Do I need to change the tensioner along with the timing belt?
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Do I need to change the timing belt tensioner? A defective timing belt must be replaced, and the sooner the better. The best course of action is to replace the tensioner at the same time. What causes timing...
Do I need to change the timing belt tensioner?
A defective timing belt must be replaced, and the sooner the better. The best course of action is to replace the tensioner at the same time.
What causes a timing belt to fail?
Timing belts can be damaged due to excessive wear due to aging or due to contamination due to water or oil leaks. If a new belt is overtightened, it may fail prematurely or even break. When this happens, a broken timing belt can also cause adjacent components to fail.
In addition, the timing belt teeth may develop stress cracks or even come off. If the belt looks worn or damaged, it must be replaced.
Complete timing belt replacement
When replacing the timing belt, other parts, including the tensioner, must be replaced at the same time. This is because these components wear at almost the same rate as the belt. For example, tensioner bearings can dry out or even jam. It would be a shame if you were to replace the timing belt only to have the tensioner seize up and throw the belt off the pulleys. There is no good outcome here - you can end up with bent valves or even holes in the pistons.
prevention
Even if your timing belt doesn't look too bad, it should still be replaced about every 60,000 miles or so. Sometimes signs of wear do not appear immediately. When you replace the timing belt and tensioner, your mechanic may also recommend replacing the idlers and water pump. Since the water pump is most likely the same age as the belt and usually hides behind it, it's best not to wait. You can change the belt and tensioner, but the water pump will shut off soon after. You then have to remove the belt and tensioner to get to the water pump, which can be more expensive than simply replacing the belt at the same time as the belt.
Again, change the timing belt tensioner at the same time as the timing belt. And also replace any other parts related to the timing belt. In this way, you can be sure that you will go many more kilometers of carefree driving.
