75k and not been changed isn't a huge deal. Just change it after you buy it, and use the fact that the chain hadn't been changed to your advantage to get them lower on the price. As far as your buddy with 300 on the original chain, he should probably buy himself a lottery ticket, because it sounds like he's had great luck.

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You meant chain, right? What's fair price? I'm in southeast and what does manual say interval is?
Thanks again

 

LC accent uses timing belt,,, see the black plastic cover on end of engine ??

The timing belt used on the 1.5/1.6 is not a heavy duty item,, it kinda wimpy.. replace every 60-80 like clock work... too many post flying around the LC forum of broken belt and bent valves.. belt is easy.. cylinder head/engine is royal PIA... you decide

 

Ok, thanks. Is there a stronger after-market one ie like Gates that I could use, Kevlar reinforced etc?
Is there a cover or something I can take of to inspect it as well? Would think there'd be signs of wear as a signal.

 

The four timing belt installs I have done this spring/summer had from 55,000 to unknown-miles-but-ten-years-age. Three looked very good when directly compared to their new replacements. The fourth had numerous splits across the inside grooves (probably would have broken soon), but I could not see them while the belt was still mounted in the vehicle.
I am going to do my grandson's recent purchase '04 Accent this month as we have no history of any changes from the most recent owner. I would think about any of the more popular brand name belts should be okay - I ordered Dayco as the kit was best equipped.

 

If in doubt, replace. Never gamble with a timing belt when its interval draws near. You're playing an engine version of Russian roulette.

Besides, it's cheaper than the alternative. By $1,000's.

 

How many times are people going to ask this?

The procedure is simple:

1. Open manual
2. Read section re replacement camshaft timing belt
3. Follow its instructions religiously
4. Profit (because you really don't want the experience of your valvegear shrapnelling past your face & the expense of a whole new engine - or a funeral for a loved one if the engine locks at 80mph.. & faceplants her & her young kids into asphalt at speed)

God alone knows the Accent owners manual is abysmal (something akin to explaining how to do an Apollo launch on 5 double sheets of A4) but its there for a reason. Use it.

 

rosie - i think he's asking not what the interval is, but how long do they really last safely? there's a big difference there.

skm - to try to give you an idea, when designing this car and making the maintenance schedule, the engineers know the belt will break at some point. its a matter of time. they also know a broken belt will result in major damage. so when to change it?

statistics is your answer. they do a bit of testing and some fun math and figure out when there is a significant occurrence of breaking belts starting. then you dial that mileage number back a bit into a range when virtually none will break. its the point when the belt breaking is a freak occurrence. that's when you replace it.

so your friend with over 300k is one of the lucky few that has not broken the belt by that point. the farther he goes without replacing it, the closer he gets to the day it breaks. the belts can and do last a lot longer than what the OM states. the risk beyond that number would be fairly small, but it would increase enormously the further you go.

as for the 2005 you're looking at, as long as you don't mind replacing the belt it not being replaced at any mileage is fine - as long as it hasn't yet broken or had a few teeth sheared off it. damage has not yet been done.