The timing belt or chain sits at the center of an engine’s rhythm, quietly keeping pistons and valves in sync. When it fails, the damage can jump from a simple no-start to a destroyed engine in a ...

Many modern passenger cars have either a timing belt or a timing chain. Generally speaking, timing belts have the advantage of being quieter and cheaper to produce and replace, while timing chains ...

An interference engine is one in which the valves and the pistons operate within the same space inside the cylinder. The timing belt or chain regulates the movement of these internal engine parts so ...

Justin Pritchard is a seasoned Sudbury, Ontario-based automotive journalist, producer, and technical writer. With a passion for cars and a talent for storytelling, he's established himself as a ...

Q: My car has 65,000 miles on it and my mechanic says the timing belt should be replaced at 60,000 miles, especially since it has an interference engine. He says that if the belt breaks it will wreck ...

Q: If the timing belt breaks in an interference engine, it will self-destruct. What advantage is gained by this design that outweighs the risk of engine damage if or when the belt fails? — R. Fischer ...

Q: I have a 2009 Hyundai Elantra. The dealership insists I need to replace the timing belt because I have owned it six years. They say it should be replaced every six years or 60,000 miles. I only ...

If a timing belt breaks, one of two things are likely. Either the broken belt will allow the valves and pistons of the engine to collide, instantly turning the engine to scrap. (This is what happens ...

DEAR CAR TALK: You recently wrote about a guy whose timing belt broke, and who tried to restart his car but whose valves survived only through sheer good luck. In 1957, I had a new Ford six-cylinder, ...