to bring your vehicle into an auto repair Federal Way service.