Your car or van’s timing/cam belt (or timing chain) is a vital engine component, which degrades and wears over time. When left unchanged,timing/cam belt failure can severely damage the engine – an eventuality which is hugely expensive to fix and sometimes irreparable

8 Signs your Timing Belt Needs to be Replaced

1. Material Loss
Belt wear is just like tyre wear, as you lose grip you lose traction, which makes the timing belt slip. This is more likely to happen during high load use (pulling a trailer/caravan) or in wet weather.

2. Belt Abrasion
This normally occurs when there is a tensioner or pulley misalignment, excessive heat or bearing failure. Your mechanic will notice the belt’s edges have been worn down to the filaments inside.

3. Cracking
This sign of wear is self-explanatory. Your mechanic will inspect both the topside and underside (rib cross-section); if your vehicle has a neoprene timing belt and there are a lot of cracks this can indicate excessive wear, which needs to be attended to ASAP.

4. Glazing
Glazing is when the timing belt has a shiny or glossy appearance on the underside, which means the belt has gone stiff and isn’t providing the flexibility needed. Your mechanic will check this by trying to put an indent into the surface of the belt. If it doesn’t leave a mark the belt needs replacing.

5. Pilling
As the timing belt ages the material it loses can build up loosely in the rib cross-sections. This can cause belt noise and excess vibration. Your mechanic will also check the accessory brake pulleys for further material build up as they may also need to be changed.

6. Hydroplaning
This occurs when water cannot be dispersed away from the warn belt and pulleys. The belt then hydroplanes on water between the belt and pulleys, which results in a loss of power to engine accessories.

7. Elongation
Material loss can also change the effective length of the belt, moving the tensioner beyond its take-up limit. This will reduce overall tension and thus overall performance.

8. Misalignment
This type of wear will indicate to your mechanic that the tensioner’s internal components may have failed. If the tensioner fails it will result in a high level of noise, vibration and produce excessive heat. 

When it’s Time for a Timing Belt Replacement
Ask your mechanic what types of timing belts are available. If he offers both neoprene and EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) belts ask for the latter as EPDM belts have better performance and use superior technology. A neoprene belt’s life expectancy is around 80,000 to 100,000 km and as they wear cracks will occur, while EPDM belts rarely show these symptoms even at 160,000 km. But like any belt the EPDM range will wear down and still needs to be checked during regular services.

If possible ask your mechanic to fit a Gates timing belt as they produce one of the most reliable belts on the market today. Your mechanic will also use a specifically designed Gates belt wear gauge to check wear rates on the new EPDM belts to make sure your vehicle is performing optimally.

http://www.motoringabout.com/timing-belt-replacement/

Pics Credits:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timing_belt_(camshaft)

My own bet is not lapping well ever since one mechanic work on it in Makurdi, it's always at one edge and barely last for a month.

me no get any automobile ooo, car owners over to u

Ok

Thanks for reminding me

baylord101:
My own bet is not lapping well ever since one mechanic work on it in Makurdi, it's always at one edge and barely last for a month.

Are you sure you are talking about The timing belt? I suspect you mean the auxiliary belt.

Gazzuzz

DjAndroid:


Are you sure you are talking about The timing belt? I suspect you mean the auxiliary belt.

Sterring belt

g

baylord101:
My own bet is not lapping well ever since one mechanic work on it in Makurdi, it's always at one edge and barely last for a month.

One of the parts that the belt rolls on isn't properly placed on its original seat. Get a good mech to loosen and fix them well. Had same issue years back

I don't even understand this topic. Is timing belt easily visible once u pop up the hood? Anything that carries u to disassemble parts in order to assess the timing belt, then it's probably time to change.

Ok

Today is my day

Happy birthday to me

Show some love

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God bless you

maxiuc:
Today is my day
Happy birthday to me
Show some love
Let me send my account details
God bless you

.Please send me your account number immediately.

maxiuc:
Today is my day
Happy birthday to me
Show some love
Let me send my account details
God bless you

ok send am together with ur pin & BVN

maxiuc:
Today is my day

Happy birthday to me

Show some love

Let me send my account details

God bless you

So that what will happen?

Grow up and stop this birthday nonsense

Is timing belt visible? Gazzuzz please come to our aid o. And the post is even on the front page already.

Not many mechanic understand the "timing" in timing belt

davit:
Is timing belt visible? Gazzuzz please come to our aid o. And the post is even on the front page already.

Timing belt are always enclosed.

They are replaced on an interval basis. E.G 70,000km or 4years which ever comes first.

When purchasing a car, if you do not know the last time your timing belt was replaced, please Replace and have you own records.

Cc
Crazygod

chukel:
I don't even understand this topic. Is timing belt easily visible once u pop up the hood? Anything that carries u to disassemble parts in order to assess the timing belt, then it's probably time to change.

As in ehn, I don't understand this topic, is this information for us or the mechanics. Because as far as I know timing belts are not visible except you loose some components which can only be done by a motor car mechanic.

GAZZUZZ:


Timing belt are always enclosed.

They are replaced on an interval basis. E.G 70,000km or 4years which ever comes first.

When purchasing a car, if you do not know the last time your timing belt was replaced, please Replace and have you own records.

to the OP, sorry for derailing. i gat to maximize gazuzz's presence here.

to Gazuzz, pls i am based in minna but i want authentic wheel bearing for nissan almera 2000. Any idea how much it cost? i dont mind someone sending it from lag. I dont trust the mechanics here in minna

GAZZUZZ:


Timing belt are always enclosed.

They are replaced on an interval basis. E.G 70,000km or 4years which ever comes first.

When purchasing a car, if you do not know the last time your timing belt was replaced, please Replace and have you own records.

I didn't learn this on-time, had my timing cut on Monday this week