In relation to timing belts, I have a query. Timing belts for new cars are referred to as toothed belts, according to what I read. Ist das so? I recently purchased a 2009 Audi A4 2.0 TDI S line with a complete service record. And according to the history, the toothed belt was changed after 109,831 kilometers. So now that there are almost 120,000 kilometers on my clock, I’m not sure how to determine whether it was completed or whether I need to update the timing belt. Can I request that the timing belt be changed during my warranty at the garage?
In This Article...
Is a cambelt a toothed belt?
Although the term “tooted belt” is not new, I find it surprising that it was used in the service history instead of the terms “cambelt” or “timing belt.” Call the mechanic’s shop and ask them to clarify whether they really meant the timing belt for your own peace of mind. I have a 99.9% confidence that they do.
What does a service’s toothed belt do?
A timing belt serves as an engine’s bike chain by synchronizing all the internal working elements. The water pump, oil pump, and injection pump are occasionally powered by it as well.
The timing belt is a rubber belt with sharp teeth that engages the crankshaft and camshaft cogwheels. It synchronizes the crankshaft and camshaft motion. By doing this, it is ensured that the intake and exhaust valves of the engine open and close in sync with the pistons. The car won’t run properly if the crankshaft and camshafts are not working together.
The engine combustion chamber may receive an excessive amount of fuel-air mixture if the intake valves open too soon, which could result in inefficient combustion and power loss. Additionally, the combustion chamber will lose pressure and lose power if the exhaust valves open too soon. The engine parts may collide and destroy one another if they are seriously out of rhythm, necessitating expensive repairs.
Timing Belt vs. Timing Chain
Your car can have a timing chain rather than a belt depending on the model. While a timing chain is made of metal rather than rubber, it performs the same purpose as a belt. Timing belts were first used in the 1960s and quickly gained popularity due to their reduced weight and quieter operation.
When should the timing belt on an Audi be replaced?
Your cambelt needs to be replaced on a regular basis to maintain your Audi’s safety and performance at their highest levels. It is advised that you do it every five years or 75,000 miles, whichever comes first.
How frequently should a toothed belt be changed?
When to change your cam belt is not a fixed rule. Your car’s make, model, and how frequently you drive it are all factors. Over the course of a vehicle’s lifetime, it will typically need to be replaced more than once.
Timing belt replacement is typically advised by manufacturers after a certain number of years or miles. This might take between 40,000 and 100,000 kilometers or more than four years.
What occurs if the timing belt snaps while you’re driving?
Some engine parts can malfunction without causing significant harm. Without any issues, you can drive to your mechanic and get the part replaced. But with a timing belt, this is not the case. The camshaft will stop turning when the timing belt snaps, but the crankshaft will continue to rotate at 1000 revolutions per minute. Because of this, the pistons will keep rising and falling in their cylinders and, occasionally, may hit the valves. The pistons, valves, and cylinder heads will sustain damage when this occurs, and because to how quickly it occurs, the damage will be almost immediate.
It is crucial to pay close attention to your engine and make sure it is operating smoothly. Take your car to a repair right away if you begin to notice any of the aforementioned symptoms. It can be nothing, only require a quick correction, or indicate more serious issues that could develop into the dreaded timing belt failure while driving. Come to Professional Auto Repair’s shop and let us examine your timing belt and other parts to ensure that your car is working properly.
How much does a timing belt repair cost?
The engine of your car cannot function without a timing belt. Timing belt preventative maintenance is far less expensive than waiting for it to break. O’Leary’s Automotive provides skilled mechanics who can assist if you need high-quality timing belt repair in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The camshaft and the crankshaft are two different types of shafts found in your engine. These shafts are made to start the engine cycle and deliver torque while controlling the pistons in the engines. The camshaft and crankshaft are controlled by grooves or teeth on the timing belt. This makes it possible for the engine valves to open and close precisely when necessary for efficient operation.
Timing belts comprised of chains and gears are used in some automobiles. Although these timing belts are more resilient, they need lubrication to function. The timing belts in many modern automobiles are comprised of a rubber composition. These timing belts tend to wear out more quickly but are quieter and more energy-efficient.
