Although many owners don’t realize it, the timing belt is one of a Kia’s most important parts. Without the timing belt, your engine’s cylinders won’t be able to intake or exhaust properly, causing big problems for your car’s performance and possibly lead to expensive repairs.
Like many parts of your engine, a timing belt can experience many problems. When you understand common timing belt problems, you’ll be more aware of the issues that mean your car needs to be checked out by an expert Kia technician.
Excessive Tooth Wear
Yes, your timing belt has teeth. These are what allow this all-important piece to rotate the camshafts and crankshafts so that your car’s engine runs properly. Without teeth, the timing belt wouldn’t be able to turn. One of the most common timing belt problems is premature wear on the teeth. Generally, this is caused when a belt has been installed at the wrong tension or the pulleys are worn.
To correct tooth wear, your Kia technician can reinstall the belt at the right tension level or can replace worn any pulleys.
Listen for a Noisy Belt
As with most parts of your engine, the timing belt should run quietly without you noticing it. However, if you notice a noisy timing belt, it can signal a serious issue that calls for help from an expert technician. Noisy timing belts can have several causes, including low or high tension, a misaligned belt, or damage to your vehicle’s pulley flanges.
Cracking Belt
A timing belt should be one solid piece. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to function properly. Unfortunately, there are certain issues that can lower the integrity of a timing belt and cause cracking. If your car’s timing belt cracks too extensively, it can lead to problems throughout the engine.
When a Kia technician inspects a timing belt, he or she will check for issues such as improper temperature or a worn-out back idler. To correct the issue, your technician will either install a new back idler or fix whatever issue is causing the incorrect temperatures.
Tearing
Tearing is one of the most serious problems your timing belt can experience. This is also known as tension failure. If tension failure occurs on the road, it can lead to a very damaging situation very easily. After failure has occurred, a technician will need to completely replace the timing belt and then identify the cause of the failure to prevent it from happening again.
Too much tension at installation, crimped belts, and a missing cover can all cause tension failure. Crimped belts are usually caused by not following proper handling instructions for your specific vehicle. If an outside object has infiltrated your drive, this can also lead to tension failure.
It’s important to address common timing belt problems as soon as they occur so that you can prevent excessive wear and tear on your vehicle’s engine. This will ensure that your car will give you worry-free travel for thousands of miles into the future.
This photo, “Timing belt,” by Windell Oskay used under CC BY 2.0. “Timing belt” is licensed under CC BY 2.0 by Gay Family Kia.
Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.