I just bought my first car 2 months ago (got insurance a few days ago). The car is an R reg FIAT Punto. Ive got some receipts from the previous owner but I cant find one to say that the timing belt had been replaced.
The belt looks new and the cam cover has been cracked by someone over-tightening it. It sounds to me like its been done but I know what damage it can do if it breaks!
Is there a way to see if its ok?
How do i know if it needs to be changed?
(When it snaps on the M6??, ha ha, very funny!)
Anyone know?How do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
My suggestion, take it to a Fiat Dealership/garage one that warranty's their work and pay to have the belt changed, this way should it break after wards you have a guarantee.
Normally when I timing belt is changed it is annotated under the hood or in the maintenance log part of your owners manual.
Best of luckHow do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
If it is not cracked on the outside, It is most likely OK. You didn't mention how many miles were on the vehicle, that is a factor that manufacturers list and recommend. Visual is the only real way to see if it is OK. On some engines, it is possible for the valves to crash into the pistons, this is usually fatal for a motor. If it looks easy to change, wait until some cracks appear and get it changed.My daughter had one break, no damage, it just conked out, instantly!How do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
In general it needs to be changed when the manufacturer says to change it (ignore those idiots who tell you to look at it, the belt can break even if it looks just fine).
If you're not sure whether it's been changed and it would be due for a change (or overdue) then get it changed (when it snaps is not a good idea considering the expense of a cylinder head rebuild).How do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
Look at the odometer. 60,000 miles on the car yet?. Chances are the belt has not been replaced yet. They are done about every 60. intervals. Ask the dealer as to what their interval number is(it may be higher or lower).
There is no way to know by looking at it. Even if it looks OK, it is advisable to change them every 60,000 miles just to be safe.
When in doubt, change it. For the cost of the belt is much less than the cost of an engine rebuild or replacement(if you are really unlucky)How do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
You will only know if you know the mileage on that belt or when engine conks out.How do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
if your worried about it change it before it snaps and causes a lot more problemsHow do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
As a general rule if you don't know that it has been changed then get the job done.
It depends on the car, but on many modern cars having a cambelt let go is to have all sorts of engine part collide at very high speeds, an engine destroying moment.
I would get the haynes or similar and see what the recomended intervals are for your car unser your kind of use.
For vehicles doing stop start that can be as low as 15 thousand miles out on the motorway all day and it could be a lot longer.
There is no fail safe way of telling if the cambelt is on it's way out. Very often they look fine on the outside and are letting go on the inside.
As a job it's towards the top of what a DIY mechanic can do, often needing special tools to do the job too.
RHow do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
You can look at your belt, if you see it is chaffed or cracked along the top around the pully it will be better to change it, another way to test it is while your car is standing remove cover and twist it side to side if it has a crackiling feeling or if you hear a crackling, you should seriously change it.
A timing belt needs to be changed every 75000 Km, so if your car has more than this on the clock and you have all the reciepts chances are it was changed already.How do I know if I need to change my timing belt?
looks can be decieving. if you are unsure you probably want to replace it to ensure there will be no damage to the engine. if there is any way you can get in contact with the previous owner to inquire if the belt was replaced i would do so.
