Timing Belts

The timing belt is made of a strong rubber material which includes cords that are nylon-reinforced.

It is located in front of the vehicle’s engine and links the camshaft to the crankshaft which manages the pistons of the engine. As for the camshaft, it is responsible for opening the values and closing the valves. Overall, the timing belt makes sure the engine performs the best that it can by controlling the timing of the crankshaft and camshaft. While the timing belt is moving inside the motor, it is placed under lots of pressure and tends to wear out quickly for this reason. So, you will have to replace the timing belt very often. Replacing the belt as soon as necessary, could prevent the engine from permanent damage.

The following indications may occur if you have a broken or worn out timing belt:

  • Smoke from the Engine, if your timing belt is worn-out, it will become unsynchronized, which means that exhaust will be let out and air will be let in at inappropriate times. The result will be lots of smoke coming out of your exhaust system.
  • Rough Idling of the Engine, occurs when the timing belt teeth starts falling off or become insufficient, which could lead to the engine stalling because the camshaft timing is off.
  • Oil Pressure Decline, if the timing of the belt is off, it can skip and break off pieces of the camshaft. Some of these pieces might fall into the vehicle’s oil pan, resulting in the oil pressure to drop in the bottom of the engine.
  • Pistons or Broken Valves, the worst symptom you can experience is having the timing belt cut off or broken totally. If this is the situation, the crankshaft will end up turning on its own and not be in sync with the motion of the camshaft. Once this happens, the piston will come in contact with the valves as they open. This could end up bending the valves or damaging the piston.
  • Misfire of the Engine might happen if the timing belt slipped away from the gears and falls onto the camshaft, leading to one of the cylinders opening and closing too soon. If this happens, an engine misfire could occur which means the belt has to be replaced instantly.

    • Once you experience one or more of these symptoms, have one of our auto technician or mechanic inspect the timing belt and then replace it if necessary.

    How the Job is Done

    Our mechanic needs to gain entry to the timing cover of the engine by removing various accessories. After removing the cover, he will analyse the timing belt and its pulleys to see what is needed for replacement. At this point, he will begin to remove the timing belt and then replace it with a new one. The pulleys, tensioners, and water pump will likely be replaced if he feels it is important to do so.

    Once everything is replaced, he will put the timing cover back on and any other parts that were removed. Now that it is all put back together, it can be tested with the start of the engine.