There has been a lot of advice and information circulating lately regarding the need to change the Timing Belt in late model cars. Make no mistake. The cost of "pushing the envelope" is not worth the risk. When piston meets valve, it's game over. One can kid one's self, but unfortunately, new heads & gaskets can cost more than a replacement engine.

There is, however, an "upside" in all of this. When replacing the timing belt in ANY car, the cost of replacing the water pump and some other important gaskets and seals at the same time is insignificant because the cost of parts is small compared to the cost of the labour involved.

Obviously rubber belts deteriorate over time and thus need replacement. Intervals of 100 000 - 150 000ks are the norm for most modern cars but time is a factor which is too often overlooked. It doesn’t matter if your car has only done 50 000ks in 8 or 10 years. The Timing belt is ready to break and cost you more money than you want to know.

Be honest now. When was the last time you can remember changing the coolant in the family workhorse? We all know about "Oils not bein' oils", but there has not been enough talk re the implications of poor cooling system maintenance in late model cars. Coolant should be changed every 2 years OR 20 000ks, (it expires and can become caustic) and the cooling system should be thoroughly flushed. Make no mistake. HEAT is your enemy and alloys in modern cars are particularly vulnerable. It only has to get hot ONCE to bend the cylinder head/s and effectively end the life of a viable engine.

The timing belt service, although costly, presents an opportunity to vastly extend the life of your car. 8 -10 years and however many kilometers have a similar detrimental effect on WATER PUMPS, RADIATORS and HOSES. The timing belt runs on the water pump pulley in most late model vehicles, so it really is only a matter of a few extra bolts to replace the pump during the service. The radiator and water hoses should also be checked and replaced where required. Often, after replacing the timing belt, water pump seals can fail due to extra belt tension and general deterioration due to age, so it makes sense to pre-empt disaster and replace the water pump.

To add insult to injury, if you elect not to change the water pump and it DOES fail, it will break your very expensive (brand new) timing belt when it seizes, and smash your engine to pieces.
Catch 22.

Recommend preventative maintenance - be accused of touting and overcharging. (and be uncompetitive when quoting)
Fail to recommend preventative maintenance - be accused of negligence or idiocy! (or worse - underquoting!)

Messy,Messy,Messy. AND NOT THE MECHANIC'S FAULT! Poor bugger already cringes at his own bill for an unavoidable service, so is often reluctant to recommend the hapless motorist spend (very dubiously) ANOTHER 3 or 4 hundred for good measure. Mechanics are often wrongly blamed for timing belt failure after changeovers. Very often, it was the water pump at fault, but this is impossible to prove.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? When the quote comes back for repair, including a new water pump, punch ups have ensued. So just change the water pump when you timing belt is due people, OK? Think of it a bit like "daylight savings and smoke alarm batteries" Changing your water pump may not save your life, but it could save the life of a loved one. - YOUR CAR

Safe and happy motoring to all, and remember; another HOT summer is coming, and YOUR car could be its'’ next victim.