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Timing Belt Replacement?

97K views 67 replies 43 participants last post by  billd75 
#1 ·
So I see the timing belt is to be replaced every 60k... what are the downsides to holding off on this? I asked my mechanic and he said to just run it until it wears out and needs to be replaced. What do you guys think? Is this good advice? Apart from a voided warranty, what else is at risk?

THanks!
 
#2 ·
Downside.. your powertrain warranty WILL be void if you do not replace the timing belt @ 60k. That's not a dealer thing, that's Hyundai Corp. That's a pretty awful idea to wait until it wears out.

Would you do that for your brakes? Wait until you can't stop anymore, and then replace them?
 
#4 ·
QUOTE (shdowflare @ May 22 2010, 05:26 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=325296
So I see the timing belt is to be replaced every 60k... what are the downsides to holding off on this? I asked my mechanic and he said to just run it until it wears out and needs to be replaced. What do you guys think? Is this good advice? Apart from a voided warranty, what else is at risk?

THanks!

its like plying russian roulette with your engine......................do you feel lucky?
 
#5 ·
QUOTE (shdowflare @ May 22 2010, 12:26 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=325296
So I see the timing belt is to be replaced every 60k... what are the downsides to holding off on this? I asked my mechanic and he said to just run it until it wears out and needs to be replaced. What do you guys think? Is this good advice? Apart from a voided warranty, what else is at risk?

THanks!
Get a new mechanic, seriously. It's a timing belt not a power steering or alternator belt we're talking about. If it breaks, you'll be looking at new valves, lifters, guides, maybe a camshaft or two, pistons and possibly cylinder bore damage if a valve breaks off its stem.

This is what will happen if you "wait until it wears out"


Happened on my 1991 Passat Syncro. I got EXTREMELY lucky because the belt stripped right when #2 exhaust and #3 intake (IIRC) valves were overlapping and I was idling. It didn't damage anything except my pride for not replacing it when I didn't know its mileage. This is a one in a million chance, most 20v 1.8t engine will bend valves.

DO NOT WAIT!!!
 
#6 ·
I also got lucky when my timing belt broke. Like everyone says, do not wait. If your mechanic said to wait, either he has never worked on a car before, or he wants your money, and all of it. You really don't want to wait, like burnit said, you WILL be replacing a lot of internals if you do.
 
#7 ·
QUOTE (shdowflare @ May 22 2010, 10:26 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=325296
So I see the timing belt is to be replaced every 60k... what are the downsides to holding off on this? I asked my mechanic and he said to just run it until it wears out and needs to be replaced. What do you guys think? Is this good advice? Apart from a voided warranty, what else is at risk?

THanks!
The possability of a total engine replacement is the downside to this strategy. I think your mechanic is a m*r*n for giving you such advice. Timing belts break when they wear out. This link shows the consequences of a broken timing belt on Kia Rio, which is more-or-less a Hyundai Accent clone:

http://www.kia-forums.com/236438-post5.html

I would replace the belt now if it is due.
 
#69 ·
Ouch. Nasty damage!

QUOTE (shdowflare @ May 22 2010, 10:26 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=325296

The possability of a total engine replacement is the downside to this strategy. I think your mechanic is a m*r*n for giving you such advice. Timing belts break when they wear out. This link shows the consequences of a broken timing belt on Kia Rio, which is more-or-less a Hyundai Accent clone:

http://www.kia-forums.com/236438-post5.html

I would replace the belt now if it is due.
Wow. So that's what it looks like when a timing belt snaps on an interference engine. Man, that is ugly! Yeah, change to belt at recommended intervals! You are a fool if you don't and that mechanic you talked to poster, sucks.
 
#8 ·
Another vote for doing it according to spec. It's just not worth the risk!

Even if it doesn't snap completely, you might lose a tooth or skip one, leading to rough idling, detonation, or pre-ignition. Ever had two stereos playing the same thing slightly out-of-sync? If you think that sounds bad, wait'll you hear an engine with skipped timing!

