oil – Timing belt diagram maintenance replacement

May 5, 2014

Automatic Transmission Failure: How to Check Fluid and Prevent Costly Breakdowns

No two words strike fear into the hearts of those of us who are not mechanically inclined like the words: transmission failure.

Checking my engine oil may be the extent of my automotive expertise, but I’ve learned that having a faulty automatic transmission can mean almost certain death for a vehicle. For most cars, particularly those that are getting on in life, the cost of replacing an automatic transmission exceeds the value of the entire vehicle – rather like totaling your car.

Fortunately, transmission failure does not happen randomly; indeed, catching the early signs of transmission trouble is easy if you know what to look for. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your automatic transmission doesn’t cause premature car death.

1) Own cars with manual transmissions. Ok, so this isn’t exactly a solution to maintaining an automatic transmission, but car owners should be aware of the differences between manual (standard) and automatic transmissions. Manual transmissions (or “stick shifts”) are more energy efficient than automatics, but more importantly, they have far fewer moving parts – which means way less maintenance and risk of part failure. Sure, you can talk on your cell phone, keep the kids in the backseat from fighting and drink your coffee simultaneously while driving an automatic, but a manual transmission will never conk out like an automatic.

2) Check automatic transmission fluid (ATF) regularly. This is really not hard – no harder than checking your oil levels. If you’re unsure exactly which dipstick is for the ATF or what to look for once you find it, watch this short video on how to check your car’s ATF. If you’re still unsure, there’s a great little auto repair shop on Fulton Street where the mechanics would be happy to show you.

Keep in mind, you’re looking for two things: level and color. The fluid mark needs to hit between the low and high marks, and it should be nice and red.

3) Change your ATF regularly! Although it may seem like this step would naturally follow the previous step, there are those of us (like me) who need the reminder. If your transmission fluid is dark, brown or muddy-colored, it’s time for a professional to take a peek and probably perform a transmission fluid flush.

Please think twice before taking your car to a drive-through service for transmission fluid flushes. There are many reasons why these places don’t always offer the best service for your money, but a certified AAA repair shop like Cars for Keeps will certainly give you a more thorough flush and overall checkup.

4) Listen to your car. As we’ve said here before, your car will usually tell you something is wrong before a major breakdown. Any out of the ordinary noises could be suspect, so bring your car in for inspection if you hear anything unusual. J.B. Herbert gives us a few pointers here:

Safe driving and healthy cars until next time!

February 22, 2014

Toyota Camry 5SFE Engine Timing Belt, Water Pump & Seal Replacement

Introduction

The Toyota 5SFE motor is a 4 cylinder 2.2 liter timing belt driven double overhead cam engine design. This motor is commonly found in the Camry, Celica, MR2 and RAV4 from 1990 to 2001. The engine is a Non-Interference type meaning damage to either the valves or pistons is unlikely to occur if the belt were to ever brake during vehicle operation. The outlined instructions can therefore be used on belts that have broken. Positioning the Camshaft Sprocket and the Crankshaft Pulley for Top-Dead-Center (TDC) alignment is all that is needed for broken belt replacement.

timing belt diagram Expect to spend approximately 3 hours for just a belt replacement. Replacement of the water pump (approximately 1/2 hour) and sprocket seals (approximately 1/2 or less per seal) can vary.

The belt replacement interval for the 5SFE engine is either 60,000 or 90,000 miles based on the year of vehicle manufacture. Perhaps the introduction of Highly Saturated Nitrile (HSN) Timing Belts adopted for used on Toyota vehicles raised the service interval. Also the time since last replacement should be considered as well. Belt replacement every 6 to 7 years is recommended if under the mileage threshold.

It is recommended that the two Idler Pulleys (one for belt tension and the other as a belt guide) be replaced with every belt change. If the bearings in any of the pulleys were to lose its lubricating properties, the pulley can either wobble placing undue stress on the timing belt or potentially seize guaranteeing belt failure. Worn bearings can be noticed by a pitched grinding noise during engine warm up. When whatever grease remaining inside the bearing lubricates the bearings through engine heat, the noise will disappear. This can be considered a warning to have the belt and bearings replaced as soon as feasible.

Although many dealerships and private service stations recommend Water Pump replacement with the Timing Belt, based on personal experience, the AISIN Water Pumps in Toyotas are very durable. If the coolant has been changed per manufacturer’s recommended interval, and no hard mineral water used, the pump seals and bearings should last over 150,000 miles. This is based on personal experience with many 5SFE belt replacements jobs. However, the pump can be examined for wear and leakage after the Timing Belt Cover has been removed with the Timing Belt. Look for leakage from the weep hole, any chirping noise from the pump when the engine is running and any drag on the pulley when turned by hand after the timing belt has been removed.

