There are such countless belts in a car engine, it is hard to keep up with them all. One of the main belts in the engine is the timing belt. Without this belt operating properly, it can lose the entire operation of the engine. Its purpose is to turn the camshafts exactly half as fast as the crankshaft. Some manufacturers have toyed with a chain instead of a belt. The chain is preferred by many owners because it never needs to be replaced. The only problem with the chain is he noise it creates. For this reason, many manufacturers settle on the belt and ask you to replace it periodically.
Some belts will only turn one camshaft, while others may turn as many as four. The more camshafts the belt has to move, the quicker it will wear out. The standard way of thinking is to replace the belt between 60,000 miles and 105,000 miles. Many people like to put this off beyond this time period because of the expense involved. This is a mistake as not replacing the belt can lead to several other mechanical nightmares which will cost far more to repair. Replacing the timing belt is one of those precautionary measures you do not want to say later on that you wish you would have recently gone ahead with. Pay a little currently to save significantly later.
Let us say you do not replace your replace timing belt when it is recommended, or just did not know that you needed to. This will sometimes happen to people who purchase a used car. The previous owner will have good maintenance records, yet neglect to tell you the car is well past needing a timing belt. Indications of a bad belt include change in the engine’s performance. This includes such things as stalls, backfires or running generally with a ton of vibration. Squealing noises and smoke are two other clear signs you are having a problem with a belt in your engine. It is recommended you take the car in immediately to an expert before the problem gets worse.
Keep in mind when replacing timing belts, many mechanics will offer to replace your water siphon. This is generally a precautionary measure. Most water siphons last the life of the car with no problems. This does not means they are exempt from malfunctioning. The reason the mechanic will offer this service is because with the belt off, replacing the siphon is very simple. They are not trying to take you for a great deal of money as they would not be able to charge you much for labor. A good idea here is to just ask the mechanic what the history is on the water siphon in your model car. In the event that the water siphon generally does not fail, it is a procedure you can do without.
