Hi,

I have a 99protege and it has 125k miles on it. I am thinking to change the timing belt on it. I am wondering how much would it cost. Could somebody let me know? Also, let me know whether to go to the dealer or some local mechanic.

Also, I need a suggestion. Is it worth changing the timing belt or should I sell it off and buy a new car.

Please let me know,

thanks
Ven

 

Depends on the overall condition of the car, how much you're prepared to spend, how handy you are etc.
It's not a terribly difficult job, but it has to be done right. Since you need to tear down your auxiliary drive belt assemblies, it's usual to replace all of your drive belts at the same time: the same goes for idlers, tensioners etc. if they need it.
Done in a shop, it's an all day job, so expect to fork over something near $1000.
You can do it yourself for $200 or so, but expect to spend a whole weekend on it. If you haven't this before, it's really good psychologically to have an experienced mentor beside you.
The other very important thing is to have a good manual.
Now, unless you have issues clearly indicating mistiming due to stripped teeth, and that you don't drive like a maniac, you could consider deferring the job until 150,000.
Proteges rarely break timing belts, and if they do, there's no further damage to the engine.
That buys you time to build up your self confidence and your bank balance.

 

Thanks for the reply Oldeng. I was thinking around $800 and I am not handy at all. I dont have any prior experience of engines or mechanical job. So, I would say that I dont really feel confident in doing myself.

I have a couple of questions for you. You said if there is no indication of mistimed tooth, then I am ok till 150k. How would I know that. I mean could you give me some general indications of that? And ofcourse, I dont drive like a maniac

Also, you said, there is no further damage after the timing belt break. So, is that mean that it screws up the engine completely and there is no question of using that engine any further OR, you mean eventhough it breaks up, the engine is still good after you take to the mechanic?

Please let me know.

thanks again,

 

If your belt is shot, the first symptom is usually rough idling, reluctant starting, lack of pep, jerky acceleration. This can worsen as the tooth next to the one that failed also goes. The extreme case is very rare; this being where the belt actually snaps.
The engine will stop. The camshafts stop dead instantly, but the crankshaft doesn't. This means the valves stay where they were when the belt snapped, but the pistons continue moving up and down. There are two classes of engines in this respect; an "interference engine", and a "clearance engine", depending on the engine design.
In the former case, open valves will interfere with the motion of the pistons (like it tries to STOP them!) The resulting damage is very, very serious.
The "clearance engine" on the other hand is designed such that even with valves stopped in the fully open position, there remains enough clearance between the open valves and the piston at top dead center that the valves clear the piston, so there is no engine damage whatsoever.
Proteges have clearance engines, so even if the timing belt snaps, the engine will quit, that's all. The repair consists of the belt replacement only, and the cost difference between a voluntary belt change and a compulsory one will be the towing charge.
That's why I said that, unless you have good reason to believe the belt is jumping teeth, I don't think you're risking much if you opt to delay the belt change for say, another 25,000 miles. That way you can save up some money, and plan whether to farm the job out or do it yourself.
So either way, don't worry about wrecking your engine; it ain't gonna happen!

 

Thanks a lot for all the explanation Oldeng. That gave me lot of confidence and relief.

I dont see any of those symptoms on my car. It is starting, idling and running as it used to be. The reason I wanted to change the belt was, from the book, I should change the belt at around 110k. So, I thought I better change it now instead of screwing up the engine. Anyways, since there is no damage is going to happen, I will wait.

There is another reason that boosted my thoughts for the timing belt is, recently my check engine light came up. So, initially I thought, timing belt is the reason. So, I called in for a AAA shop and they said it is may be because of the loose gas cap. So, I tightened it and waited for 3 days (doing my regular commute, about 12miles per day) and it is still there. Do you think that should take it in to the shop right away or should I wait another day or two.

Please let me know.

 

Hi Oldend,

Update: This afternoon, I decided to look deep into this check engine light. After looking here and there on the web, finally I started reading the manual. It is given there that a blown ROOM fuse (fuse that deals with interior and trunk light) might be a possible reason for that light. So, I checked it and the fuse is fine. I pushed it back in and also turned the gas cap few more rounds. After doing all this, I thought I would give a shot. I turned the battery on and I saw the light still on, but as soon as I turned the ignition ON, it went away.

thanks again for your help.

 

Funny thing; a lot of people hit on the EVAC pressure thing as the primary cause for appearance of a CEL. In fact the primary cause of a CEL on Proteges is hidden splits in that black engine air intake duct. Even messing around with the fuses and seemingly getting a cure has really nothing to do with the fuses, but rather that you shook up the duct a bit and temporarily sealed off the air leak. So if your CEL reappears, you can unsnap the air filter, lift up that duct and give it a thorough check to ensure there are no cracks in the deep parts of the corrugated section.
Your vintage and mileage indicate that you are a good candidate for air duct splits, and don't worry, it's more of a nuisance than anything else, and is dirt cheap to fix.

 

Thanks again OldEng. You were really helpful to me and you actually built a lot of confidence in me! I really appreciate your time.

 

Hi Oldeng,

You are right. The CEL came back yesterday. I checked the air intake duct and I see cracks on the folded section of the tube (part comes after the air filter chamber). But, I think they are not deep enough to create a hole into the tube. Anyways, I sealed it off and waiting for the CEL to go off. Should I do some sort of reset on the CEL (just like the way I did before by removing the fuse) or should I wait for it?

Also, my windshield cleaning tank is completely empty. I doubt it, but would it cause the CEL?

thanks

 

The check engine light will not clear itself. You must either reset the fault with a code reader or cycle the power on your engine control module by disconnecting the battery. There are many auto parts stores that will read the diagnostic code for no charge. That way, you don't have to guess at what is causing your cel to come on. These parts houses usually will not reset codes for you.