Cambelt Change Service

Whilst it may be out of sight, you should definitely keep it in mind – a timing belt replacement could be costly. Not only that, but a cambelt failure could put you in danger, by doing serious damage to the rest of your engine. You can significantly reduce the risk of this happening by following your manufacturer’s replacement guidelines, so there are things you can do to prevent this from becoming a concern.

1. Broken or snapped cambelt

A broken cambelt can be caused by a straight cord line rupture, where the belt was crimped before it was fitted. Or it might be due to a raffled cord line, where a foreign object wedged between the belt and pulley, breaking the tensile cords. The belt might have been twisted over 90° before fitment. Installation of a timing belt (cambelt) at the correct tension is vital. Cars that are usually driven in warmer countries with dryer climates will often have their cambelts replaced more frequently than those operated in temperate climates. This is because the cambelt is made from rubber, and rubber tends to stretch when it gets warmer and then contracts as it cools down. Extremes of the two temperatures can cause the rubber to develop minor cracks in the outer surface of the belt.

If your cambelt was broken or snapped, then the type of engine your car has will determine the collateral damage. If it is an interference engine, it can cause severe valve damage and damage to engine parts. If it is a non-interference engine, then it won’t suffer that much damage.

2. Cambelt tooth shear

Cambelt tooth shear can be caused by low tension; this includes seizure of the driven part or misalignment. Misalignment is one of the primary causes of a cambelt failure. If there is too much tooth wear or uneven tooth wear, this can all contribute to cambelt tooth shear.

3. Cambelt tooth wear

Cambelt tooth wear can be caused by what is known as ‘tooth skipping’, where your cambelt is under-tensioned and ultimately ‘skips’ some of the required teeth. Under-tensioning can also cause excessive or uneven tooth wear and excessive drive noise, so use a tension gauge to set the correct tension on those timing belts!

4. Oil leaks leading to cambelt replacement

Oil can meddle with the cambelt. It can get in the middle of the belt’s teeth and can cause the belt to slip and slide and even move out of place completely. If you detect any oil leaking from your engine then you should get this seen as soon as possible as it could cause further harm to your car.

5. Water leaks leading to cambelt replacement

Water leaks will have a comparable effect as oil leaks on your cambelt. The impact can be made harsher if the water which is seeping has been mingled with antifreeze. If you see that your car is leaking water from an odd place, have it checked over by your local mechanic.

6. Older belts

Belts which were installed to earlier cars have angular, trapezoid sculpted teeth. Modern car belts have curved teeth which are more tolerant and wear out less quickly.

7. Infrequent driving

The cambelt can come to be stiff if the vehicle is not driven very frequently and this can make it weaker. Cars which are driven occasionally will often need to have their timing belt changed after less miles than cars which are driven consistently.

8. Cambelt wear and tear

The cambelt can wear out throughout the lifestyle of the car. It is highly recommended that you take your car to a garage near you to get your car regularly serviced. Always abide by the manufacturer’s servicing schedule to ensure problems can be checked before they get worse.