5 Symptoms of a Bad Timing Belt (and Replacement Cost)

Aug 31 2021

Tags: what is a timing belt , timing belt tool , timing belt tensioner tool , timing belt tensioner , timing belt replacement near me , timing belt replacement , timing belt repair cost , timing belt price , timing belt or chain , timing belt near me , timing belt kit , timing belt change cost , timing belt chain , timing belt and water pump kit , timing belt and water pump cost , timing belt , new timing belt cost , how to replace timing belt , honda pilot timing belt , honda odyssey timing belt replacement cost , honda odyssey timing belt , honda civic timing belt , honda accord timing belt , engine timing belt , car timing belt

The timing belt is in front of your vehicle's engine. It is made of strong rubber material, including nylon-reinforced cords. This material can preserve the car timing belt's lifespan.

The timing belt tends to wear out quickly, because it is moving inside the motor and placed under a lot of stress. Therefore, you will need a timing belt replacement which is determined by the car manufacturer regularly.

If your timing belt kit gets worn out, but not replaced, your engine will be a lot damage and expensive.

How a Timing Belt Works

The timing belt kit links the camshaft to the crankshaft, which manages the pistons of the engine. The camshaft is responsible for opening and closing the valves.

In summary, the car timing belt controls the timing of the crankshaft and camshaft that makes sure the engine performs the best.

Symptoms of a Bad Timing Belt

If your timing belt is bad or worn out, the following are symptoms that may occur. Then you need to have a certified auto technician or mechanic inspect the timing belt kit and replace it, whichever you experience one or more of these symptoms.

1.Rough Idling of the Engine

There are teeth on timing belts. When the teeth are rotating various engine parts and components which will grip gears. If these teeth ever start falling off or become brittle, the belt will start to slip away from the gears.

Once the above happens, the teeth will fall directly onto the gears and form a jolt in the engine. And the worst situation is the engine will begin to stall, due to the camshaft timing is off.

2.Misfire of the Engine

The fire rate of the engine could be influenced by the timing belt being worn out. If the belt were to slip away from the gears and fall onto the camshaft, one of the cylinders will open and close too soon.

Once that happens, it could occur an engine misfire that the engine timing belt needs to be replaced immediately. If the car timing belt is not replaced soon, the engine could be permanently damaged.

3.Smoke from the Engine

If it is winter or cold outside, it may be hard to tell it is harmless steam or water vapor when the vast amounts of smoke coming from your tailpipe. But if you see too much smoke that looks unusual even for the winter, then may be your timing belt kit have some problems.

And which are responsible for letting out the exhaust and letting in air are two holes that in the top of every cylinder. These holes’s opening and closing are synchronized with the way of the cylinders moving and the way of the camshaft rotating.

If your timing belt is worn-out then it will become out of sync, which means that exhaust will be let out and air will be let in at inappropriate times. As a result, it will be more smoke coming out of your exhaust system.

4.Oil Pressure Decline

The timing belt makes the gears of the camshaft spin. If the timing of the belt is off, it can skip and break off pieces of the camshaft. Some pieces might fall into the vehicle's oil pan that cause the oil pressure drop to the bottom of the engine.

That resulting the engine failing completely. To rebuild the entire motor is the only way to recover the engine.

5.Pistons or Valves That Are Broken

The worst symptom you can experience is having the timing belt cut off or broken completely. If the case happen, the crankshaft will end up turning on its own and not be in sync with the motion of the camshaft.

If this is the case, the piston will come in contact with the valves as they open. This will cause the valves are bending or the piston are damaged.

If you want to prevent further damage to your engine, turn off the engine immediately once this case, and you will have a possibility to avoid major engine damage.

Average Cost to Replace a Timing Belt

Timing belt replacement cost is decided by the number of labor hours that were spent on the replacement job. For some cars, it is very hard to gain access to some of the components such as the timing belt kit.

For economy cars which have small engines, the labor should be more cheaper as they are easier to disassemble. But for an SUV or a truck, the labor should be more expensive that you'll pay more money because of bigger engines.

The average cost of timing belt replacement will be between $300 and $500 in total(more for larger cars, trucks, and SUVs). The timing belt itself will usually only cost less than $50, but the labor is major spent of a timing belt job.

The cost of the labor will be between $250 and $450 or more, and these prices also will be added taxes and fees.

NOTE:It is usually recommended that replacing the water pump at the same time while in there since it's in the same area. A new water pump may cost a bit more, but you'll save losts of money on labor costs if you are done.

When Should a Timing Belt Be Replaced?

Timing belt replacement is critical according to the auto manufacturer's schedule, and it is one of the most important replacement things. Most often it will be between every 75, 000 and 100, 000 miles. Check your vehicle's owner manual for the exact schedule.

Timing belt replacement is one of those things you can not to put off indefinitely. Finally, the timing belt kits will break and you may have thousands of dollars loss in engine. It is not worth the risk at all.

Timing Belt Replacement Process

Timing belt replacement is not an easy DIY job and should need a professional to handle, unless you have a lot of auto repair experience.

The mechanic needs to remove various accessories to gain entry to the timing cover of the engine. After removing the cover, the mechanic will see what is in need of replacement by analyzing the timing belt's performance and its pulleys.

At the same time, he will begin to remove the timing belt and replace a new timing belt. If they feel it is important to do so that they will likely replace the pulleys, tensioners, and water pump.

Once all the new parts are in, he will put the timing cover back on and remove any other parts. Now that it is all put back together, it can be tested when the engine is started.

Is the engine running like it should?Is the timing of the engine good?If these answer are both of yes, then you are in great shape. Pay the mechanic and then you are done.

What is the difference between OEM, ODM and OE?