Don't guess. Look it up in your car's maintenance manual. Also check the online Gates belt replacement guide below to see if you have an %26quot;interference%26quot; type engine that suffers major damage if the belt breaks. If you don't have an interference engine, you can just keep driving until the belt breaks and then get it fixed. It may never break.
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochuHow often is it necessary to change the timing belt on a car?
50K is the norm for most cars, however some cars such as the Audi specify 30K. If you don't change the belt, you can trash your engine beyond repair.How often is it necessary to change the timing belt on a car?
Most manules will tell you 60,000 but in lots of cases you can push it to 75 or 80,000How often is it necessary to change the timing belt on a car?
60k is the limit you want to push,anytime after that you are living on borrowed time.Some engines will suffer great damage to the valves and pistons if left to chance.How often is it necessary to change the timing belt on a car?
i know nothing about carsHow often is it necessary to change the timing belt on a car?
You can call the dealer and ask for the Service Dept. and ask them the appropriate mileage for your model. For my '87 Honda it was 60,000 mi., but later models specify 90,000. It finally broke at 110,000 mi., costing $1500 back in 1992.
At many auto parts stores you can buy a Haynes or Chilton's do-it-yourself manual for your model car, with step-by-step instructions, service intervals for belts, filters, etc. and basic explanations at the beginning of each chapter. If it is not in stock, you can order it online by searching on %26quot;auto repair manuals%26quot; on Yahoo search. In the front is a section on %26quot;Troubleshooting%26quot; that guides you step-by-step to find causes of most engine malfunctions based on the car's symptoms. Whether you do the work yourself or not, it helps you make informed decisions and not be taken advantage of, and to not feel so %26quot;in the dark.%26quot;
db667089 says: you can check http://www.alldatadiy.com. For about the same price as a Haynes or Chilton's repair manual, you can have online access (for a whole year) to model specific info for your particular vehicle. This is the same info that repair shops use. They have great wiring schematics/diagrams.
Also, for about $15 for a one-month subscription, you can get the factory repair manual, downloadable (careful! Mine was about 500 pages!) or viewable, at http://eAutoRepair.com.
Also, many people recommend autozone.com's free online manuals.
Best regards,
Mike
