Timing Belt For 1995 Corolla

Never had a timing belt fail, and never paid more than about $100 to have one installed. What kind of "repair" shop was this?

Never had a timing belt fail, and never paid more than about $100 to have one installed. What kind of "repair" shop was this?

Maybe a shady repair shop that takes advantage of young naive females?

I'd want to be there when the belt comes off.

Could they have "forgotten" to change it?

Even if the timing belt is shredded, that might not be the root cause of the problem. A timing belt can shred if the camshaft freezes up. Make sure the top end is getting adequate lubrication. Was the car making any funny noises just before it stopped running? If so, the problem is likely elsewhere.

I had a timing belt go south on a Dodge vehicle years ago, and there was absolutely no warning.

It could be a number of things... from the tensioner, to the rollers, to the water pump-- or a crappy belt.

I've never heard of a timing belt change for $100. The book time on the job is 2.5 to 4 hours plus parts. Your daughter probably paid $700 because she opted to have the water pump replaced at the same time. That job at a reasonable shop would cost $350 - $450. They should do all the work and tow for free. If they won't budge, just pay a reputable dealer to fix the car and file a small claim against repair shop that did the shoddy work. They'll give you your money back about a week before your court date. In most states it costs $30 to file the claim and takes about 15 minutes.

Regardless of the reason the belt broke, they did the work. The selected the belt, they inspected the system and if there was another problem causing the belt to shred, it should have been discovered - and the initial belt should have shown the same shredding which would have been a red flag. Bottom line - they screwed up in my opinion.

I had the belt in my 95 civic done at pep boys for $207 and they did a crappy job.

The timing belt is one of the few jobs I would recommend having a dealership do after negotiating a fair price.

enotoga- My dealership often ran timing belt specials- $100 bucks. Of course, I haven't replaced one in several years since my car has a chain.

My daughter brought the car back to the shop where she originally had the belt changed (she towed it with a Taurus wagon using my Kar Kaddy). They agreed that the belt had shredded and would replace it free of charge. I don't know if they will charge her anything for the labor. I will find that out tomorrow. It is possible that they either used an inferior belt for a replacement or the idler pulley adjustment had the belt too tight. I will ask her if the water pump got changed at the same time as the timing belt change. I would have changed the belt for her, but felt it was the responsibility of the repair shop to do it right. She could have taken it to another place, but that would have cost her more. I feel that repair stations should do everything they can to obtain and maintain a favorable reputation, or else they should go out of business. That means correcting or making restitution for anything they did wrong. I will let you know what becomes of the car.

I've never heard of a timing belt change for $100. The book time on the job is 2.5 to 4 hours plus parts. Your daughter probably paid $700 because she opted to have the water pump replaced at the same time. That job at a reasonable shop would cost $350 - $450. They should do all the work and tow for free. If they won't budge, just pay a reputable dealer to fix the car and file a small claim against repair shop that did the shoddy work. They'll give you your money back about a week before your court date. In most states it costs $30 to file the claim and takes about 15 minutes.

All fine and well, however you need to consider an important aspect-- what is the shop's warranty on parts and labor???

iirc, Toyota goes by 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. The independent shop may have a shorter warranty period. My guess is the shop is in the clear.

Even if the timing belt is shredded, that might not be the root cause of the problem. A timing belt can shred if the camshaft freezes up. Make sure the top end is getting adequate lubrication. Was the car making any funny noises just before it stopped running? If so, the problem is likely elsewhere.

I had a timing belt go south on a Dodge vehicle years ago, and there was absolutely no warning.

That is a very good point. The car was not making any funny noises just before it stopped running, but if one of the camshafts froze up, it could have caused the timing belt to shred. I took off the cover to check the engine and my daughter tried to start it. The engine cranked over, but the timing belt (and the camshafts) did not move. They may have been locked up. I did find pieces of the timing belt (kind of like rubber hair) under the cover and the crankshaft was turning, but not the belt. I know the car had oil, since I make sure it gets checked every time she brings the car over to my house. I think I should have checked the camshafts to see if they rotate before I sent it back to the repair station. What would cause a camshaft to freeze up? I would think if it got too dry and the bearings froze, that might do it, or if one of the shims jammed on a cam? Is that something that happens on these Toyotas?

That is a very good point. The car was not making any funny noises just before it stopped running, but if one of the camshafts froze up, it could have caused the timing belt to shred. I took off the cover to check the engine and my daughter tried to start it. The engine cranked over, but the timing belt (and the camshafts) did not move. They may have been locked up. I did find pieces of the timing belt (kind of like rubber hair) under the cover and the crankshaft was turning, but not the belt. I know the car had oil, since I make sure it gets checked every time she brings the car over to my house. I think I should have checked the camshafts to see if they rotate before I sent it back to the repair station. What would cause a camshaft to freeze up? I would think if it got too dry and the bearings froze, that might do it, or if one of the shims jammed on a cam? Is that something that happens on these Toyotas?

It would take something significant to lock up your camshaft, so I doubt that it froze up if the car had no warning. The next time, try turning the camshaft gears to make sure they're not frozen as long as you have the head cover off. There are two gears that mesh, each gear is on a camshaft. One of the camshafts is hooked up to the timing belt, so the gears allow both shafts to turn.

 

Theoretically, a broken or jammed oil pump could cause a camshaft to jam and the belt to shred. Oil starvation could cause the bearings to sieze. If they creased (folded) or pinched the timing belt prior to installation, this is likely the cause of the failure.

I didn't talk to my daughter yet, but my wife says the car is fixed. The repair station charged her $100 which they said was just for parts and the labor was free. They said the pulley (unspecified which one) was damaged and caused the timing belt to shred. They replaced the pulley and the timing belt and it is running fine. My related question (for another car) is "How can you align the timing of the crankshaft and the camshafts, if the timing belt was broken or slipped on the sprockets"? I know about the knotch on the harmonic balancer and the lining up of the crankshaft, as well as the alignment of the distributor rotor with the #1 cyclinder, but how can I be positive it is not 180* (degrees) out? I know timing is very critical for smooth running and I want to be sure everything is aligned. I have heard about rotating the engine and checking for piston location, but I am unsure how to do that exactly. Any advice?