Timing belt

I am coming up on 60k, do we have to change the timing belt, or are people driving past the recommemded change point.

Thanks Bob

Reply to
bob
Loading thread data ...

=== IMHO the 60K is based on giving the engine Mfg. as much ground to get out of any damage caused by a timing belt failure if one does fail past 60K. I read that many people drive over 100K with their same timing belts. Also IMHO the 60K gives the dealers a chance to hit someone for and extra $500 to $600 for really just changing out a still good belt. Others may disagree it's their money not mine.

Reply to
Shines

"Shines" wrote in news:Y1bYg.12775$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:

I agree with you. Cover the Mfg, and get the dealer 600 for a 3 hour job.

Reply to
bob

I am not trying to tell others what they should or should not do in regards to their timing belts. I am just saying from what I have seen and read it's a SCAM the replacing timing belts at 60K. A real SCAM and many are falling into it and dishing out their hard earned cash for nothing.

Reply to
Shines

It would help if we knew which vehicle you had exactly. The early sephia's did not have interference engines, thus driving past 60k was 'relatively' safe(and I use that term loosely) because if the belt broke the engine would simply stop running.

Later models have interference motors which will destroy pistons and valves if the belt breaks while the engine is running.

The bottom line, you can err on the side of reliability and change it out at 60k, or you can play the risks of going past 60k and having it let go during your vacation or drive to work. The choice is yours. The comments about the dealer nailing you for $500 to $600 is probably about right..you're getting taken. Take your vehicle to a repuatable independent shop and have them install a kia belt from the dealer. Using the kia belt will protect your warranty. But interestingly enough, Kia does not make belts. The dealer belt will probably have "Gates PowerGrip" stamped all over it. Mine did. $134 at the dealer, $35 for the same damn belt at auto zone. But if doesn't say Kia on the package they will not honor your powertrain warranty if it fails.

Good luck with it.

Chris

Reply to
halatos

This is a great post. It really does depend on what you are driving.

On a similar site (Hyundai), there is a mechanic who does this work all the time. He knows about how long each of the engines in cars will last. Some can handle 90-100,000 miles, especially, if the miles are piled up in, say four years.

But there are other engines where they are breaking at not much past 40,000 miles. My first experience with a timing belt was when a one on a Korean built engine in a Pontiac I owned broke at 57,000 miles.

I recently bought a Hyundai Elantra for my son. It had 78,000 miles on it and still had its original timing belt. Another relative had one that ran for over 100,000 miles.

But unless you know for sure the history of your engine, I wouldn't chance it, especially if you find that your engine is an interference engine.

I have an '04 Kia Sedona that is approaching 60,000 miles. I'd like to think by now that a history is being built up where I can get some idea how many miles I can REALLY expect before I have to change the belt on that V-6.

But unless I get that information, and know I can rely on it, I WILL be changing my timing belt at 60,000. I just can't take a chance of ruining my engine.

Tom Wenndt

Reply to
Rev. Tom Wenndt

"Shines" wrote in news:pBeYg.14766$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com:

My experience is a Plymouth that still had the original belt when traded at 140K and a Daewoo that broke at 66K. Considering that replacing an engine costs over 5 times a belt replacement, I will replace them on schedule now (with an interference engine anyway).

Reply to
Jeff

Hi, Kia Sportage, 97 Belt changed at 120.000 Km....looked like new. cheers all jerry

Reply to
MJD

I have an '02 Plymouth Voyager. As far as I know, the timing belt has never been changed and it's now at 198K miles.

-- Christian

Reply to
CMM

The US law(s) governing warranties prohibits companies from requiring the consumer to buy a specific brand of replacement part. So, the $35 AutoZone belt and an independent mechanic is just as protected as a "Kia" belt and a Kia service center.

From the FTC

formatting link
"'Tie-In Sales' Provisions

"Generally, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty. The following are examples of prohibited tie-in sales provisions.

"In order to keep your new Plenum Brand Vacuum Cleaner warranty in effect, you must use genuine Plenum Brand Filter Bags. Failure to have scheduled maintenance performed, at your expense, by the Great American Maintenance Company, Inc., voids this warranty.

