Quick answer: Timing belt replacement at MotorCar Doctors in Beaverton runs about $1,200 to $1,950 for most engines. Change the belt on your engine’s schedule, by years or miles, whichever comes first. It usually gives no warning before it fails. When the belt drives the water pump, we replace the pump at the same time.
What does a timing belt do?
It keeps the top half of your engine in sync with the bottom half. The belt makes sure the valves open and close in step with the pistons, thousands of times a minute.
The crankshaft turns the pistons; the camshaft opens and closes the valves; the belt makes sure those two things happen in the right order, thousands of times a minute.
It is a rubber belt doing a job that leaves no margin for error, and it is the one maintenance item on your car that usually gives no warning before it fails. MotorCar Doctors has been replacing timing belts in Beaverton since 1995. Call 503-626-4810.
What are the signs of a bad timing belt?
Usually there are none. A timing belt looks fine right up until it fails. A ticking sound from the front of the engine, a rough idle or a camshaft check engine light are the few warnings you may get.
Most parts on a car tell you they are wearing out. Brakes squeal, bearings hum, water pumps drip. A timing belt does none of that. It looks fine at 90,000 miles and it looks fine right up until the moment it does not.
That is the whole argument for replacing it on schedule rather than on symptoms.
There are a few exceptions worth knowing. A ticking or slapping sound from the front of the engine can mean a loose belt or a failing tensioner. A rough idle or a check engine light for camshaft position can mean the belt has jumped a tooth. And oil seeping from behind the timing cover shortens belt life considerably. If any of those are happening, get it looked at now rather than at the next interval.
Is my engine an interference engine?
Most modern engines are. On an interference engine, a broken belt lets the valves and pistons meet, and that means bent valves at minimum. We will tell you which kind you have before you decide anything.
Engines come in two kinds, and which one you have decides whether a broken timing belt is an inconvenience or a catastrophe.
- Non-interference engine. The valves and pistons never occupy the same space. If the belt snaps, the engine stops. You need a tow and a new belt, and that is the end of it.
- Interference engine. The valves and pistons share the same space at different moments, and the belt is what keeps them from meeting. If it snaps, they meet. Bent valves at minimum, often damaged pistons and a cylinder head that has to come off.
Most modern engines are interference designs. We will tell you which one you have before you decide anything, because it changes the math completely. On an interference engine, a timing belt is not really maintenance. It is the cheapest engine insurance you will ever buy.
When should a timing belt be replaced?
On the manufacturer’s interval, by years or miles, whichever comes first. Rubber ages even when the car sits, so a ten-year-old car with 50,000 to 60,000 miles can already be due. Typical intervals:
- Honda: 60,000 to 100,000 miles
- Toyota: 60,000 to 90,000 miles
- Subaru: 60,000 to 105,000 miles
- Volkswagen: 60,000 to 80,000 miles
- Hyundai and Kia: 60,000 to 90,000 miles
These are ranges because the exact figure depends on your engine, not just your badge. Give us your year, make and model and we will look up the actual number for your car rather than quoting you a range.
Timing belt vs. timing chain: what’s the difference?
A timing belt is rubber and has a replacement interval. A timing chain runs inside the engine on engine oil and is generally designed to last the life of the engine. Which one you have depends on your engine, not your make.
If your car has a chain, there is no replacement interval to worry about. Chains do stretch, though, and the guides and tensioners around them wear.
We can tell you which one you have in a phone call.
Should you replace the water pump with the timing belt?
Yes, when the timing belt drives the pump. Both sit behind the same covers, so doing them together means one teardown instead of two.
On a lot of engines the water pump is driven by the timing belt, sitting behind the same covers. Reaching one means reaching the other.
So we replace them together, and the reason is arithmetic rather than upsell: the teardown is the same either way, so doing both costs one labor bill instead of two. Leaving an original pump behind a new belt means that when the pump eventually fails, it can take the new belt with it and you pay the whole job again. More on that on our water pump replacement page.
If your engine drives the pump off the serpentine belt instead, it is a separate job and we will not bundle it in. We will tell you which kind you have before we quote it.
What’s included in a timing belt replacement?
The belt, the tensioner and idler pulleys, and the water pump where the belt drives it. We also check the cam and crank seals and verify timing against the factory marks before a road test.
- Timing belt, matched to your engine
- Tensioner and idler pulleys, which wear out too. A seized pulley is a common reason belts fail early
- Water pump where the belt drives it, with fresh coolant to manufacturer specification
- Cam and crank seals inspected, and replaced if they are seeping
- A look at the serpentine belt while the front of the engine is open. See serpentine belt replacement
- Timing verified against manufacturer marks, then a road test
Photographs of what we found and a written estimate before any work starts, on this job like every other. See our digital vehicle inspection. A timing belt is usually a full-day job, so ask about a loaner car at no cost or our shuttle when you book.
How much does a timing belt replacement cost?
Most timing belt jobs run about $1,200–$1,950, depending on the engine. The spread comes from how much of the front of the engine has to come apart to reach the belt, and from whether the water pump is driven by the belt. When it is, we replace the pump at the same time, so the teardown is paid for once. Call 503-626-4810 with your year, make and model and we’ll give you the number for your engine.
What happens if your timing belt breaks?
The engine stops. On an interference engine the valves can be damaged too, so don’t try to restart it. Have it towed in and we will check whether the valves survived.
On an interference engine, cranking after a belt failure can turn bent valves into more than that.
We will tell you plainly what the car needs and whether it is worth doing. Sometimes the honest answer is that it is not. Our engine repair page covers what happens next.
Timing Belt Service for All Makes and Models
Domestic, Asian and European engines. ASE-certified technicians, the right belt and tensioner kit for your engine, and timing verified against the manufacturer marks before the covers go back on. Subaru owners, see also Subaru repair.
Where can I get my timing belt replaced near Beaverton?
Right here at our Beaverton shop on SW Canyon Rd. We have served Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Hillsboro and Aloha since 1995.
Call 503-626-4810 with your year, make and model, and we will tell you whether your engine uses a belt or a chain, what the real interval is, and what the job costs. MotorCar Doctors Auto Repair, 13203 SW Canyon Rd, Ste C, Beaverton, Oregon 97005.