Why Timing Belt Replacement is so Important



Posted: Monday, August 08, 2005

by

So your car has about between 30K and 60K on it and your owner's manual list timing belt replacement as part of the scheduled maintenance.You take your car into the shop and ask them about this timing belt thing and they tell you that it will cost several hundred more than your maintenance usually cost. You look at the service guy like he is trying to rip you off, cause you think in the back of your head how could a belt cost so much. Well I am here to explain why and how critical this belt is.

The timing belt is a rubber/nylon belt that connects the crankshaft to the camshaft(s).This belt often times also turns waterpumps, auxillary shafts etc.There are also several other important parts that work inconjunction with the timing belt such as timing belt idlers, tensioners and oil seals.As the timing belt is exposed to heat and various substances such as road grime and oil along with the strain of everyday driving it starts to stretch. After the belt starts this stretching process it gets loose and begins to wear on the teeth of the belt, it can also effect camshaft position which in turn effects timing and can also have a affect on fuel mileage and engine performance (This belt tension should be checked in between timing belt replacements). 

Most engines today have very complex internal workings and very close tolerences, especially import vehicles and are known as interferance engines. Which means if the belt breaks that the valves will make contact with the pistons. This is where the big money comes in because when these parts collide it does severe internal damage like bending valves, folding over ring landings on the pistons etc.

Now the reason timing belt jobs are costly if done right is because it takes several hours and several hundred dollars worth of parts. You dont just put another belt on and off you go because you have those other parts I mentioned earlier with the same wear as the belt and believe me most of the time these parts dont last until its time to do the belt again. I dont know how many engines I've seen destroyed due to a water pump failure and stripping the teeth off the timing belt or oil seals that were not replaced saturating a new belt with the same results.. And many people tell there mechanic to just put the belt on and not the assoiciated parts because money is tight. And then in a few weeks having their car towed in because it just quit running and they can't understand why since they just had all the maintenance done, but they failed to have the water pump replaced with the belt and it locked up and wiped the belt out which in turn wiped thier engine out.

In all my years working on cars I could never understand people not having the money to do the maintenance correctly, but they can come up with several thousand to put a new engine in thier car thats only has 65K on it, when it should have gotten 150K no problem. If you are worried that your mechanic is trying to rip you off when it comes to these repairs then you need to find a new mechanic because there is already a reason you dont trust him..REMEMBER PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER, THE LATER THE MORE..

mcourson was a professional mechanic with 20 years experience in all aspects of the automotive repair and shop operations.Since retiring last year mcourson has been writing articles to educate the consumer on automotive repair and mechanic selection.

 

This Article has been viewed 22,314 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)
» left by Jesse Lane
from San Francisco Bay Area 3 years 355 days ago.
This was a very, very good article! Thanks! The only problem was incorrect grammar. Author used "effect" and "effects" when they should have used "affect" and "affects". Effect is only a verb when used to mean "to put into effect" as in "to effect a change"; use "affect" in all other verb usage and "effect" only as an adjective.
» left by Anonymous
 3 years 228 days ago.
I think your price estimates are wayyyy off. Yes the repair costs after a broken belt can be extreme, most shops can do the repair work for 250-300, not several hundred dollars. Dealers however, over charge for replacement of this vital part because the vehicle warranty requires that you do your maintenance with the dealer. So if your car is out of warranty, find a reliable ASE certified mechanic at a smaller shop to do the work, and you;'ll save yourself some money.
» left by Pedro Talavera from Miami 2 years 11 days ago.
Dealers charge more because they use OEM parts and have more overhead than independent and mobile shops. They don't really overcharge, they are the specialists. Now if you shop around you will get different prices, that is because every shop uses different quality parts. You want it cheap, you will most likely get cheap parts installed by an apprentice or incompetent tech. Quality doesn't come cheap believe me. Will you want to go to a cheap doctor for a delicate procedure? A timing belt is not a simple procedure.
 
Be smart, research for the best shops and ask around. You will find the best mechanics that charge fairly if you do your homework.
 
CMT of Miami.
» left by Anonymous
 3 years 19 days ago.
I just the timing belt, water pump, and tensioners replaced on my 2000 vw jetta. It ended up costing me over 900 dollars!! reading this article still makes me feel like I got ripped off.
» left by Pedro Talavera from Miami 2 years 11 days ago.
You weren't.
» left by Anonymous
 3 years 12 days ago.
I am due for timing belt on my 2002 Jetta. I am trying to educate myself and just pay the dealer the 700-900 to replace it (and all the associated components) especially since I still am making payments on this vehicle.
 
Thanks for this article - it helped support the need as well as know it is ok to go to someone other than the dealer.
» left by Peter Dixon
from San Diego 2 years 344 days ago.
A timing belt is the one thing you never skip replacing. When Hyundai said that it was time to replace mine, I told them to go ahead before I even knew how much. (It was only $250) You can shop around for a good ASE mechanic to do yours, but no matter what, the cost of a belt replacement will always be less than the cost of an engine and transmission rebuild.
» left by Megan
from okc, ok 2 years 192 days ago.
Thank you for the insight of the timing belt, it was very useful information.
 
Thanks,
 
Megan
» left by Anonymous
 2 years 61 days ago.
Great article! Extremely helpful. Thanks!
» left by Pedro Talavera
from Miami 2 years 11 days ago.
Great article mcourson. Thanks.
 
Pedro
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