How to Diagnose a Bad Timing Belt
We all know how important your engine is to your vehicle. It is the heart of your Honda.
And, just like an irregular heartbeat can affect your overall health, the same can be said for your engine—timing is everything. Keeping your engine running smoothly is vital, and is why there is no more important part than your Honda’s timing belt.
Here are some of the most common signs of a damaged timing belt. We’ll also give you tips so you know with confidence when your timing belt needs to be replaced.
How a Timing Belt Works
Just like a bicycle chain, your Honda’s timing belt synchronizes several moving pieces and actions occurring within your Honda’s engine. Most importantly, this rubber belt syncs the timing of the camshaft and crankshaft. Without a timing belt, your engines valves would fall out of sync and your Honda would stop running.
Over time, and due to heat and aging, the rubber timing belt will degrade; left unattended, it even can break. This is why it is important to pay attention to the condition of your Honda’s timing belt and to keep an eye out for some tell-tale symptoms that it might be damaged and in need of replacement.
Signs of a Damaged Timing Belt
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Noises Coming from Your Engine: A ticking noise coming from your engine is one of the first warning signs of a degraded or damaged timing belt. This also can be a sign that your Honda is suffering low oil pressure, or that your engine is not properly lubricated.
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Engine Misfires: Misfires and other changes in your Honda engine’s fire rate are clear signs of a damaged timing belt. A worn-out timing belt can break and cause your engine’s cylinders to open and close out of sync.
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Check Engine Light is On: A damaged timing belt can cause your Check Engine light to come on. If your light is on and you’re noticing any of these other signs and symptoms, your timing belt is a good place for your mechanic to start the troubleshooting.
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Rough Idling of the Engine: A timing belt consists of a bunch of teeth designed to grip gears as your engine fires. A damaged timing belt can be as seemingly minor as a couple of teeth having broken off the belt, which can cause the belt to slip and contribute to a rough idle and even to increased frequency of stalls.
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Engine Starts Smoking: Smoke coming from your engine is never a good thing. If you’re seeing smoke coming from under your Honda’s hood, it could be due to a damaged timing belt. One of your timing belt’s responsibilities is to open and close your engine’s cylinders to let out exhaust and let air in. A damaged timing belt can mess up the timing of this exchange, and can cause serious damage to your engine.
Replacing a Damaged Timing Belt
Once you figure out that your Honda’s timing belt is indeed damaged, the next step is to buy and install an OEM replacement—before you ruin your engine and cause yourself even more expensive issues!
Finding all the parts you need is easy with Bernardi Parts Honda. We have everything you need, whether you’re just looking to change your timing belt (you can select your model and year on the next page) or you need to replace another OEM Honda part.
Looking to keep your Honda in top condition? Explore our comprehensive articles for more Honda maintenance tips and tricks.
For more information, please send us a message or give us a call at 800-924-1884.