Timing Belt Replacement
A timing belt is a toothed rubber belt that keeps the crankshaft and camshaft turning in step. It is a wear item with a replacement interval set by the manufacturer, and on many engines a snapped belt bends valves. Replacing it on time costs a fraction of the engine damage it prevents.
From AED 599Written quote after diagnosis, before work startsConvenience fee applicable · shown on your written quote
- 4-8 hours depending on the engine
- Pickup and delivery from your door
- Convenience fee applicable · shown on your written quote
- Diagnosis free with repair
Signs you need timing belt replacement
- The car has reached the mileage or age interval in the owner's manual and the belt has never been changed
- A ticking or squealing from behind the timing cover at idle
- Oil or coolant visible near the belt cover
- Rough running, misfire codes or poor starting after a belt has jumped a tooth
- Cracks, fraying or missing teeth when the cover is opened
- Engine that stops suddenly and will not restart, with the starter spinning freely
What usually causes it
Age and heat hardening
Belt rubber ages with time as well as distance. Heat stiffens it, and the cords inside can weaken, so a belt with low mileage but many years behind it may be due.
Failing tensioner or idler bearing
The belt runs over a tensioner and idler pulleys with sealed bearings. When one starts to bind or wobble, it loads the belt unevenly, which is why they are replaced together with the belt.
Oil or coolant contamination
A leaking camshaft or crankshaft seal, or a leaking water pump, soaks the belt. Oil softens the rubber and coolant attacks the cords, so the leak must be fixed in the same visit.
Skipped interval
Many owners are unsure whether a used car has had its belt done. Without paperwork the safest approach is to treat the belt as due, since an unknown history carries the same risk as an overdue belt.
How we do timing belt replacement
- 1
Identify belt or chain
We check your engine code first, because some engines use a timing chain that needs no scheduled change. If yours has a belt, the maker's interval and any service history are compared with its condition.
- 2
Lock the timing and open the cover
The engine is set to its timing marks and held with locking tools. Covers, mounts and ancillary belts are moved aside to expose the timing drive.
- 3
Replace the full kit
The belt, tensioner and idler pulleys are renewed together, and the water pump if the belt drives it. Camshaft and crankshaft seals are replaced when they are leaking or accessible.
- 4
Re-time, rotate and verify
After fitting, the engine is rotated by hand through two full turns to check the marks line up and nothing binds. Then it is started, scanned for timing-related codes and tested for noise and smooth idle.
By make and model
Honda
Honda V6 engines use a timing belt that also drives the water pump, so the usual job covers the belt, tensioner and pump together.
In Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman
Heat ages rubber faster than mileage alone suggests, so a belt on a car that has spent its life in the Emirates may be due earlier than the odometer says. If you are buying a used car here, ask for evidence of the last belt change, or have it checked, before you rely on the paperwork.
Questions about timing belt replacement
How do I know if my car has a belt or a chain?
It depends on the engine, not just the model. Give us your registration details when you book and we will check the engine code and tell you which it is.
What happens if the belt breaks?
The engine stops at once. On engines where the pistons and valves share space, the valves are bent as the camshaft stops, and repair then means a cylinder head rebuild or worse.
Why replace the tensioner and pulleys too?
They wear at the same rate as the belt and the labour to reach them is the same. A new belt on a failing bearing is a false saving.
Can I do it later, once the car has more mileage?
Follow the maker's interval, whichever comes first by distance or age. Deferring raises the chance of an expensive failure, and we would rather you came in early.
Will you use OEM belts?
You choose OEM or aftermarket kits, and the quote states the brand and the price of each option.
Last updated
Get a written quote
Tell us about your car. You get an itemised quote before any work starts, and you choose OEM, aftermarket or used parts.