elite car care tagged posts

There was a time when timing belts were found in all vehicles. The strong, ribbed belt was essential to making sure that both the cranks and the camshafts were properly timed. A damaged timing belt resulted in the upper and lower sections of your vehicle’s engine to fall out of synch with one another.

Which Cars Have Timing Belts

Car manufactures have been moving away from timing belts. Nearly all vehicles manufactured during or before the ‘90s had a timing belt. Audi is one company that still uses a traditional ribbed belt. Other manufacturers have replaced the rubber belt with a strong chain. The hope was that the chain would last throughout the vehicle’s life.

While the chain isn’t as likely to break the way traditional timing belts, things can still go wrong.

Knowing the early ...

While cars can’t speak to us, they do their best to tell us when something is wrong through the lights on the dashboard. Some vehicle owners may choose to ignore those signals when they come on, but it’s important to always listen to what your car is telling you.

For example, we often hear about the tire pressure light coming on at the start of winter. Your tires may have been checked not too long ago, however, freezing temps cause pressure fluctuation. A change in tire pressure is a natural reaction that can be monitored with routine checks. It may not be an emergency fix, but it’s good to stay on top of it.

Some choose to see the engine light turning on in the same way.

When the engine light comes on, you shouldn’t ignore it...