The timing belt is not one of the more commonly thought-about aspects of your vehicle. If your vehicle has a large amount of mileage on it, however, you should consider having it replaced before it breaks. Having your timing belt break can cause serious damage to your vehicle’s engine. If you need help getting your timing belt replaced, you can always rely on the services of your local autobody shops in Belleville, IL. Here we will be talking more about your timing belt, what it is for, and when to have it replaced.
What Is Your Timing Belt For?
Your timing belt is a strong rubber belt with teeth that connects to parts of your engine that are responsible for opening and closing the valves and moving the pistons up and down within the engine cylinders. It is used to synchronize the movements of these parts. Every gasoline-powered vehicle has some kind of timing mechanism. Most cars will have rubber timing belts, however, some can use a chain, which has the benefit of not needing to be replaced nearly as much.
When To Have It Replaced?
While it generally defers from vehicle to vehicle, automobile manufacturers and auto body shops in Belleville, IL will recommend that you have your timing belt replaced between 90,000 – 105,000. If you are unsure how many miles your manufacturer recommends, you can always check your owner’s manual for suggested replacement times. The cost of the services to replace your belt ranges from $500 to $1,000. Waiting for your belt to break, however, can end up costing you even more for not only replacing the belt but also fixing any damage done to the engine. When factoring this in, you are looking at about $2000. When you go to get your belt replaced, a majority of autobody shops will tell you to have your water pump replaced as well. This will serve as preventative maintenance since it will cost you even more money to have it replaced later on than having it replaced while having your timing belt replaced.
Timing belts are not easy to fix on your own since they are in such hard-to-reach places in your vehicle. If you need help from a professional auto body company that can get your belt fixed and have you back on the roads in Belleville, IL, give our team of experts over at Hotzrodz a call today!