How Recognising the Five Common Signs of Timing Belt Wear Can ...

Don’t let a functioning timing belt cause you to forgo maintenance – a quality timing belt can withstand so much, and are so well built, that it can be easy to tick over your km’s without realising you’ve passed your service interval. Ask any mechanic and they’ll tell you that the key to a healthy timing system is maintenance.

Goto SBT to know more.

Following OE vehicle recommendations, and having your mechanic perform maintenance checks, is far more cost effective in the long run than leaving your timing belt installed until it breaks (and breaks your engine with it!). Neglecting regular maintenance, including the replacement of your timing belt, can lead to complete engine replacement. Repairing an improperly maintained vehicle timing system, or one that has experienced damage due to timing belt failure, can potentially set you back thousands of dollars.

With this in mind, have you been following your belt replacement intervals? If not, it’s time to book in with your mechanic so that they can assess your engine and belt condition. Gates Australia have teamed up with one of our Australian suppliers, Sparesbox, to bring you up to speed on five signs that it’s time to replace your timing belt.

1: Engine won’t start

If your engine won’t fire up, it is obvious something’s not quite right, but identifying the culprit can be challenging. Did you know that it could very well be a worn-out timing belt? If so, you should be able to hear the starter motor when the ignition is on, even though the engine won’t turn over. Unfortunately, your engine may already be damaged at this stage, if it is the timing belt causing this issue. We recommend you call your mechanic immediately, or, if you’re broken down on the road or in a car park, your insurance company (if you’re not insured, you can call to get your car towed to the mechanic).

2: Engine is making a ticking noise

A functioning timing belt (although, yes, it’s to do with timing!) should not make a ticking noise. If you notice a ticking or clicking sound coming from your engine, the source could be a worn timing belt. A high-pitched screech or whirring upon starting the engine, when you’re accelerating, or when you’re idling, may also suggest it’s time to change your timing belt. While the noises could be caused by a number of other issues, they are nothing to be idle about. We recommend you take your car to a mechanic for a full diagnosis to prevent engine damage.

Want more information on Automotive Timing Belts? Feel free to contact us.

Bonus Tip: If you also notice some engine vibration (not the good vibes type), in addition to or alongside a ticking noise, this can also be an indication of a worn timing belt and it’s suggested you visit the mechanic in this case, too.

3: Engine misfires and/or runs rough

Is your engine running rough (you feel it shaking or bouncing when idling, making unusual sounds, or has inconsistent RPM counts)? Though there are a number of potential causes, the rough days may end if you replace your timing belt. Misfiring can also potentially result from your engine’s timing being jeopardised; the worn or loose timing belt slips, resulting in the cylinders opening and closing prematurely. Misfiring is a serious problem that should be addressed straight away.  Ultimately, if you feel like your engine is running erratically, or it stops running all together, you should head to your local garage for help.

4: Car acts up between 2,000 and 4,000 RPM

If your engine has slow acceleration (it feels less powerful than it should, or used to be) when it reaches between 2,000 and RPM, is rattling, or is making an unusual sound when revving, it could be an indication that your timing belt is loose or breaking down from old age. This can also be caused by belt slippage during acceleration at high RPMs, which is another indication that your timing belt may need to be replaced, as some of the belt teeth could be missing. We recommend going to your mechanic immediately.

5: Engine exhaust fumes/smoke

If you’re noticing unusually heavy exhaust fumes, your timing belt could be the culprit. A worn timing belt overworks your engine, and the extra effort means that more exhaust is released. A large amount of excess exhaust is a strong sign that you may need to replace your timing belt ASAP. We recommend going to your mechanic and getting your engine checked before you continue to drive your vehicle.

For more information, please visit Audi Timing Belt Replacement.

Whether or not caused by your timing belt, if your engine is showing one of more of these five symptoms, you shouldn’t push your luck any longer. Hand your keys over to your mechanic, or, for newer cars, your vehicle manufacturer, and save yourself some potentially serious costs. A broken timing belt can cause your engine significant, sometimes irrevocable, damage, especially if you have an interference engine, which are common in modern cars of today. Remember, prevention is better – and, let’s face it, cheaper – than cure.

... depends on the year...

My Automatic Golf (before I swapped it with belt, rollers, tensioner, etc... rated at 100,000 miles) was only rated to 40,000 miles.

If the timing belt slips (caused from stretched belt, overworked tensioner/rollers) you will trash your engine, or at the very least your head.

If the timing belt breaks (caused by the belt becoming brittle) you will trash your engine or at the very least your head.

If someone does a "mark and prey" job (not using the correct tools for the job) you will trash your engine or at the very least your head

If someone uses the locking tools, and doesn't follow the procedures you will trash your engine and... well you get my point...

750vfr said: i keep seeing so much emphasis on timing belts on this site. what for? i've never kept a car long enough to need a timing belt. is it just because tdi drivers put so many miles on? or are the tdi timing belts fundamentally flawed?

Most TDI owners DO keep the car long enough to have to change the timing belt. I did the timing belt 5 times on my last one!

This one has a longer change interval, if it still had the same change interval as my previous one, I would have already had to do it.

There's nothing "flawed" about the design, other than the propensity of some people to not maintain their vehicle properly. Premature failures (before the scheduled replacement interval) are rare, and when they do happen, it's usually due to previous improperly-done work.

750vfr said: i keep seeing so much emphasis on timing belts on this site. what for? i've never kept a car long enough to need a timing belt. is it just because tdi drivers put so many miles on? or are the tdi timing belts fundamentally flawed?

Well, as you don't own a TDI and don't keep a car long enough to change a TB, I understand your curiosity. If one has the mindset that a car is a disposable commodity then by all means, do not waste time & money on repairs and defer as much maintainace as possible, as that IS the cheapest route to owning a car.

