How do I know when to change timing belt?

andy71_2

Thanks very much for this information.

The car was serviced by Vauxhall up to the last service (which was about a year ago). For this service, I took it to a local garage. When it broke down it was taken to a Vauxhall garage which came up with the huge bill. I sold the car as a non-runner as the repair exceeded the value of the car.

There is another thing which I've been wondering about. When the timing chain failed, the car was stationery; it simply failed to start. I'm curious as to how so much damage was caused in this case. Perhaps an well-intended attempt to jump-start the car contributed to the problem?

jeannieblue

andy71 wrote: »

Thanks very much for this information.

The car was serviced by Vauxhall up to the last service (which was about a year ago). For this service, I took it to a local garage. When it broke down it was taken to a Vauxhall garage which came up with the huge bill. I sold the car as a non-runner as the repair exceeded the value of the car.

There is another thing which I've been wondering about. When the timing chain failed, the car was stationery; it simply failed to start. I'm curious as to how so much damage was caused in this case. Perhaps an well-intended attempt to jump-start the car contributed to the problem?

I'm interested on the answer to your last paragraph there and hope a knowledgable person out there can answer it! I know that if going along and it goes (as with cam belt) alot of damage can be done.

Shame you didn't know to stop driving when it started to rattle or get it checked - at least this will help others to be aware.

vaio

jeannieblue wrote: »

I'm interested on the answer to your last paragraph there and hope a knowledgeable person out there can answer it! I know that if going along and it goes (as with cam belt) a lot of damage can be done.

Shame you didn't know to stop driving when it started to rattle or get it checked - at least this will help others to be aware.

the Vauxhall chains don’t break, they wear due to lack of oil and then slip on the sprocket. For some reason most do it whilst being started (maybe to do with the virtually infinite acceleration needed to go from zero to tick over???).

Normal result is bent valves, sometimes (rarely) cam/bearings/followers/head.

cyclonebri1

vaio wrote: »

the Vauxhall chains don’t break, they wear due to lack of oil and then slip on the sprocket. For some reason most do it whilst being started (maybe to do with the virtually infinite acceleration needed to go from zero to tick over???).

Normal result is bent valves, sometimes (rarely) cam/bearings/followers/head.

Thats my experience too, even with belts. More often than not they go on start up.

djheath

andy71 wrote: »

There is another thing which I've been wondering about. When the timing chain failed, the car was stationery; it simply failed to start. I'm curious as to how so much damage was caused in this case. Perhaps an well-intended attempt to jump-start the car contributed to the problem?

The timing belt/chain opens the valves at the right point, when the piston is also at the right point. When the piston moves up the engine, the timing belt/chain ensures the valves are closed and moved out of the way of the incoming piston. If the belt snapped, but the engine was not moving there is no problem. Its as soon as the engine is moved then pistons can hit valves which means valves are bent, pistons broken and all in all, lots of painful noises and a big repair bill!! In your case, as soon as you started turning the engine over, jumpstarting it the damage would be happening. Not nice.

andy71_2

OK, thanks for the info!

PM

I have a 52 plaate toyota corolla thats done 75k anyone know when belt would need changing

jb66

My last BMW had done 144k and still had the original timing chain

Hintza

PM wrote: »

I have a 52 plaate toyota corolla thats done 75k anyone know when belt would need changing

You will be living on borrowed time. Our Golf's went at 33K miles when the interval was 80K miles (I think VW have since reduced this).

Someone will be along shortly tell yoo when the recommended interval is but I would be getting it done.

And in response to the previous poster a timing chain is a completely different kettle of fish and in most cases should last the life of the car.

jeannieblue

Is it a VVTI engine? If so, it has a timing chain.