If you have no clue what a timing belt is, you’re not alone. Questions like “Do I need to get my car’s timing belt replaced?” or “What is a timebelt, anyway?” may come to mind. At Payne Auto Group, cars are our business, and we want to make sure you’re learning plenty, too.

What’s a Timing Belt?

A timing belt is an important part of your vehicle’s system. The rubber belt works inside your cars internal combustion engines by ensuring the synchronizing of the engines function. The belt maintains the rotation of two shafts (the camshaft and the crankshaft) along with the opening and closing of the engines valves. Why is this important? When the valves open and close, air and gas are allowed to circulate in and out of your car. This in turn makes the fuel in your vehicle ignite in the combustion chamber.

Proper timing belt maintenance is important. If your timing belt wears out to a ragged state and breaks, these valves will immediately open at the wrong time. They will then clash against the larger pistons operating in your cars engine, and thus, cause damage.

Unfortunately, deteriorating timing belts aren’t easily diagnosed. Most of the time, you won’t find out you’re in need of a replacement until you take it in and your mechanic points it out. But don’t panic! There is a general rule of thumb that can help you. Most mechanics often recommend that the belt be replaced between every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. If you aren’t quite convinced, you can do a quick scan through the owner’s manual to find what’s recommended for your particular vehicle.

Be sure to tune in next week for more tips on vehicle maintenance! In the mean time, check out any of our previous posts to find something you may have missed out on!

For more information about Ed Payne’s Rio Grande Valley cars, visit your local McAllen, Weslaco, Rio Grande City or Brownsville dealership.