Timing Belt life, under 10k miles over 7-10 years

[efficient]

let it ride...

[digger]

do it as soon as you can its not a big job about 3-4hrs without rushing. nobody here knows if its going to fail soon.

if you were able to inspect it for cracks easily then that would give some confidence if you had some logical reason to risk it.

id avoid cycling it much

[nando]

you posted this on Saturday, you could have had parts and it would have been done already. it's like an afternoon job at the most.

[ANDRÜ]

Mine sat for 9 years before I got it. Replaced the timing belt as a precaution and the old one looked 100% brand new. I was alittle bummed, but atleast now I have peace of mind knowing I put a new one in. Certainly wont hurt to do it, its not too difficult either.

[dnguyen1963]

I just did a timing belt for my wife's car ('01 Solara) and the belt looked brand new. I guess, to really see how bad or good the belt is we need to look at the belt under the microscope. There might be many micro-cracks that the naked eyes just can't see. There must be valid reasons for manufacturers to recommend such replacement interval.

[slammin.e28]

Timing belts are good for the life of the engine......

Lifetime belt change yo.

[goldenbb]

I have owned many cars with timing belts and although I have changed mine at the right intervals, I think this "gotta change the belt" thing is an example of how the Internet acts as a lens and magnifies certain issues, blowing them all out of proportion. Can an old belt fail? You bet. How often does it happen and ruin an engine? Not that often.

BMWs seem like cars that do not tolerate much abuse of the maintenance schedule. I am beginning to wonder why they are so celebrated given that we do have Japanese cars as alternatives.

[goldenbb]

I just did a timing belt for my wife's car ('01 Solara) and the belt looked brand new. I guess, to really see how bad or good the belt is we need to look at the belt under the microscope. There might be many micro-cracks that the naked eyes just can't see. There must be valid reasons for manufacturers to recommend such replacement interval.

I actually think it is to make them money and no other reason. If you inspect the belt and it looks fine, I have a hard time believing in your theory about "micro cracks" and what have you. Also, is the Solara's engine an interference engine? Most Toyotas are not. So if the belt breaks, the engine stops, no damage... BTW, I'm not calling you out--I had a 2000 Camry that I did the belt on right at 90K and felt like an idiot afterwards because the damn belt I took off was just as new looking as the one I put on.

[my_bmw_sucks]

^^^ I don't get this??? A $40 for a belt and tensioner plus an hour or two of time vs $2K+ for a long block and however long it takes to swap. I'm going to take the scheduled maintenance any day of the week. They can take my money on the timing belt

[dnguyen1963]

I actually think it is to make them money and no other reason. If you inspect the belt and it looks fine, I have a hard time believing in your theory about "micro cracks" and what have you. Also, is the Solara's engine an interference engine? Most Toyotas are not. So if the belt breaks, the engine stops, no damage... BTW, I'm not calling you out--I had a 2000 Camry that I did the belt on right at 90K and felt like an idiot afterwards because the damn belt I took off was just as new looking as the one I put on.

Yep, it is an interference engine. You don't need a microscope to see the damage. Take a big magnifying glass and look at any old belt.

[digger]

I have owned many cars with timing belts and although I have changed mine at the right intervals, I think this "gotta change the belt" thing is an example of how the Internet acts as a lens and magnifies certain issues, blowing them all out of proportion. Can an old belt fail? You bet. How often does it happen and ruin an engine? Not that often.

BMWs seem like cars that do not tolerate much abuse of the maintenance schedule. I am beginning to wonder why they are so celebrated given that we do have Japanese cars as alternatives.

People are always free to change the belt as frequently or infrequently as they like. I’ve seen enough failures to know that risking it is simply not worth it due to the severity of the consequences.

IMO You are not doing a justice to the issue nor other members new to the E30 who aren’t aware of the risks by trying to make it sound like it’s a non-issue.

[nando]

I have owned many cars with timing belts and although I have changed mine at the right intervals, I think this "gotta change the belt" thing is an example of how the Internet acts as a lens and magnifies certain issues, blowing them all out of proportion. Can an old belt fail? You bet. How often does it happen and ruin an engine? Not that often.

BMWs seem like cars that do not tolerate much abuse of the maintenance schedule. I am beginning to wonder why they are so celebrated given that we do have Japanese cars as alternatives.

Japanese cars are awful to drive, that's why. and except for the ones built 20 years ago, the reliability of modern Japanese cars is mostly nostalgia.

it's not like doing the timing belt is difficult or expensive. blowing it out of proportion? really? broken timing belts are still somehow a common occurrence, which makes no sense since basically everyone knows that it can cause severe engine damage and it costs $100 in parts.

[15Michaeljoseph]

I've got it.

Somebody should design a chain retrofit kit.

Problem solved.


--Mike