Warning Signs a Timing Belt Replacement is Needed
The majority of timing belts require replacement every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. Because it is crucial to the engine’s functionality, the timing belt acts inside the engine. Don’t put off changing the belt until it breaks. Your engine won’t start if your timing belt breaks.
You might observe one or more of the following if your timing belt is broken or worn out:
- Rumbling or rough idling coming from the engine
- Engine stalls
- The engine’s smoke
- Lower oil pressure
- Damaged pistons or valves
Timing Belt Repair & Quality Auto Repair in Wilmington, NC
It is best to have a qualified, quality auto repair technician evaluate your car as soon as possible if you have encountered one or more of the aforementioned symptoms. Expect to pay between $300 and $500 for the service if your timing belt needs to be replaced. Many automobiles’ timing belts require some disassembly and reassembly since they are not always easily accessible. Smaller engines in economy cars result in less work. However, larger trucks, SUVs, or premium cars can take a lot longer.
How often should a timing belt be changed?
It might be challenging to determine whether an automobile’s engine uses a timing chain or a timing belt. But if you put some thought into it, you should be able to figure it out. If there is still a copy of the owner’s manual, you can look it up to see the maintenance schedule. Owner’s manuals are frequently available on the manufacturer’s website. Alternately, you can utilize ChiltonDIY to research the data for the vehicle you are thinking about. It’s important to note that not all manufacturers refer to it as a “timing chain. Among other things, it is often known as a “camshaft belt” or a “camshaft timing belt.”
At the mileage intervals the manufacturer specifies, replace the timing belt.
Timing chains and belts differ significantly from one another. There is no set time for changing the timing chain as part of routine maintenance on a vehicle. However, there is a very particular time frame for replacing the timing belt if the car has one. Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, a timing belt replacement is often advised every 60,000 to more than 100,000 miles. To get the suggested service interval for your car, consult the owner’s manual or the maintenance schedules on ChiltonDIY.com.
The timing belt can break if it is not replaced when advised. A damaged timing belt will result in the valves striking the pistons in interference engines, which are built with incredibly tight tolerances, seriously damaging the internal engine components. A damaged timing belt can leave you stranded, cause major difficulties, and expensive engine damage even if you do not have an interference-fit engine.
It is a pricey and crucial maintenance process to replace the timing belt, which typically entails replacing the water pump as well (because the timing belt also drives the pump). You may estimate the labor costs for replacing a timing belt for the engine that was installed in your vehicle’s year, make, and model using Chilton’s labor cost data.
There are a few circumstances to think about when looking for a secondhand car. The following inquiry to make if a car you want does indeed have a timing belt is “Has it been changed out? Ask for documentation, such as parts receipts if the repair was performed by a do-it-yourselfer or a service record if it was performed by an independent repair shop or dealership, if the seller claims that the belt has been replaced.
Consider how this might effect the value of the car when making an offer if the timing belt has not been replaced and the vehicle is getting close to the timing belt change interval. Even if the automobile seems to be in decent shape and the seller is asking a low price, there’s a strong chance the owner doesn’t want to pay the expense. Adjust your offer to reflect the cost of the timing belt replacement if it is soon to be replaced.
Gale’s Chilton Library is a resource that your customers can use to make educated buying and selling decisions when they are looking to buy or sell a car or truck. This comprehensive, user-friendly online guide contains repairs, maintenance, and service information on the most popular automobiles, trucks, vans, and SUVs on the road today. It is intended for both novice do-it-yourselfers and serious automotive enthusiasts. Users will find everything they need to complete the work correctly, including vacuum and wiring diagrams, step-by-step service instructions with video and animation, maintenance and specifications tables, Technical Service Bulletins, and more.
