Timing belt – lifespan question

[Slobodan]

I own Dacia Sandero I 1.4 MPI. It is a Romanian car based on the French Reno Clio II (engine, transmission, suspension system, steering system, braking system, ECU, electrics, and so on are all 100% Reno; everything else is Dacia).

The car is 5 years old and has gone through only 27.000 km. The service interval for timing belt replacement is 120.000 km or 5 years for this Reno engine (but in Serbia, all service intervals are halved, so it is 60.000 km or 5 years).

That replacement (including parts and work) will cost about 415 dollars. That is a whole average monthly salary in my country.

Car has been driven approximately 65-70% in town, rest on regional roads or highway (120 km/h speed limit). The car has been kept on the parking on the street (not in the garage). In Serbia we have all 4 weather seasons.

[b]I really don’t want to change the belt unless I really need to. So, my question is (for experienced mechanics and technicians), what is the general lifespan of the timing belt, and does it depend more of the km/miles driven or the age of the belt?
Also, if there are no oil stains, cracks, etc, on the belt, does it mean that (in my case) I could use it for a few years more? And for how many years/km approximately?[/b]

I would need answer ASAP, since the car will go to the service on Monday.
Before the potential belt change, I will ask mechanic to visually inspect the belt (for potential oil stains, cracks, and so on).

P.S. Regardless of my nickname, I am not a mechanic. I am an electronics engineer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Sandero
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_K-Type_engine (Mine is K7J 720, I beleve. 75 hp, 112 Nm)

Topic

[Slobodan]

Actually, they reduced the time interval to 4 years (Reno dealer in Serbia, not Reno itself), but I remember that it used to be 5 years.

I mean, my family has cars that are much older and much less quality than Reno, that still run without timing belts ever changed.
One of them is Zastava 101 with 55 hp Fiat engine, that is over 25 years old (don’t remember exactly). Still runs, timing belt never changed. Has about 50-60.000 km or so (don’t remember).
Other one is Zastava Yugo 55 with domestic DMB engine. Zastava had lots of financial problems (losing money instead of earning by selling cars, state had to subsidies it so people would keep their jobs), and the factory was destroyed by NATO in 1999, so the quality of materials used is even worse than in Chinese cars. I do not remember how old it is, but it is few years older than Sandero, and it has around 70.000 km and timing belt was never changed. Still runs, and it is driven in relatively high RPM.

And my opinion is that timing belts are used instead of chains to rip people off. Because car manufactarors earn much more money on selling spare parts than on selling cars.

So, you know…

[richiepearce]

It sounds like you have decided on the course you are going to take.
The reason for timing belts or chains is moving off topic.
the fact that car A does 60000 and 25 years without a replacement does not mean that car B will do likewise.
the running costs of a vehicle should be taken into consideration when buying it and changing the belt kit now is preventative, as far as I am aware no one is able to foretell how long your current belt will last in the condition it is in at this point in time.
As I said earlier either replace or take your chances.

[Erin]

If you are that worried about it, maybe just replace it so you don’t have to worry.

It is pretty unlikely you will have a problem for a while but if it makes you feel better….

[EricTheCarGuy]

As some have stated, time plays more of a factor than mileage when it comes to timing belts. Also, it appears that climate is at play here as well which can also shorten it’s life. That said, on some vehicles where you set the timing belt tension manually, it’s a good idea to change them more often, or reset the tension on occasion. The reason is that as the belt gets older, it tends to stretch and loose tension. This can cause variances in cam timing which can equate to minor performance issues. That said, on many engines with the amount you have to tear down to set the tension you might as well have replaced the belt. Also, timing belts often drive the water pump which usually gets replaced at the same time. If there is an issue with the water pump you need to remove all the same components as you do for a timing belt. It’s a pain to do on some vehicles, but you really can’t go wrong by doing the service. Given that it’s a maintenance item and your climate, I would recommend you change it just to be on the safe side. Better safe than sorry as they say.

[Slobodan]

Thank you for your reply Eric. I will replace it. But not the water pump (unless bearing seal is bad). I will replace the water pump on the next timing belt change (in 5 years).

Just one correction of my previous post. I have checked, and it turns out that the timing belt on Yugo was changed after all.

[Author]

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