When a timing belt is due, and what happens if it breaks

A timing belt gives no warning. It works perfectly until the moment it snaps, which is why the interval matters more than the symptoms.

Belt or chain

Many newer engines use a chain that lasts the life of the engine. Your owner’s manual says which one you have, and so does a two-minute call to us with the year and engine size.

The interval

Most belts are due between 60,000 and 100,000 miles or seven to ten years, whichever comes first. The heat of an Oklahoma summer is the part people forget.

Interference engines

On an interference engine the valves and pistons share space, and a snapped belt bends the valves. That turns an $890 job into a $3,000 one.

Do the water pump at the same time

The pump sits behind the belt and is driven by it. Replacing it later means paying for the same labor twice.

Keep the sticker

We put the next due mileage on a sticker under the hood. It is the cheapest insurance a car has.