On 5SFE engines with over 100,000 miles, there is a good possibility of oil seal wear for the Camshaft, Crankshaft and Oil Pump. The seals are inexpensive but can be time consuming to replace. If the leakage is very bad, oil will get on your Timing Belt which may cause pre-mature belt failure. Moreover, check the Side Engine Control Rod (commonly referred to as the Dog Bone) along with the front engine mount which dampens the the forward and backward flexing of the engine. The rubber vibration dampener has a tendency to dry rot and crack with age. A simple test is to ‘blip’ the engine with the transmission in gear while having your foot on the brakes. If the engine lifts up and settles back down, a new front mount may be in order. Replacement is simple and straightforward. Otherwise, the exhaust system’s flex pipe may eventually crack leading to expensive repairs.

The cost of the belt and components can vary. For Japanese OEM parts: Mitsuboshi Timing Belt, Koyo Pulleys and Aisin Water Pump. Shop and compare prices including shipping costs for the best deals. The belt manufacturers Gates and Dayco, OEM suppliers for Car companies like Honda, are very good and their belts can be had for approximately $15. A Timing Belt Component Kit (Belt, Idle Pulley & Tensioner Pulley) around $50. Water Pumps … around $30, Oil Seals … around $5 each. The parts that comprise a Timing Belt Component Kit for the 5SFE is interchangeable with the following Toyota vehicles:

CELICA (1999)

CELICA GT (1987 – 1998)

CELICA GTS (1990 – 1992)

CELICA GTS SPORT (1990 – 1993)

CELICA ST (1987 – 1989)

MR2 (1991 – 1995)

RAV4 (1996 – 2000)

SOLARA (1999 – 2001)

April 27, 2012

Timing Belt Symptoms

A timing belt handles the timing of the engine’s valves. If a timing belt snaps, certain kinds of engines could be damaged. It’s better to replace the timing belt if you have hit the amount of miles your vehicle manual recommends for a replacement, or if you notice some symptoms signaling which the timing belt is going bad.

There’s two different kinds of engines: interference and non-interference. In case your timing belt snaps or slips on an interference engine, the engine is going to be badly damaged costing a small money in repairs. In case a timing belt snaps on a non-interference engine, the engine is going to be damaged but won’t cost too much in repairs as an interference engine.

The failure of a timing belt is probably the most typical main reasons why cars breakdown. If you’re acquainted with the timing belt, the way it functions and the way to recognise whether or not some thing is wrong with it, you’ll be able to avoid serious damage to your vehicle and you will know when you should replace it. Know-how about timing belt symptoms could save you from having to experience being stuck on the side of a road due to a broken timing belt.

With no correctly functioning timing belt, an engine’s pistons would stop to operate therefore a vehicle will be not able to work. Worn timing belt can’t perform its job appropriately for this reason old timing belts can result in performance issues with a vehicle.

Now there are several timing belt symptoms to take into consideration: if the car’s engine vibrates a lot which it leads to the whole car to shake, in case your car starts belching much more exhaust than normal, if you encounter difficulty in starting the car or in the event you hear strange noises from the car’s engine. These types of are just some of the common timing belt symptoms. In the event you encounter one or more of those it might be ideal to consult with a mechanic as quickly as possible. Other timing belt symptoms can vary then one of them is emitting of excess smoke. When your car emits smoke a lot more than the usual that is a sign which your timing belt could have a issue.

These are the basic timing belt symptoms that you need to watch out for if you wish to prevent causing major damage to your car’s engine. Some of the reasons for timing belt damage are oil leak and getting too hot. To prevent these issues it’s better which you carry out regular check-up for your vehicle. If you’d like to learn more about timing belt as well as other timing belt symptoms, you could browse the internet for websites which has this type of information.

If you have ignored the symptoms and your vehicle conks out and stops running it’ll probably are already too late. So keep in mind, at the time you notice these timing belt symptoms it might be better to get your car checked. Awaiting the damage to become severe is certainly not something you will want to do.

April 25, 2012

Diagram for timing marks for crank shaft and oil pump for 2004 hyundai sonata

Optional Information:
Year: 2004
Make: Hyundai
Model: sonata
Engine: 2.4

hyundai timing belt

Be aware the oil pump pulley drives a balance shaft, and due to the gear reduction in the oil pump the timing mark is only correct once every 720 degrees. Meaning if the oil pump sprocket has spun with the belt off the vehicle and you realign it to the timing mark you have a one in two chance of it being correct. To verify you have the correct position, there is a 14mm bolt in the left hand side of the block (right on the balance shaft ‘tunnel’. When this bolt is removed, you will be able to stick a screwdriver or othr metal object 2.5 inches into the block when it is in the correct position; the shaft also will not turn more than 15 degrees in either direction. When you are out of phase, you will only be able to go in about one inch.