I've got my wife's vehicle in the shop this week for regular maintenance.  Talked to them today and they said the timing belt should be replaced (scheduled at 60K and the car is at 75K). 

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I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!

Do it! 90% of engines with timing belts are "interference" engines, meaning the valves will hit the pistons if the belt breaks, or is not timed correctly. Since I don't know what engine you have, other than it is in a car I don't wanna cry in, I couldn't say for sure if yours is an interference engine or not...but I'd bet it is.
60k is the "normal" recommended interval for timing belts changes, mostly due to the belt deteriorating, since it is a rubber compound...much like your tires. Even without that many miles, the belt(s) will deteriorate. Mileage tends to stretch them, and can actually strip some of the teeth off, which will lead to the cam(s) being out of whack(hi-tech term) in regards to piston location in the hole. In fact, just turning the engine/crankshaft "backwards", even by hand, can damage the belt(s) in most cases.
$2200 to repair one that the belt has broken on sounds kinda cheap. Depends on how many valves get hammered, and how bad they gouge up the tops of the pistons...

Warranty will NOT cover it if the belts haven't been serviced at the recommended intervals, either...


Adams' Apple2009-11-12 21:12:37

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks for the info Joel.  I had no idea.

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I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!

Get it done, either by them or someone you know that can do it. A broken timing chain can destroy an engine. I know this. Last year my Audi A6 Quattro  threw a chain and the estimate for repair was $21K.....I scrapped the car for $2150 and was much better off for it. This is a crucial part of maintenance.

My first Mercury Villager (Nissan engine) was a non-interference motor so I figured I run it until it broke..  222,222 miles (Honest OD reading!) it snapped at a stop light in front of my customers location.  We went to lunch, the Ford dealer towed it in a had me on the road later that afternoon.   

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Second that!  Just spent almost exactly $1000 on my wife's 2007 Odyssey (Honda Minivan) for a timing belt.  Included new water pump, hydraulic tensioner, idler pulley, serpentine accessory belt, and oil change.  Dealer wanted $1500.  I thought about doing it myself (briefly) but then thought about how much I would have to pay for the Honda OEM parts, the amount of time it would take me to do it (at least a full weekend), the fact that I don't have a lift, and the worry that I would break something on the car we rely on most out of our four to get our kids around and said.....Nah!  $1000 is cheap!  And the V-6 Honda engine is most definitely an interference engine.  

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