Village Autoworks replaces timing belts and we cannot stress enough how important it is to have your vehicle’s belt changed before it breaks. If you recently bought your car, it might have a timing chain. The chains have replaced the timing belts in newer automobiles because the timing belts are not a popular choice with drivers. Let’s talk about timing belts, why they’ve lost popularity, and why you need to have it changed the minute your owner’s manual suggests it.
What Is the Timing Belt?
The timing belt fits on the camshaft’s teeth. As it spins the camshaft, the camshaft opens and closes the engine’s valves. The valves are connected to your vehicle’s crankshaft, and your vehicle’s crankshaft is attached to your engine’s pistons. When the valves open and close, they move the pistons up and down. As its name suggests, this belt times this movement perfectly so nothing gets damaged.
What if the Timing Belt Breaks?
This is reason number one why this belt has fallen from automotive consumer favor. If the timing breaks, which it will eventually do, the breakage disrupts the engine’s timing. As mentioned above, the valves and pistons work together to open and close and move up and down and once the timing is off, there’s an impact so severe, it can damage the cylinder walls, the pistons, and the piston strikes.
That’s Not All
As if that weren’t bad enough, and trust us, it is, the valves also get damaged by the pistons and all of this equals a huge automotive repair bill. In most cases, the bill will be in the thousands of dollars, because the heart of your engine has just been ripped apart by the broken timing belt. This includes your pistons and valves, which are not cheap to replace. A broken belt all but destroys an engine.
I Can’t Afford to Have This Happen!
We know, which is why we’ll replace your timing belt before it breaks. On average, automotive manufacturers recommend you replace the timing belt every 60,000 miles, but your timing belt might be manufactured to last for 100,000 miles. To make sure you don’t end up with a broken belt, check your owner’s manual for the mileage milestone recommended by your automobile’s manufacturer to replace the timing belt and then bring your car, truck, or SUV into us.
We are Village Autoworks in Roseville, MN, and can help you with your vehicle’s belts. Call us today to schedule an appointment.