Hey everyone! I just recently purchased my 2002 Protege5 in March of this year. The car runs great, but at times I can hear a really awkward sound coming from the engine. The sound is not very consistent, but it does happen more than I want it to. I was wondering if it may be the timing belt?

My question is it even worth checking the status of the belt, or to just change it if I have any suspicion of it whatsoever?

If I do end up changing it, is there anything else that should be swapped as well? Any recommendable brands, types,etc? Better the performance the better! I'm new to car mechanics and I want my car running at it's peak!

Thanks for any help in advance!