When having work done on your vehicle, cutting corners can lead to costly mistakes.
The driver of a 2011 Volvo learned this after bringing his car into Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire.
They expressed concerns about a moaning or clunking sound the car made when traveling at 25 miles per hour. The sound would go away a little when the vehicle accelerated.
While working on the vehicle, the technician discovered that a couple of camshaft seals were leaking oil on the timing belt and serpentine belt.
Surrounding the pulleys, a timing belt makes sure that the timing of the crankshaft and camshaft is correct. The serpentine belt runs the power steering and the alternator.
Both belts and the camshaft seals needed to be replaced.
Correct way to perform timing belt replacement
How often you should replace the timing belt depends on the vehicle and manufacturer’s recommendations. Some timing belts should be replaced every 60,000 miles and others need to be changed every 100,000 miles.
When performing a timing belt replacement, it’s important to replace the camshaft seals at the same time.
Some auto shops will choose to do the work for a cheaper price and won’t install new seals.
This can lead to massive oil leaks and disintegration parts. It also means that the customer needs to pay for new parts and have the work done all over again.
Cheap doesn’t always equal good. Doing the job right using good, high quality parts will save you in the long run by preventing you from doing the job over or breaking down on the side of the road.
Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.