By Phil Arendt
A Lot Rides On The Timing Belt
Question 1Recently, I had my 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe at my local shop for an oil change and general check-up. It has 66,000 miles and a 4-cylinder engine. I purchased the vehicle three years ago.
When the work was done a service man was going over the bill and inspection form when he suggested that I have the timing belt replaced. I’ve owned four cars prior to this one and have never had anyone suggest such work. I never had to replace a timing belt on any of them.
My SUV runs fine. Since I have owned the vehicle I have taken
great care of it. It’s in great
shape. Is this something that is necessary
to do? B.C., email
Answer 1
The timing belt is an
important drive belt hidden under a cover on the engine that synchronizes the
up and down motion of the pistons with the opening and closing of the
valves. It’s similar in construction to
the serpentine belt that you see on the outside of the engine that turns
accessories such as the alternator and air conditioning compressor. If the timing belt breaks due to wear the
pistons and valves could collide and cause major engine damage.
According to the factory
recommended maintenance schedule for your vehicle the timing belt should be
replaced at 60,000 mile intervals. It’s
due for replacement. It certainly is a
lot less expensive to replace the belt than the engine should the belt break.
Exam Of Engine Parts Not Too
Intrusive
Question 2The 2.0-liter engine in my 2007 Volkswagen Passat sounds like a diesel engine. It has 122,000 miles, an automatic transmission and turbo-charger.
I went to a repair shop
where a technician thought the noise was coming from the timing belt. He checked it and it’s fine. He’s not sure what is causing the sound but
wants to disassemble the engine to find the source of the noise.
I’ve owned the car since it
was new. I change the oil every 2,500 to
3,000 miles. The car is in great
condition. Do you have any clue as to
what is causing the noise? W.S., email
Answer 2
Your technician must have an
inkling of what is causing the sound and a course of action. He wants to disassemble the engine. If you agree to proceed with an internal
examination he will inspect parts that might be causing the sound.
From your description of the
noise more than likely it is from the valve system so he won’t be removing the
bottom of the engine. He’ll look for
trouble at the top of the engine. This
is not a major operation. He likely will
remove the valve cover so he can examine the cam shafts and other parts that
comprise the valve system. Once he has
completed the exam he should know the cause of the sound and suggest a lasting
repair.
Coolant Leak Hides From View
Question 3There is antifreeze leaking from the engine near the air conditioner compressor. The compressor and lower radiator hose are blocking my view of the leak not to mention the slant of the engine and tight quarters. The leak is pretty bad as I have to add half a gallon of premix antifreeze every other day which is about 80 miles of travel.
I have a 2002 Chrysler
Sebring with a 2.7-liter motor and nearly 190,000 miles. Do you have any idea what’s leaking? S.J., email
Answer 3
Don’t repair it. Keep topping off the reservoir so the
antifreeze manufactures can hire more employees. Also, the drips of engine coolant on the road
will give environmentalists and pet owners something to discuss.All kidding aside, this problem needs repair to prevent engine damage from the result of overheating. It is possible the timing cover gasket or radiator hose has sprung a leak. It is also possible the trouble is caused by a failure of the seal on the water pump shaft. The water pump has a small weep hole in the case near the shaft and pulley. Without specialized equipment to examine the water pump it is impossible to see the weep hole without removing parts in the way of view.
When you take the vehicle to
a repair shop consider this suggestion.
Your technician will likely find that the water pump needs replacement.
Key Needs Programming
Question 4
My 2001 Mercury Sable won’t start. A friend who has a lot of Ford knowledge and tools has been helping with this problem. At first there was a coil that was causing the 3.0-liter engine to misfire. After installing a new coil we found that the engine computer was the cause of the coil problem. We installed a new module and now the motor won’t start. My friend has a scanner that programs engine computers so he programmed the new one but the engine still does not start. Now he thinks the trouble is in the key. I only have one. We had a new key made but this did not start the engine.
Do you have any
suggestions? C.S., email
Answer 4
Sure, buy an old clunker from
the early 1980s and you won’t have to worry about anti-theft system problems. All kidding aside keep your car. Since your buddy has programmed the engine
control module the antitheft system codes do not match. Now the key code doesn’t match the
computer.
At this point your best bet
is to have a new key programmed at a dealership.
To Fix Leak, Remove Transmission
Question 5I have a 2007 Lexus ES350. I bought the vehicle in 2010. I’ve taken good care of it by following the factory service schedule. The trouble is that there is transmission fluid leaking between the engine and transmission. What would cause that problem? M.P., email
Answer 5
You finally asked a question
I can’t answer. I’m just kidding of
course.
More than likely the trouble
is caused by a leaky seal at the front pump cover or seal at the torque
converter. Regardless of which seal is
leaking the transmission has to come out to replace the afflicted seal or
replace a flawed hard part such as the torque converter.
Now I have a question for
you. How do you know the leak is from
this area and not from somewhere else on the transmission?
Renewed Cylinder Head
Proposed To Extend Vehicle Service
Question 6
The 1.6-liter engine in my
1996 Honda Civic developed a misfire. My
mechanic did a compression test and found low compression in one of the
cylinders. He checked the cylinder using
three different tests. One was
electronic and the other two were with a pressure gauge connected to the low
cylinder. One gauge test was wet and one
was dry. I’m not sure what that means
but that’s what he told me.
My mechanic is fairly
certain that the trouble is in the cylinder head and not in the piston part of
the engine. He says the engine needs a
valve job.
My car is in great
condition. There isn’t a bit of
rust. It has 110,000 miles. It has a standard transmission and a recently
installed clutch. I’ve owned the car
since 2001. It never has let me
down. I follow the service schedule
recommended by Honda.
My mechanic says the engine
should run for a long time after the work.
He has worked on it for many years.
A valve job is expensive. Is it
worth fixing? R.G.P., email
Answer 6
Apparently, you trust your
technician. You have given him many
years of business. I’m sure he does not
want to lose your trust and business now.
He likely has made an accurate assessment of the cause of the condition.
The tests he performed have
guided him to the conclusion that more than likely a valve is excessively
worn. Also, he has determined that the
car will travel for many more years with a renewed cylinder head.
It’s up to you to decide to
fix it or not. You are the only person
who can make the decision based upon your budget and the condition of the
vehicle. Certainly, it is less expensive
to fix the car than it is to buy a new one.
If you so choose, it’s time
to give him authorization to do the work as long as he guarantees his expertise
and renewed cylinder head will cure the issue.
If not, it’s time to tow the vehicle to a salvage yard.
Thank you for all the great
questions. Dr. Gizmo can’t wait to
answer more.
Phil Arendt is a columnist, consultant and A.S.E.-Certified
Master Technician. Readers may send
questions to Dr. Gizmo at P.O. Box 548, Cary, IL. 60013 or e-mail address mailto:drgizmo@hotmail.com. 08/12/2013 ® DR. GZMO © 1989 - Present
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