We all know how important your engine is to your vehicle. It is the heart of your Honda. And, just like an irregular heartbeat can affect your overall health, the same can be said for your engine—timing is everything. Keeping your engine running smoothly is vital, and is why there is no more important part than your Honda’s timing belt.
Here are the key signs of a bad timing belt you should watch for. We’ll also give you tips so you know with confidence when your timing belt needs to be replaced.
How a Timing Belt Works
Like a bicycle chain, timing belt symptoms include disrupted synchronization of your Honda's engine components. Most importantly, this rubber belt syncs the timing of the camshaft and crankshaft. Without a timing belt, your engine’s valves would fall out of sync, and your Honda would stop running.
Heat and aging can lead to clear signs the timing belt is going bad, such as degradation or potential breakage. This is why it is important to pay attention to the condition of your Honda’s timing belt and to keep an eye out for some tell-tale symptoms that it might be damaged and in need of replacement.
Signs of a Damaged Timing Belt
- Noises Coming from Your Engine: A ticking noise from your engine is one of the primary symptoms of a bad timing belt. Low oil pressure and improper engine lubrication are common bad timing belt symptoms in Hondas.
- Engine Misfires: Misfires and other changes in your Honda engine’s fire rate are clear signs of a damaged timing belt. A worn-out timing belt can break and cause your engine’s cylinders to open and close out of sync.
- Check Engine Light is On: A damaged timing belt can cause your Check Engine light to come on. If your light is on and you’re noticing any of these other signs and symptoms, your timing belt is a good place for your mechanic to start the troubleshooting.
- Rough Idling of the Engine: A timing belt consists of a bunch of teeth designed to grip gears as your engine fires. A damaged timing belt can be as seemingly minor as a couple of teeth having broken off the belt, which can cause the belt to slip and contribute to a rough idle and even to increased frequency of stalls.
- Engine Starts Smoking: Smoke coming from your engine is never a good thing. If you’re seeing smoke coming from under your Honda’s hood, it could be due to a damaged timing belt. One of your timing belt’s responsibilities is to open and close your engine’s cylinders to let out exhaust and let air in. A damaged timing belt can mess up the timing of this exchange, and can cause serious damage to your engine.
Replacing a Damaged Timing Belt
Once you figure out that your Honda’s timing belt is indeed damaged, the next step is to buy and install an OEM replacement—before you ruin your engine and cause yourself even more expensive issues!
Finding all the parts you need is easy with Bernardi Parts Honda. We have everything you need, whether you’re just looking to change your timing belt (you can select your model and year on the next page) or you need to replace another OEM Honda part. For more information, please send us a message or give us a call at 800-924-1884.
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