How important is your timing belt?
Do you know if your car is due for a timing belt replacement? The timing belt keeps the top and bottom halves of your engine turning in step, and it is vital. If it breaks, the repair costs many times more than replacing it on schedule. On a lot of engines a broken timing belt lets the pistons hit the valves, and that can ruin the engine.
The hard part is that a timing belt gives almost no warning. It doesn’t squeal or slip first. It works, and then it doesn’t, and the car stops wherever it happens to be.
When is it due?
Timing belt replacement is a service that simply needs to be done, but not often. On most engines that have one, it comes due somewhere between 60,000 and 105,000 miles, or after a set number of years if you don’t drive much. Your owner’s manual has the exact figure, and we research the factory schedule for your engine before we recommend anything.
Not every engine has a belt. Many use a timing chain, which usually lasts far longer. If you’re not sure which you have, ask. It takes us a minute to look up.
If you’re overdue, get your timing belt replacement here
Our technicians take a close look and listen before deciding a belt needs replacing. The job is labor-intensive, because a lot of the engine’s front end has to come apart to reach the belt. So it makes sense to replace the parts that live behind those same covers while we’re in there:
- Water pump, which is often driven by the timing belt
- Tensioner and idler pulleys
- Front engine seals, if they’re starting to seep
- Drive belt (the one that runs the alternator and A/C), if it’s worn
Doing them together saves you from paying for the same labor twice, and it keeps you ahead of the next problem. If the water pump is on your mind, our cooling system page has more.
Belts in general
We also replace drive belts and check hoses. A cracked or glazed belt is easy to spot during an oil change, and cheap to replace before it leaves you without power steering or a charging system.
KC Martin is thankful for the loyal customers who have trusted us with repairs big and small. Call (425) 778-1177 for timing belt replacement in Lynnwood, and count on us for the brakes, oil changes and factory maintenance too.