"While you cannot use a tie-in sales provision, your warranty need not cover use of replacement parts, repairs, or maintenance that is inappropriate for your product. The following is an example of a permissible provision that excludes coverage of such things.

"While necessary maintenance or repairs on your AudioMundo Stereo System can be performed by any company, we recommend that you use only authorized AudioMundo dealers. Improper or incorrectly performed maintenance or repair voids this warranty."

-- Christian

Reply to
CMM

I don't know what you have. But, if I'm not mistaken, it's pretty easy to get a glance at the timing belt on a Sedona. I don't know if this holds true for other Kia vehicles.

-- Christian

Reply to
CMM

Ihad my Hyundai sonata 2-Timing belts changed at 83000 mile and the large Timing belt looked like new the small belt would have broke!

Reply to
taters2

bob wrote in news:Xns985C9BFA3A6E4rmh32495comcastnet@216.196.97.136:

PS the car in question is a 2003 Kia Rio,

Reply to
bob

Christian,

While I agree that warranty provisions would require Kia to use an aftermarket belt had I given them one, if that belt did break of its own accord and as a result of the breakage damaged the engine, the engine damage would not be covered by Kia. Any claims for liability would have to be charged against the company that made the defective belt, as opposed to the belt breaking and taking out the head, if the belt was made by kia and installed by kia, then the warranty is on their shoulder. Sure, you could try to prove that it was some other part that failed and took out the belt, but if you really want to fight an issue like that good luck to you.

They would have installed an aftermarket belt, but if that belt broke two blocks down the road the engine repairs would be my problem, not theirs. My point is that the belt in the dealer package and the belt from autozone are made by the same company.

As to the talk about checking the timing belt, on the sephia it is a pain because you have to remove the valve cover(same way on the 1.6 and

1.8 miata engine). The later model sephias had a redesigned valve cover that made removal of the timing belt covers substantially easier, allowing a person to check the condition of the belt without having to replace the valve cover gasket.

Chris

Reply to
halatos

Ahh, good point. I hadn't considered that.

-- Christian

Reply to
CMM

179.800 miles and still no belt!
Reply to
Tom

It's not an item that gives you any warning. When it breaks, you lose the motor. Pistons meeting valves kind of stuff. I do not believe that changing it every 60k is warranted, but you, my smug friend, are living on borrowed time.

CWM

Reply to
Charlie Morgan

Ah men. I can tell you from first hand experience. My friend blew his at 59,991 miles. I changed the belts in both my Sportages, plus the rollers and tension springs. my only mistake was using an aftermarket waterpump. you should change the pump anyway wheile you have it off. I tried to save a few buck, only to have one disintegrate at 70 mph and take out everything with it. guess what, the temp gauge said everything was normal. I put my hand on the radiator after I heard the strange noise the engine was making, stone cold. the engine then ceased.$3700 to rebuild, but I saved $40 on the water pump. ONLY use a Kia water pump!

Reply to
helix

Hi Bob,

I have a 2003 Kia Rio, well I guess I should say that the dealership now has my 2003 Kia Rio. Yesterday, on my way home, just as I came to a stop at a stop sign, the engine shut off. This had never happened before, so I attempted to re-start it with no success.

After getting it in to the dealership, they first thought the engine had blown. They opened it up and stated how clean it looked, said they could tell it was well maintained and even went as far as to say they believed that the warranty would cover it.

All that changed though when the shop manager took a look at the timing belt. A few teeth were missing, it jumped timing and screwed up the engine.

The service center (not the dealership) that I had taken it to over the years never mentioned anything about it being necessary to change the timing belt at 60K miles. I had heard it was recommended, but not a necessity. I am paying for it now. Since my belt was not changed at

60K all the repairs for the damage to the engine and the replacement of the timing belt are on me.

I am waiting for the dealership to call me back this morning to let me know how bad it really is. They won?t know for sure until they get in it good and see. Last night they were pretty sure it would run at least 1K to fix, possibly more.

My advice, don?t play with it... get it done now before you regret not doing it.

Andre

"bob" wrote

Reply to
andreame70

andreame70 wrote in news:961926 snipped-for-privacy@autoboardz.com:

Thanks for the info, Kia had the belt for 65.00. Now Sat I get to play mechanic.

Reply to
bob

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.