Just about everyone here bought their cars for longevity as there are hundreds of members with over 300,000 miles on their cars. I bought my TDIs for the long haul. I did 4 TB jobs on my greatly missed 97 and I'm getting ready to do one on my 96.

VWs are not the only cars that need the timing belts replaced. No flaws in VWs design. Last week I had the TB replaced on my son's 95 Camry. The car only has 70,000 miles on it (10,000 miles over the recommended TB change interval) so the average owner might be fooled into thinking it was OK. After 12 years of heat & dry-rot, I don't think so.



Those cracks are about 1/2 inch apart the entire belt. The engine was living on borrowed time. Now I have peace of mind and my son has good reliable transportation for years to come. My other son drives a Mitsu Galant. The TB on that car was in similar shape. Not anymore.

If one is the sort that gets bored with a car easily and has the income to take huge losses on regular trade-ins, then by all means, just drive it and don't look back.

750vfr said: ok ok. i get the point. i know timing chains and belts need replacement at some point. i've just never seen as much banter about it on other car forums (porsche, vortex, subdriven, etc). thanks for the clarification.

and a took a hiatus. i looked into tdi's years back when it made sense for my commute. now i'm back to a long commute and i can write off my miles. so it makes sense for me to get a car that costs less $/mile.

well, there are no *new* TDI's for '07, they're all overstocked '06's. This is the last of the PD's. '08 will usher in the new Common Rail engine. If you want one now, you better look NOW. Also, you want banter, try the 505.01 oil spec over in 'fuels and lubricants'

search the site. Read the stickies first. Answers to everything...

later... I suppose, from one point of view, any "interference" engine might be said to have a design flaw, the more so when the cost of replacing / repairing that engine can be $4,000. Some engines are non-interference, e.g., many Toyota engines, and it's nice, especially for those of us with a penchant for buying 10-year old cars with 100K+ on them. If the TB goes one them, you're out the cost of a tow and a tb. Same thing happens on a TDI and you may have totalled the car. But you need the higher compression in these diesels. Hence the interference design, and our paranoia!

GoFaster said: What recent Toyota engines are non-interference??

I've yet to see any 4-valve-per-cylinder head on any gasoline engine that is non-interference.

"Non-interference" basically implies "low compression and crappy combustion chamber shape" which implies an inefficient design, and that's not the way things are headed.

Most Toyota engines, even the 4 valvers, are non interference up until just recently. Only the 3.3L 3MZ-FE and the 4.3L 3UZ-FE engines are interference engines using a belt driven OHC arrangement.

There are plenty of others, too. Some Mazdas, Subarus, and Hondas, for instance have 4 valve "freewheeling" engines.

In any event, it is rare for a belt to fail before its normal interval. Anyone that buys such an animal with questionable PM history should exercise common sense and bring the components such as a belt up to speed. Even if it is NOT a damaging engine, it makes zero sense to just "plan on a breakdown and a tow". That is just silly when the job is such an easy thing to do on all but a very few engines.

750vfr said: i keep seeing so much emphasis on timing belts on this site. what for? i've never kept a car long enough to need a timing belt. is it just because tdi drivers put so many miles on? or are the tdi timing belts fundamentally flawed?

I think the emphasis on timing belts here is because most of the newer TDI's are now reaching the milage that they are needing replacement. The job is a little bit involved, but with a little help, people can save alot of $$$! I think most people realize they are just throwing their money away when they have a dealer do the job.
I also second the fact that most people buy TDI's for the long haul.
I don't understand why someone would buy one and then sell it before 100k mi.

bigsexyTDI said: Ooops just realized Brian already basically said this, but the wifey's Lexus RX300 which has the Toyo 3.0 in it is "non-interference"

Kinda interests me...I am just going to wait to see when and if it does fail...

Wait until it breaks? That is silly. The time it would take you to wait for a tow vehicle you can have had the belt replaced. Why put you or your wife in a situation where it becomes necessary for that?

That is an easy job. No reason to wait for it to break.

bigsexyTDI said: Ooops just realized Brian already basically said this, but the wifey's Lexus RX300 which has the Toyo 3.0 in it is "non-interference"

Kinda interests me...I am just going to wait to see when and if it does fail...

I have a 95 Camry and I have had the TB break twice. Both times it broke, it was being driven by my wife. They both broke before the time it was due for a change.

The first time it broke I was on a business trip out of town. She was on her way home from work but she was still in town so I had my cousin drop by and pick her up...got to love a cell in times like that. The second time she was on her way to work. She leaves for work before me and I found her setting on the side of the road. She was not happy either time.

It will be changed early this time.

I also just had my TB changed on the 04 PD with only 88,500 on the dial. Considering my luck with TBs, this was a wise decision.

oilhammer said: Wait until it breaks? That is silly. The time it would take you to wait for a tow vehicle you can have had the belt replaced. Why put you or your wife in a situation where it becomes necessary for that?

That is an easy job. No reason to wait for it to break.

Aww c'mon Brian...

It was a joke...see the little rollyeyes smiley?

BTW, I never told you, but the bug finally got fixed. Took it to a body shop, got a couple things straightened up... Even got my A/C fixed.

750vfr said: now i'm back to a long commute and i can write off my miles. so it makes sense for me to get a car that costs less $/mile.

I always volunteer to drive when it's company business. $.50/mile rocks in the TDI

wmahaffey said: TDI timing belts are not fundamentally flawed. All timing belts, gasser and diesel are not nearly as durable as timing chains. Most gasser timing belts should be changed about 60,000 miles.

Pfft. I say we go back to rockers. It's what the big boys use, I'd take a lash setting over a TB job any day.