What Happens When a Timing Belt Goes Bad?
Timing Belt Replacement in Safety Harbor, FL
From Purrs to Whines
The High Cost of Ignoring Your Timing Belt
If your timing belt breaks, you won’t be able to drive your car at all. The timing belt will often break while the vehicle is in motion, causing serious damage to the cylinder head hardware like rocker arms, pushrods, or valves. The crucial role of a timing belt is to keep the cylinders in sync. If the timing belt starts to have problems, the cylinders can get out of sync and cause the engine to misfire. Generally, every vehicle with a timing belt will require a new one at some point.
Timing Belt Failure: Your Engine’s Worst Nightmare!
Because the most crucial role of the timing belt is to keep the cylinders in sync, if the timing belt starts to have problems, the cylinders can get out of sync. Out-of-sync cylinders cause the engine to begin misfiring, and it’s a sign that you aren’t getting the same kind of performance from your car as you expected. You should not ignore it if your vehicle has trouble misfiring because it will damage your engine. Because pulleys connect the timing belt to the camshaft, it won’t turn the pulleys properly when it starts to wear out. This will produce the ticking sound, but ticking can also come from a low engine oil level. Either way, it’s a severe engine issue, and you must ensure it gets checked out by a mechanic. The timing belt is connected by a series of nuts that can loosen over time. When this happens, it can cause oil to leak around the timing belt cover. As you can imagine, this is a serious problem because if the oil flow is disrupted, there’s a significant risk that the engine may overheat, leading to substantial damage and a big repair bill. One of the most obvious signs of something wrong with your timing belt is that you cannot start the engine. If that happens, it could be a sign that the timing belt is completely broken. You should be able to hear the starter click, but because the belt is responsible for the camshaft, it won’t start the car. If it has been more than 60,000 miles or five years since your timing belt was last replaced, it’s best not to wait until further signs of timing belt failure start to appear. It would be best to aim to replace the timing belt every five or six years, but this can change depending on how often and how we use the vehicle. Finally, you may have a check engine light on your dashboard. A problem with the timing belt might activate the check engine light depending on what car you drive. It’s one of the least dramatic warning signs, but this light should never be ignored. It means something is wrong, and you should contact a mechanic as soon as possible.
Bring Your Timing Belt Problems to Us
If you notice any of these warning signs of a failing timing belt, you should bring your vehicle to us at Duane’s Dealer Alternative in Safety Harbor, FL. We’ve been open since 2010, and our shop is supported by factory-trained Toyota and Lexus ASE-certified technicians. We have state-of-the-art equipment and the best-certified technicians in the area. Though we may be smaller and more luxurious than a dealership, we take pride in providing superior automotive services at a reasonable price and without the headaches you may get from a dealership. Our customers always come first; we service imports, including light and medium-duty trucks. We use only original equipment manufacturer OEM factory parts when we repair your vehicle. We provide our customers with a 36-month/36,000-mile warranty on all our work, so you can rest assured that your repair was done right the first time.