All cars have a mechanism to coordinate the timing between the pistons and the valves inside an engine. Without that coordination, valves would stay open. Since valves open inward, toward the center of the cylinder, the piston would collide with the valve and the engine would seize.
To coordinate the piston and the valves, the engine has a timing belt that connects the crankshaft which drives the piston, to the camshaft that opens and closes the valves. The timing belt has teeth to keep it in place. When these teeth wear down, the timing belt will slip, and you lose the coordination so important to your engine. Timing belt failure while driving can destroy your engine.
Your timing belt should be changed every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Bring your car to our service center at Gwinnett Place Ford in Duluth to have the health of your timing belt checked and changed out if needed.
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