Recently, I had my 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe at my local shop for an oil change and general check-up. It has 66,000 miles and a 4-cylinder engine. I purchased the vehicle three years ago. When the work was done a service man was going over the bill and inspection form when he suggested that I have the timing belt replaced. I鈥檝e owned four cars prior to this one and have never had anyone suggest such work. I never had to replace a timing belt on any of them. My SUV runs fine. Since I have owned the vehicle I have taken great care of it. It鈥檚 in great shape. Is this something that is necessary to do? The timing belt is an important drive belt hidden under a cover on the engine that synchronizes the up and down motion of the pistons with the opening and closing of the valves.
It鈥檚 similar in construction to the serpentine belt that you see on the outside of the engine that turns accessories such as the alternator and air conditioning compressor. If the timing belt breaks due to wear the pistons and valves could collide and cause major engine damage. According to the factory recommended maintenance schedule for your vehicle the timing belt should be replaced at 60,000 mile intervals. It鈥檚 due for replacement. It certainly is a lot less expensive to replace the belt than the engine should the belt break. The 2.0-liter engine in my 2007 Volkswagen Passat sounds like a diesel engine. It has 122,000 miles, an automatic transmission and turbo-charger. I went to a repair shop where a technician thought the noise was coming from the timing belt. He checked it and it鈥檚 fine. He鈥檚 not sure what is causing the sound but wants to disassemble the engine to find the source of the noise.
I鈥檝e owned the car since it was new. I change the oil every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. The car is in great condition. Do you have any clue as to what is causing the noise? Your technician must have an inkling of what is causing the sound and a course of action. He wants to disassemble the engine. If you agree to proceed with an internal examination he will inspect parts that might be causing the sound. From your description of the noise more than likely it is from the valve system so he won鈥檛 be removing the bottom of the engine. He鈥檒l look for trouble at the top of the engine. This is not a major operation. He likely will remove the valve cover so he can examine the cam shafts and other parts that comprise the valve system. Once he has completed the exam he should know the cause of the sound and suggest a lasting repair.
There is antifreeze leaking from the engine near the air conditioner compressor. The compressor and lower radiator hose are blocking my view of the leak not to mention the slant of the engine and tight quarters. The leak is pretty bad as I have to add half a gallon of premix antifreeze every other day which is about 80 miles of travel. I have a 2002 Chrysler Sebring with a 2.7-liter motor and nearly 190,000 miles. Do you have any idea what鈥檚 leaking? Don鈥檛 repair it. Keep topping off the reservoir so the antifreeze manufactures can hire more employees. Also, the drips of engine coolant on the road will give environmentalists and pet owners something to discuss. All kidding aside, this problem needs repair to prevent engine damage from the result of overheating. It is possible the timing cover gasket or radiator hose has sprung a leak. It is also possible the trouble is caused by a failure of the seal on the water pump shaft.
