Category Archives: Timing Belt

Automotive Tips from I - 70 Auto Service: Knowing When Your Timing Belt Should Be Replaced

The timing belt in your engine controls the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves. Kansas City drivers need to replace it on a schedule to avoid failure.Timing belts are very difficult to get to, requiring quite a bit of labor to access. Timing belt replacement is one of the more expensive maintenance services, but the cost at I - 70 Auto Service to correct an engine damaged by a broken timing belt is much, much more.The timing belt has a tensioner to help maintain proper belt tension. The tensioner should be replaced along with the timing belt and any idler pulleys at the vehicle manufacturer’s specified service interval. Your I - 70 Auto Service service advisor can help you with the timing belt.Give us a call.I - 70 Auto Service3111 Stadium Dr.Kansas City, Missouri 64128816-921-0505http://www.i70autoservice.com

Categories:

Timing Belt

Ask I - 70 Auto Service: What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?

The serpentine belt is aptly named since it snakes around under your hood. It may lack its namesake's fangs, but it sure packs a wallop when it breaks.The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine systems. It runs the alternator, which charges the battery; the water pump (on some vehicles), which cools the engine; the air conditioning, which cools the driver and passengers; and the power steering pump, which allows for easier steering. When the belt breaks, all of these systems shut down.Okay, so maybe you can live without air conditioning and power steering for a while, but your battery can't live very long without an alternator, and when the cooling system goes down, your vehicle engine will overheat. That's why Kansas City drivers should never wait to get a serpentine belt replaced.Serpentine belts are fairly inexpensive at I - 70 Auto Service in Kansas City. And they look downright cheap when you compare them to the cost of an overheated vehicle engine, a tow truck, time lost on the r ... read more

Categories:

Timing Belt

Automotive Tips from I - 70 Auto Service: Timing Belt Overview

In your engine, valves over each combustion chamber open to allow fresh air in, close during the combustion event, and then other valves open to let out the exhaust. All of this happens over and over thousands of times a minute when you are driving around Kansas City. The timing belt’s important job is to make sure that all of this happens as it should – at precisely the right time. If the timing is off, your engine won’t run efficiently or maybe not at all – so a good timing belt is important. If it should break, you could end up at I - 70 Auto Service with expensive engine damage.Ask your friendly and professional I - 70 Auto Service service advisor when your timing belt is scheduled for replacement.Give us a call.I - 70 Auto Service3111 Stadium Dr.Kansas City, Missouri 64128816-921-0505http://www.i70autoservice.com

Categories:

Timing Belt

Combustion Choreography: Timing Belt Replacement at I - 70 Auto Service in Kansas City

Have you ever seen a ballet performance? Have you wondered how all of those dancers manage to travel all over the stage jumping and twirling and never crash into each other? That's the job of a choreographer.Our auto engines are also highly choreographed. Pistons travel up and down inside cylinders. Valves at the tops of the cylinders open to let air and fuel in or exhaust out. These valves have to open and close at precisely the right time or the engine will run poorly if at all. The movement of the valves and pistons must be in harmony with each other. This choreography is the job of the timing belt or timing chain.Timing belts, or chains, rotate the shafts that control the opening and closing of the valves. Timing chains are metal and durable enough that they may never need to be replaced.Most vehicles, however, use a timing belt. Timing belts are tough and flexible, and considering the work they do, they last a long time for Kansas City auto owners . But they do wear out. If t ... read more

Categories:

Timing Belt

Automotive Tips from I - 70 Auto Service: A Broken or Damaged Timing Belt

The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your car when you drive around Kansas City.An old timing belt can lose a “tooth” in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt slips – or a broken timing belt – can be disastrous on some engines. In “interference” engines, open valves can get in the way of the piston when the timing belt breaks or slips. When that happens one or more valves can be bent requiring expensive engine repairs.It is important for Kansas City drivers to replace their timing belts as recommended in their owner’s manual to avoid unnecessary breakdowns. Ask the team of professionals at I - 70 Auto Service in Kansas City if it’s time for your timing belt to be replaced. I - 70 Auto Service3111 Stadium Dr.Kansas City, Missouri 6412881 ... read more

Categories:

Timing Belt

Kansas City Car Owners Ask: Why Do I Need to Change My Serpentine Belt?

Any Kansas City driver who understands preventive maintenance knows that “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” is bad auto advice. Replacing a part before it breaks is much less costly for Kansas City residents than repairing the engine damage that comes after a part breaks or fails. A good example of this is the serpentine belt.The serpentine belt gets its name because of its circuitous path around the engine. The serpentine belt is driven by the engine and powers a number of systems, as follows:1. The serpentine belt spins the compressor that generates the cool air for the air conditioning system.2. The serpentine belt powers the alternator. The alternator generates electricity for use in the vehicle's electrical systems and to charge the battery. Without the alternator, the battery wouldn't last more than a few miles.3. In many Kansas City residents' vehicles, the serpentine belt runs the pumps for both the power steering and the power brakes. In other vehicles, the power st ... read more

Categories:

Timing Belt

Good Timing: Proper Timing Belt Replacement Saves Money for Kansas City Drivers

Knowing how their engine works can help Kansas City drivers make informed decisions about auto care and prevent repairs to their vehicles. This is especially true when it comes to timing belts.An engine's power is generated in the cylinders. Inside the cylinder is a piston that moves up and down while the engine is running. Power is generated in a cycle that includes four strokes of the piston. First, the piston drops and a valve at the top of the cylinder opens to let in fuel and air. The piston then rises, which compresses the fuel and air. At this point, the spark plug fires, igniting the fuel and pushing the piston down. This downstroke transfers energy to the engine, which provides the power it needs to run. The piston rises again, and a valve opens to release the exhaust.All of this movement is orchestrated by a timing belt. The timing belt is so named because it keeps the pistons and valves operating in synch with each other, just as a conductor keeps all ... read more

Categories:

Timing Belt

Timing Belt Service to Save Big Bucks in Kansas City

Your engine is like a finely choreographed dance. All the parts have to work together. If the timing is off at the ballet, dancers crash into each other and fall down. It the timing is off in your engine, it may not run at all. One of the most intricate dances in your engine has to do with the combustion cycle.Your vehicle engine has cylinders in which a piston travels up and down. At the top of the cylinders are valves that open to bring in the air and fuel. And there are valves that open to let out the exhaust after the fuel has been burned. Call I - 70 Auto Service at 816-921-0505 for answers about your timing belt, or drop by our Kansas City, Missouri, service center on 3111 Stadium Dr.. It's critical that the values be timed to open and close at precisely the right time in the combustion cycle, or the engine will run poorly or not at all.The timing belt is responsible for rotating th ... read more

Categories:

Timing Belt