View Single Post
  #4   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
SteveB SteveB is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 346
Default OT - Decision Process: Replace Timing Belt Now or Wait?


"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
This question is about the decision process involved with replacing
the timing belt in a vehicle "now" or "later".

Let's not confuse the issue with cost or voiding warranties, etc.
Let's assume there is no warranty to deal with and that the cash is
readily available, both now and later.

Here's the situation a friend and I were discussing the other day:

The manual - and therefore the dealer - says the timing belt on his
vehicle should be replaced at 90K, which is right where he's at.

He called around to various repair shops for a price and multiple
places told him "I've never seen a timing belt go on that vehicle
before 110K. The dealers just want their money early. There's no need
to replace it at 90K." He was even able to "verify" that opinion on
the web.

OK, so let's say that you are planning to keep the vehicle for the
foreseeable future, probably well beyond 110K. That means that you
will need to replace the timing belt, probably in about a year, to be
safe.

So here's what I was thinking:

There's a pretty slim chance that you'll keep the vehicle for the full
life of the second timing belt. That would put you in the 220K range.
Even if you replaced it at 90K and it really will last 110K, that's
still pushing 200K.

Why would you wait until next year and not replace it at 90K? Even at
the dealer's "accelerated" schedule, you're good until 180K, by which
time you'll probably have gotten rid of the car, so why not be *extra*
cautious and replace it now?

Thoughts?


If it has tits or wheels, sooner or later, you will have problems.

On my vehicles, I operate in a "run until failure mode" for MOST things.
That does not include tires, brakes, and safety items. If the vehicle is
driven locally, and it throws a timing belt, a short tow would be in order.
If it is used for trips, it would be a longer tow, and failure on the
Interstate or in another state would be a more serious scenario.

With belts now being common, there is less damage when the timing belt is
thrown, versus a timing chain, so you don't really risk massive damage from
failure.

If it was my car, I'd drive it until failure.

If you get into all the parts that are worn, and might go out, you could
spend thousands on upgrading to new condition items that might last another
tens of thousands of miles.

Steve

Visit my site at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

All errors, brain farts, misspelled words intentional because this computer
is set to Spelchek French, and I can't get it to do any different.