About the Author
In 1994, Christine Sheeky began working for Chilton as an automobile editor on the Total Car Care Do-It-Yourself Manuals. Since then, she has contributed to many more Chilton publications. Since spending much too much time as a youngster hanging around in the pits at the local NHRA race track and at the neighborhood auto repair shop, she has maintained a lifelong fascination in all things automotive. She now loves driving her Honda Odyssey, despite having vowed she would never own a minivan. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and two children, although she periodically fantasizes about driving her fantastic 1989 Prelude Si with 4WS (4-wheel steering).
How durable are timing belts in reality?
The maintenance and timing belt replacement on modern vehicles is one of the most misunderstood procedures. What exactly is a timing belt is typically the most frequent query we receive as a service facility. A timing belt is, by definition, a toothed belt that joins the camshaft or shafts to the crankshaft “timing the engine’s top and bottom. To synchronize the piston and valve movements, the camshafts rotate at a speed that is precisely half that of the crankshaft.
What does this mean exactly? It really is that easy; the valves must be opened or closed at the appropriate moment in time with the pistons’ motion in order to complete the combustion sequence. When that “When timing is off, catastrophic engine damage frequently results.
Surprisingly, the timing belt’s original purpose was to synchronize the needle and bobbin drives on Singer sewing machines. Timing belts were first created in 1945 by Singer in collaboration with Uniroyal, which is now Gates Inc., as a cheaper and quieter alternative to the original metal band with metal clips.
Now, for all of you from the 1950s and 1960s, a timing chain was normally present in every engine. The benefits of chains were their extended lifespan, but the drawbacks included their noise, the need for lubrication, and the cost of the materials used in their construction.
the timing belt comes in. Timing belts are light, require no lubrication to operate, are relatively cheaper to produce than chains and sprockets, and are silent. The drawback is that belts need to be replaced after a certain amount of time or miles. This is where all of the maintenance and replacement inconsistencies are found.
According to various schedules, including data provided by the manufacturers, a timing belt typically has to be replaced after 7 to 10 years, or between 60,000 and 105,000 miles, whichever comes first. The majority of manufacturers advise against exceeding 80,000 to 90,000 miles on the original belt.
This appears to be extremely simple and understandable, however the producers are not telling you this. The best thing about timing belts is that they have self-tensioners, which are designed to maintain a consistent belt tension to minimize power loss or, worse, to prevent the engine from jumping time and breaking it. As the belts deteriorate and stretch, idler pulleys on them maintain the tension.
Imagine how many times these pulleys and tensioners have rotated over the course of 8 years or 80,000 miles. I’d guess in the millions. The timing belt can be used to drive the water pump, check camshaft timing, and provide data to the PCM, as the auto industry has come to understand.
It is my responsibility as a service provider to express this idea to you, the customer. When changing a timing belt, it can take up to 4 or 5 hours. If the task is not done correctly, replacing all the tensioners, idler pulleys, and water pump at once, you, the customer, are put in danger.
A Honda Accord’s timing belt was replaced; there were no tensioners or water pumps present. At around 75,000 miles, it was completed on time. After 5000 miles of faultless operation, the car stalled and wouldn’t start while being driven to see family on the motorway at highway speeds.
The new timing belt had all of its teeth sheared off when it was inspected after being towed to a repair. The water pump bearing had seized, which was quickly determined. As a result, the head’s valves all needed to be repaired, costing $1500.00. The true question is: Did the service provider advise changing all of the essential components, and did the customer refuse? Or was it a matter of finances or ignorance? This was stolen from the internet.
I get phone calls frequently wondering how much it costs to change a timing belt. As I’ve hopefully shown, there’s more to maintaining a vehicle properly than just changing the belt. I will never give a price over the phone without having the opportunity to check all of these things, so I will always ask the caller to come in so that I can look at the vehicle and see if the serpentine belts had ever been replaced, whether the hoses and coolant are original, whether there are oil leaks from the cam or crank seals that frequently cause the belts to deteriorate prematurely, and more. While some callers hang up, others come in for our FREE assessment and precise estimate.
Being preventive involves taking action rather than reacting. I’m to blame if a belt breaks down as a result of my failure to explain to you the significance of each component throughout the range of engine designs.