Timing belt failure causes

The timing belt is a crucial component of a car engine. The timing belt functions to equalize the crankshaft rotation with the opening and closing times of the intake and exhaust valves. In use, the timing belt has a useful life and service life. It must be replaced if it has entered the service life distance.

Generally, timing belts are replaced at quite a long time, starting from 4 years to 6 years, so it is so familiar if too many people forget the timing belt replacement schedule. Failing to schedule a timing belt replacement can be fatal as the timing belt will break and cause severe damage to the engine.

Yes, a broken timing belt will cause the engine to suffer severe damage, even you need to put the car in a garage for a long time, plus the cost of repairs is quite expensive.

Therefore, we should anticipate as early as possible so that the car's timing belt does not break. The following are some of the causes of timing belt breaks that often occur.

1. Exceeded the engine workload limit

The first cause of timing belt breaks is when the timing belt usage exceeds the engine workload limit. Yes, a car engine also has an engine workload that must maintain to remain durable. When the engine's usage exceeds the workload, the engine will quickly break down; one example is a broken timing belt.

Here are some engine uses that often exceed workload and also occur frequently.

The vehicle is used to carry heavy loads in off-road working areas and is used continuously without stopping.
The engine is driven at high rpm (close to the red limit on the rpm or exceeding it) continuously.

The two things above are examples of using a car that exceeds the engine workload limit. Moreover, given the relatively hot climate and temperature, the durability of the engine's timing belt is reduced.

The use of a timing belt that exceeds the engine workload limit as above will make the timing belt brittle (due to heat), causing the timing belt to become cracked, loose, and even broken.

2. Exceeded the recommend distance and mileage

In addition to exceeding the engine workload limit, the next and frequent cause of breaking timing belts is exceeding the mileage and timing belt replacement limits recommended in the owner's manual.

In general, manufacturers often recommend replacing the timing belt every 100,000 km (for safety, double-check the recommended mileages for your car in the owner's manual).

Suppose the timing belt is forced and used to exceed 60,000 miles or exceed the recommended distance in the vehicle owner's manual. In that case, the possibility of breaking the timing belt is substantial.

It's a good idea to check the condition of the timing belt once every 4,000 miles. If you see signs of cracking, hardness, brittleness, or even starting to break, then you can replace it immediately before there is more severe damage due to a broken timing belt.

3. Error during installation

The next cause of timing belt break is due to an error when installing the timing belt. The timing belt must be properly installed and can only be done by a trained and competent technician.

Here are some installation errors that we have ever noticed and resulted in timing belt break:

The timing belt is installed too tight or too loose, so it is not strong enough to withstand the engine speed load.
The timing gear flange near the timing belt is bent so that part of the timing belt is crushed and the timing belt breaks.
The timing belt is not replaced in one set. Several other components that are not replaced (such as pulley bearings and auto tensioners) will become damaged at another time, resulting in breaking the timing belt.

Error and mistakes when installing the timing belt, as we mentioned above, can cause the timing belt to break. Therefore, always replace the timing belt in one set and replace it at an authorized repair shop.

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4. Timing belt exposed to oil

The next cause of timing belt break is due to the timing belt that is exposed to oil. The timing belt exposure to oil is generally due to the worn-out oil seal on the front engine (near the timing belt) that leaked. The timing belt is one of the engine components that should not be exposed to oil.

Yes, this is because the timing belt is made from a rubber base strengthened by a layer of thread inside. If the timing belt rubber is exposed to oil, the timing belt rubber will gradually become brittle and break easily. Therefore, if the engine's timing belt has been exposed to engine oil, you should immediately repair the oil leak and replace the timing belt with a new one.

5. Using a low-quality timing belt

The last thing that can cause a timing belt to break is using a low-quality timing belt. Yes, almost all components of vehicles with high selling power often have low-quality parts. One of them is the timing belt.

At first glance, it isn't easy to distinguish between a low-quality timing belt and genuine parts. However, the quality of genuine parts cannot be deceived, including durability during use.

Low-quality timing belts have a much lower material than the original timing belts. So that in their use, low-quality timing belts break more quickly, even though the distance traveled by using the timing belt is still small.

Therefore, always buy a timing belt from a trusted authorized part shop to avoid using low-quality timing belts that can break and cause many losses.