![]() Timing belt replacement isn’t a cheap job (Picture iStock/Irina Vodneva). Over time, the belt can lose teeth and perhaps slip or even snap. They’re subject to a lot of heat in the engine bay and may also have to put up with wear caused by dirt and debris. The timing belt or cambelt is a toothed belt made out of a mix of rubber and various other materials such as Kevlar. ![]() To make this happen, the timing belt unites the camshaft that controls the valves with the crankshaft that is turned by the pistons. To supply the cylinders with fuel and air when required, valves must open at precisely the right time. They are activated by a series of explosions in those cylinders. An engine has pistons that race up and down inside cylinders. To understand why the timing belt is so important, it’s vital to understand how an engine works. If the timing belt breaks it’s like the conductor walking off: the result is anarchy and in an engine’s case, things literally grinding to a halt. It ensures some of the engine’s most vital moving parts operate in a perfectly synchronised sequence. Imagine the conductor in an orchestra for a second and you’ve pretty much got the timing belt’s job. ![]() Read on and I’ll explain why the cambelt is so important, how you know if your car has one (not all do) and why replacing them is an absolute must-do. It also needs replacing on a regular – if thankfully not too frequent – basis. The cambelt or timing belt is an integral part of many engines. Here’s what your timing belt looks like inside the engine (Picture iStock/Warut1) ![]()
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