Just get it done. And probably not at that mechanic...
 
#10 ·
QUOTE (ausom accent 9 @ May 23 2010, 11:32 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=325684
Why dont they just put chains on these things????
Fortunately they finally are beginning to... As Hyundai phases out their old engines the belts are going as well.  AFAIK, in the North American market at least, only the Alpha and Beta are left with a belt.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, you really need to change the belt. I changed mine the other day, it wasn't too bad to do. The old belt had plenty of life left.

In a pinch, you can just do a timing belt inspection and adjustment. Take off the top timing belt cover only. You can see the condition of the belt. Is it new looking or cracked, etc? Is the belt oil contaminated? Are the teeth sharp and clean? Is the timing belt case clean inside?


Now check the belt tension and readjust that. Should be 5mm of deflection on the belt when pressing 2kg of force on the long run. Lots of belts just slip a tooth because it's too loose. I've seen them so loose, it was a wonder how the car still runs.

If the belt condition is good and tension is right, then you'll be ok for a while. Just don't forget about it.
 
#14 ·
Thanks a million guys! I'm going to shop around for a good rate, and if not, I may just try to do it myself... thanks to the great advice on this forum. Any idea how much is a pretty decent rate to do this work?

I think I'm gonna do a coolant flush as well.. never done one on this car but I'd like to give that a go as well. Any idea how tough the coolant flush may be on our Accents?

Thanks again! You guys are awesome...
 
#15 ·
I had all of my other obligations taken care of by 58k when I went in for the belt change, so that was all I had them do.  I called around to shop for the best price, it varied widely from dealer to dealer.  The parts are relatively cheap, the labor is what gets you here.  One was as low as $330, one as high as $470. :blink:  The cheapest one was 1.5 hours away, so I decided to not be stuck that far from home while they worked on it. :grin:

A nearby dealer charged $420, but I found a free rental special coupon on their site.  They ended up knocking off more anyway, so I paid $380 for the timing belt and all drive belts.  Not too terrible.

I highly suggest shopping around for price and scour the dealer's site looking for any discounts or freebies.  Well worth your time.
 
#17 ·
QUOTE (hoosieraccent @ May 31 2010, 09:27 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=328275
I had all of my other obligations taken care of by 58k when I went in for the belt change, so that was all I had them do.  I called around to shop for the best price, it varied widely from dealer to dealer.  The parts are relatively cheap, the labor is what gets you here.  One was as low as $330, one as high as $470. :blink:  The cheapest one was 1.5 hours away, so I decided to not be stuck that far from home while they worked on it. :grin:

A nearby dealer charged $420, but I found a free rental special coupon on their site.  They ended up knocking off more anyway, so I paid $380 for the timing belt and all drive belts.  Not too terrible.

I highly suggest shopping around for price and scour the dealer's site looking for any discounts or freebies.  Well worth your time.
What parts did you replace and how much was the price for parts without labor??
 
#18 ·
Just the belts, burn...  Next time I'll have the water pump and tensioner/whatever various other components replaced.  I figure if something needed attention they would have told me when they had it torn apart. :whistling:  Still under bumper-to-bumper via my HPP until 100,000 mi anyway so if anything breaks I hope that should cover it.

QUOTE
24312-26050: BELT - VALVE TIMING $64.21 

25212-26000: V-RIBBED BELT $15.11

97713-1E000: BELT "V" $35.16

57231-21900: BELT"V"-POWER STEERING PUMP $15.27
 
#19 ·
Hi,

New to the forum here and just reading up on the timing belt replacement. I'd like to take on this job myself but can't seem to find any shop manuals for instructions on how to go about changing the timing belt.

Does anyone have a shop manual or instructions that they can share with me?

Thanks in advance.
 
