YOUR VEHICLE’S TIMING BELT AND WHY IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED

Omaha car owners are never pleased to hear their vehicle’s timing belt needs to be replaced. This is a pricey procedure that’s time-consuming for an auto service professional. The best way to understand this repair and its necessity to the long-term life of a vehicle is to know what a timing belt is and why it needs to be replaced.

The timing belt is made of synthetic rubber and reinforced with fiber cords. This key component to your vehicle keeps everything in the engine in sync. When the engine is on, it’s in constant, timed motion, because of the belt. As the connection between the crankshaft and camshaft, it’s extremely important that a vehicle’s timing belt is working properly.

The crankshaft converts energy from the pistons, which move up and down, into energy that eventually turns the wheels. The camshaft opens and closes the engine’s valves to allow air and gas in and out of the engine. Without the timing belt the pistons and valves would collide.

It’s important to stay on top of your timing belt to prevent a problem from occurring. Our Omaha auto service professionals at House of Mufflers and Brakes should be able to let you know when replacement is necessary or approaching. Generally, replacing it every four years or 60,000 miles is recommended or, in newer vehicles, every 90,000 miles.

Again, your Omaha mechanic will look for signs of wear, such as cracks, shredding or excessive slack. If a timing belt becomes too worn it can cause serious engine problems in the vehicle, so be sure to have a routine maintenance check with a trusted auto professional and heed their advice if they recommend a new timing belt.