Which timing belt do i use

What are Vehicle Diagnostics? Back in the day, it was up to the individual mechanic to determine what was wrong with your vehicle. All Rights Reserved. Powered by: Local Internet. What is a Timing Belt? Related source: Yahoo. In more recently manufactured vehicles, the timing belt is a rubber belt that synchronizes the actions of the camshaft and crankshaft to keep your valves safely moving and your engine running.

In older vehicles, the timing belt may actually be a chain. Regardless, the purpose is the same, and it is important to the functioning of your vehicle. The camshaft operates the valves in your engine to let in and out air and gas. The crankshaft moves the pistons up and down. These two systems have to operate in exact synchronization or damage could occur to the valves, pistons, engine or other nearby parts. It is the job of the timing belt to ensure this synchronization occurs by keeping each system turning at the correct rate.

Newer cars can usually go , miles before the timing belt needs replacement. Older vehicles may need it replaced at 60, It is important to note that if the water pump goes bad, the timing belt will usually need to also be replaced. This is because most often the belt has to be removed to replace the water pump.

Replacing the timing belt is an important maintenance item! So, if you own a car, you should understand how a timing belt works and when to replace it. Think of a timing belt like a bike chain for your vehicle—it keeps all the internal moving parts of an engine in sync. It also sometimes powers the water pump, oil pump and injection pump.

The timing belt is a rubber belt with hard teeth that interlock with the cogwheels of the crankshaft and the camshafts. It synchronizes the movement of the crankshaft and camshafts. This ensures that the engine intake and exhaust valves open and close in time with the pistons. If the crankshaft and camshafts are not operating in unison, the vehicle will not run correctly. If the intake valves open too early, there may be too much fuel-air mixture flowing into the engine combustion chamber, leading to poor combustion and power loss.

And if the exhaust valves open too early, the combustion chamber will lose pressure and cause a power loss. If the engine components are very out of sync, they might collide and damage each other, resulting in costly repairs. Depending on your vehicle model, you might have a timing chain instead of a timing belt. A timing chain functions the same as a belt, but it is metal instead of rubber.