Source
r/cars•
Musantem

How do I know if my timing belt is about to go?

I have a 2007 Kia Spectra and I'm at the 60,000 mile mark, but I can't afford to get the belt changed right away as has been suggested by the manufacturer. I usually drive it on the highway to get to and from work, and somewhat through town.

That said, I need to know whether or not I can continue to drive my car and what symptoms I should be on the lookout for. I really don't want my timing belt to snap, because it could really mess up my engine. However, I don't really have anyone else I can rely on (or a decent bus system) and I need to be able to get myself to and from work.

Posted Jun 7, 2011, 12:01 AM UTC

527
superluke78 MGB, 71 Spitfire, 14 JK•

There is absolutely no way to tell. That being said, it's not like it will just snap as the odometer rolls over... you can certainly get away with waiting a few thousand if you have to.

5
fericyde•

So true but this also holds true: Microseconds before it goes your engine will begin running rougher than it should. A few seconds later, many of the valves will be snapped off and a loud clattering noise will be heard. Metal shavings will fly out of the exhaust and your engine will grind to a halt.

So if you can shut 'er down right before the loud clattering you will be safe.

Yes, this is intended to be humor but it has a point: You don't want to let this happen -- getting the timing belt replaced beats the cost of replacing the head and few pistons (or the whole motor). Bottom line -- don't let this slide very far.

I had a friend take his honda civic to 140k (before replacement) when the recommendation was 90k -- he was lucky. Don't try to be lucky, is my advice.

3
nejikaze•

Some cars have engines such that nothing bad happens when the timing belt goes (other than the engine stopping.) Unfortunately, the Kia Spectra isn't one of them. It has an interference engine, so the engine will be gone should the belt snap.

That said, the engineers picked that mileage estimate based on a ton of tests saying "x of y engines had not experienced a timing belt snap as of z miles." Statistically, you're fine to drive on it for thousands more.

It's just not worthing doing it any longer than you absolutely have to.

2
fericyde•

We're basically saying the same thing :-)

I was just trying to inject some humor into the equation.

2
leadpipecinch•

100% disagree. when mine went the car was acting normally, driving along on the highway just fine...driving along then all of the sudden nothing, power steering went out, power brakes went out, nothing. no big bang, no extra noise, just a dead engine, and 12 of 20 bent valves.

that being said, always err on the side of caution. if you can't get it changed immediately, you're probably going to be fine as the timing belt is over engineered for the recommended change timeframe, but i wouldn't go running around for another 20k miles.

2
fericyde•

The car you're referring to here -- it had automatic transmission?

1
leadpipecinch•

5 speed, why?

1
Morbidgrass•

Do you drive a 1.8t?

1
leadpipecinch•

yup...damn belt went at 54k miles...

1
d3souz4•

Ran my Eclipse to 154,000 miles without replacing it. Wheel bearing and an axle got me though. Not sure if I want to fix it or trade it in.

1
gabbagool•

the symptom is: your engine blows up.

4
branchan2008 Mazda3 and 1990 Miata•

Unless it's a non-interference engine.

2
UndercoverFratBoy•

It's an interference engine

3
autobahn'12 VW Golf R - '14 Audi S4•

just adding to the chorus here: there's no good way to tell when a belt will go. obviously if the belt is frayed you should replace it immediately but most belts will simply snap without any sort of warning or visual cue on the belt itself.

replace as close to the manufacturer's suggestion as possible.

I would save up everything you possibly can as you will be in an absolute world of hurt money-wise if that belt snaps.

If the car has a timing belt-driven waterpump that might be a good time to change that as well.

2
allyoucanlive•

Shop around on the labor. I bet you actually can afford it.

Example: Lexus dealership wants $1650 for my timing belt service.
A friend that works at the dealer will do it at his house for $175 plus parts (side work) He does this all day long anyway, very experienced. It's no big deal to him.

2
afnj2010 Genesis Coupe.•

you can stretch it a little I wouldn't go more than 70K just to be on the safe side.

1
Threedawg3800 Fiero(Project), 98 Escort Wagon•

Timing belt went on my 1993 Camaro. It made a loud noise, engine stopped, I towed back home, took the front cover of, put a new one on and now it is fine.

I was lucky.

It is not that hard to replace, you can do it yourself in a couple days.

1
yeliwmots•

I can do a timing belt on my car in about an hour with air tools. If it takes you days to replace and retime a motor, you shouldn't be working on cars.

Disclaimer: My motor is non-interference and it is a good idea to pull the heads and check the valvetrain after the belt breaks on an interference motor.

1
Anthaneezy•

It took me an entire weekend to replace my timing belt on my Civic.

The crankpull bolt was seized. Impact gun didn't work, even used one of those chain-type ratchets. Someone suggest I warm it up with a propane gun, didn't work. Doused it with liberal amounts of WD-40. In the end, I popped it off with a 16" 1/2" drive extension with jack supporting it midway and the biggest wrench I had. Pain in the ass.

1
autobahn'12 VW Golf R - '14 Audi S4•

do 1993 camaros have interference engines?

and timing belts on a lot of modern engines are not easy for the oil change crowd. Many applications require special tools.

1
Threedawg3800 Fiero(Project), 98 Escort Wagon•

It is non-interference.

Oh, it does require a couple not-so-ordinary tools, however it is cheaper to buy the tools and spend the time yourself then take it somewhere and have it done for you.

1
charliefrench2oo82010 Chevy HHR LT•

My toyota camry had the original at 200k, so you never know.

1
AutoPirate27•

Haha, you can tell when the belt is about to go. If the car is in good shape in every other sense (ignition good, fuel good, etc.) you can check the timing itself. If the belt is starting to go, it will have stretched. You can get a timing light/gun (google it) and check your timing. If it is fluctuating or not at the degree it should be (again, google this), the timing belt is struggling. This symptom results because the cam and the crank are not quite in perfect sync.

1
00000000000000000000•

Generally good timing belts are rated to double the suggested change interval. Kia build quality is generally fairly low and so they probably use budget parts though. You can check the timing belt for obvious signs of fraying and cracking. Age destroys the belts as much as miles. The chances of it breaking at 60k are small, but I have heard of them breaking in less miles than that. Perhaps you could put the timing belt change on a credit card or find another mechanic who would do it cheaper. Another thing you can do is see if the belt seems stretched at all based on how much give it has. You might also want to think about what not changing on time is going to do to your warranty.

1
thelvislives•

ask the mechanic at the dealer if the engine is a crash engine. "valves hit pistons when belt breaks". if not, wait it out. if so, pawn your tv to get it done.

1