[Ray32825]

In the US most timing belts are changed between 60K and 100K miles. Although it is not a very expensive job, it is better to change all the components rather than have to repeat the procedure all over again for a pulley or water pump. Sometimes, depending on the vehicle and the amount of miles the engine has on it, we even change the cam and crank seals. Here is a link to show you the kinds of kits available from Gates - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...lt%2Caps%2C256

[ramzsys]

Guys, there is nothing like 'inspecting' the timing belt and reporting it's quality. Change it by time/mileage whichever is earlier, as specified by the manufacturer.

These days it is 100k km for cars which is reasonably a longer interval so a water pump change is advised because replacing the water pump involves dismantling the timing belt setup again, so better let them be changed together.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Guys, there is nothing like 'inspecting' the timing belt and reporting it's quality. Change it by time/mileage whichever is earlier, as specified by the manufacturer.

+100.

The current set of engine with the internals are strong for the regular use, hence following the schedule written in the owners manual will keep the car good for life time.

And for such critical parts there NO scope of adjustment/inspection. Just change it at the kms clocked/time period whichever is earlier. Any experiments/ R&D is customers loss.

Anurag.

[stable rock]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Guys, there is nothing like 'inspecting' the timing belt and reporting it's quality. Change it by time/mileage whichever is earlier, as specified by the manufacturer.

These days it is 100k km for cars which is reasonably a longer interval so a water pump change is advised because replacing the water pump involves dismantling the timing belt setup again, so better let them be changed together.

The timing belt for my Hyundai Elantra CRDI was initially changed at 80000kms as per the manual. After that it was changed at 204000 kms. As per manual it was supposed to be changed at 160000 but my mechanic checked it at regular service interval and informed me it was in good shape.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by stable rock

The timing belt for my Hyundai Elantra CRDI was initially changed at 80000kms as per the manual.

There's some tolerance in the interval; say ford's 1.4 tdci motor belt change is 1,20,000 miles or 10 years; but they had recommended 100k or 5 year whichever earlier. I believe this is owing to the stop go traffic and idling hours not included in the km count.

Even for the 1.5 dci, the interval is 1,60,000 km/mile but Mahindra recommends 60k km only. My neighbour knows this but he is running at 90k now; but then i wouldn't want to deal with Murphy's job and the following head-job(!).

Having said that, cars that have done pure highway runs with gradual acceleration and following proper warmup procedure are some of which can ensure the assurance of the recommended belt life.

EDIT: Some great mileage you have covered, putting that crdi engine to good use, considering that the 2.0 crdi returns satisfactory kmpl numbers as well!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by stable rock

The timing belt for my Hyundai Elantra CRDI was initially changed at 80000kms as per the manual. After that it was changed at 204000 kms. As per manual it was supposed to be changed at 160000 but my mechanic checked it at regular service interval and informed me it was in good shape.

I wonder how they would check that? You should ask, because a visual inspection is not going to tell you anything. On some cars there are a few measurements on the chain length that you can do, but not all manufacturers publish this data, so in many cases its simply not known what to look for or what to measure. Failure of a timing belt will nearly always lead to catastrophic engine damage. I would always stick to the manufacturers recommended intervals, especially on this one.

Think of it like this. suppose it did fail, even after they informed you it was in good shape. Would they have repaired your engine at no cost for you?

Jeroen

[Ray32825]

My initial post was directed towards Baleno owners (2003 Baleno vxi engine query) and not to general timing belt issues.
I wanted to know what others (individuals or techs) had experienced with this model - is it an interference engine, and what about valve lash/adjustment?
Anyway, as far as timing a belt inspection is concerned, there is a reason why almost every manufacturer recomends this at intervals or 20K or so. In my opinion, it's like not having a medical checkup (or bloodwork) done until you are 60!

[aviraj]

I own a Getz Prime 2007 model. It has clocked almost 94000 kms. Recently my local mechanic advised me to get the Engine belt replaced as the car has been driven a lot (This is the engine timing belt I presume). I have not checked with the Hyundai service center yet.

- What is the need for this replacement and when should this be done?
- How do we know when to do this? Does the car give any signs?
- What would be the approximate costs for doing this?
- Any risks of not doing this timely?

Thanks

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by aviraj

- What is the need for this replacement and when should this be done?
- How do we know when to do this? Does the car give any signs?
- What would be the approximate costs for doing this?
- Any risks of not doing this timely?

Thanks

-Usually if its belts (rubber) it will be 75k or 5 years.
-Unless you open the cover and check very hard to find and they fail abrupt, hence follow the above rule.
-Anything between 4-8k depending on brands, and do replace the tensioner bearing unit also.
-Catastrophic.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by aviraj

- Any risks of not doing this timely?

Yes of course, a timing belt failure can lead to huge risks for the engine specially in an interference engine layout (where valves & pistons occupy the same space within cylinder). The timing belt basically keeps the both from smashing into each other.

The timing belt is basically reinforced rubber with a ribbed pattern. Rubber may it be the highest quality, still will deteriorate over time based on weather & wear. Now I'm no fan of early replacement of any spare-part, I always recommend that all parts be checked for wear/tear before taking the decision to replace. However in this situation 8 years & 90k+ km is more than enough reason to replace the timing belt in the Getz (its what the manual recommends as well if I remember). Go ahead with it as early as possible, its a wise investment compared to a warped engine head if the timing belt snaps.

[hothatchaway]

Do the K series petrol engine in Maruti cars use a timing belt or a chain? Can someone shed more light on this?

Could not locate this information in my Alto K10 user manual

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Do the K series petrol engine in Maruti cars use a timing belt or a chain? Can someone shed more light on this?

Could not locate this information in my Alto K10 user manual

Alto K10 user manual, page 115, section 9-2 (Periodic Maintenance Schedule), sub-section 'Engine', point# 8:

Camshaft Timing Belt (damage/wear): Inspect every 20k kms/2yrs, replace every 100k kms.

[aviraj]

Thanks. I finally replaced the timing belt and tensioner at 96500 kms. Bit late as per Hyundai manual recommendations, but better late than never.

It cost me around 3000 for the timing belt, 2500 for tensioner and 1300 for labour (Prices exclusive of VAT and service tax). They also replaced the AC and alternator belts which were actually not required to be replaced as they had been replaced few months back only. But I let it go as they are not too expensive and they gave me back the ones they removed, so can be re-used in future.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by aviraj

Thanks. I finally replaced the timing belt and tensioner at 96500 kms. Bit late as per Hyundai manual recommendations, but better late than never.

It cost me around 3000 for the timing belt, 2500 for tensioner and 1300 for labour (Prices exclusive of VAT and service tax). They also replaced the AC and alternator belts which were actually not required to be replaced as they had been replaced few months back only. But I let it go as they are not too expensive and they gave me back the ones they removed, so can be re-used in future.

Though adjustments are usually not needed, the user manual recommends that new timing/shaft belts be checked and adjusted for play after a few thousand kilometers post-install. The actual acceptable 'play' measurements are in the manual for reference.

[pramodpk]

I have a 2010 September Ford Fiesta Petrol which has done 52 K KMS. The manual says timing belt has to be replaced at 1 Lakh KMS or 5 Years. I called up metro ford and they said they will check and replace if necessary. Is it possible to check whether replacement is required? I will be doing a 6000 KM round trip in October and want the car to be in top shape. They are quoting 17 K for Timining belt, accessory belt and pulleys.