#20 ·
QUOTE (my2006accent @ Jun 4 2010, 11:36 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=329845
Hi,

New to the forum here and just reading up on the timing belt replacement. I'd like to take on this job myself but can't seem to find any shop manuals for instructions on how to go about changing the timing belt.

Does anyone have a shop manual or instructions that they can share with me?

Thanks in advance.
http://hmaservice.com/ has all you need to know. And it's free!!
 
#22 ·
Anyone know what the dealers in USA charge for the timing belt job? I would assume like other cars they also change the water pump and stuff?? But this is the reason I sold my Acura. It had 114k and was overdue at 100k for the timing belt and water pump job. I didnt want to take the chance anymore and I also did not want to spend 1200$ at Acura...in fact the cheapest place I could find was a local shop and Honda was the same price at 899$ plus tax. Never heard of a timing belt only lasting 60k? Most last 100k. Hyundai must use some cheap parts or something.

Also what matters more? The age of the car or the miles?? I mean you can have like a 8 year old car with 50k and you can have a 2 year old car with 62k which is going to need replacement quicker?

But yeah I agree with everyone don't wait too long. And get rid of that mechanic.
 
#24 ·
QUOTE (JoeyBello @ Jun 10 2010, 12:50 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=331682
Anyone know what the dealers in USA charge for the timing belt job?
Check a few posts back, there's a post from me and someone in Canada (who got a really good deal.)  This job is mostly labor, so that's going to be what you need to look out for.

QUOTE
I would assume like other cars they also change the water pump and stuff??
It's never a bad idea to do so since the same amount labor is required to replace. But with that said, none of the dealers I spoke with seemed too concerned about it for the 60k interval.  The part retails for only $83 so it shouldn't add a substantial cost on top of what you are already paying.  I didn't bother with it, however I will take care of it at the next change interval.

QUOTE
Also what matters more? The age of the car or the miles?? I mean you can have like a 8 year old car with 50k and you can have a 2 year old car with 62k which is going to need replacement quicker?
On that example, both need it immediately - one for 62k worth of wear on the belt, the other with the belt deteriorating over the last 8 years.  Check your owner's manual, it lists two intervals and you go by whichever applies to your situation.  If you drive very little and haven't reached the 60,000 miles mark yet, it needs to be replaced every 48 months.  If you drive a lot, it will need to be replaced at 60,000 miles.  Under severe conditions, they specify replacement intervals of 37,500 miles (still 48 months time-wise.)
 
#25 ·
QUOTE (JoeyBello @ Jun 10 2010, 12:50 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=331682
Anyone know what the dealers in USA charge for the timing belt job? I would assume like other cars they also change the water pump and stuff?? But this is the reason I sold my Acura. It had 114k and was overdue at 100k for the timing belt and water pump job. I didnt want to take the chance anymore and I also did not want to spend 1200$ at Acura...in fact the cheapest place I could find was a local shop and Honda was the same price at 899$ plus tax. Never heard of a timing belt only lasting 60k? Most last 100k. Hyundai must use some cheap parts or something.

Also what matters more? The age of the car or the miles?? I mean you can have like a 8 year old car with 50k and you can have a 2 year old car with 62k which is going to need replacement quicker?

But yeah I agree with everyone don't wait too long. And get rid of that mechanic.


Many cars require 60k intervals. I'd be scared to drive 100k on a single timing belt :|

And timing chains wear out too. It just takes longer and costs two to three times as much to replace. I'd rather deal with 2-3 timing belt changes than the PITA that is a timing chain.
 
#26 ·
QUOTE (Zombywoof @ Jun 9 2010, 08:43 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=331189
Nissan does. That's why my other car is a Sentra.

TOO FUNNY!! mine is too! I have a 94 4 door ...its my DD/Hyper miler!

I just had mine done cost $435 dollars at the dealership....they replaced the all the belts and seals/gaskets related too it...said the next time they will replace the water pump, tensioner and what not....
 
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