2005 Kia Spectra timing belt -- how urgent?

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rationull

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My sister recently picked up a 2005 Kia Spectra to replace her last car. It has something like 62-64k miles on it, and the timing belt is called for at 60k IIRC. Obviously she's going to get it changed, but I was curious as to how urgent it is. Are these known for snapping just over the interval, or conversely are they known to be able to last a while longer? 60k seems like a relatively short TB interval for a newer engine.

I am not going to advocate putting it off. I'm just trying to figure out whether I need to scare her into doing it ASAP as opposed to merely "soon".
 
Probably looking at the whole cost of changing the belt to what not changing the belt can cost I would change the belt soon.
 
If it wasn't replaced at 60k then the 10year/100,000 mile warranty will not cover the damage in the event that it breaks (and yes these are Interference engines). Some belts break at the 60k mark while others can go double that. By not replacing it she is taking a big gamble. $250 now or a new engine later...easy choice.
 
Yeah that's a given. I just want to know whether I should tell her "OMG don't drive it anymore, change it now!" or not. If I don't I think she'll probably drive it to work at least for a week or two first.
 
Originally Posted By: CentralNY1
If it wasn't replaced at 60k then the 10year/100,000 mile warranty will not cover the damage in the event that it breaks (and yes these are Interference engines). Some belts break at the 60k mark while others can go double that. By not replacing it she is taking a big gamble. $250 now or a new engine later...easy choice.


10/100k warranty apparently isn't transferable so she's not covered by that anyway. But you're saying that some have been known to break around 60k, and if that's true then that's good enough for me.
 
I also have wondered why some manufacturers still recommend 60K and others (like Honda) recommend 105K. My Accord has 86K on the original belt and I'm thinking of doing it next spring (when it should have approx. 95K)

PS: I think the move to rubber timing belts (from chains) was a terrible decision for the consumer. I'm sure dealers loved it because it brought more business to their service departments.
 
Originally Posted By: pbm


PS: I think the move to rubber timing belts (from chains) was a terrible decision for the consumer.


New car buyers love quiet engines,hence rubber timing belts.

Used car buyers love long term low cost maintenence,ie timing chains.

Guess who auto companies will cater to?
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
I wouldn't feel bad about driving the car for a few weeks more, especially if the miles were done on the highway.


Unfortunately, they won't be on the highway. But we're talking <20 miles a day.
 
Originally Posted By: DeeAgeaux

New car buyers love quiet engines,hence rubber timing belts.

Used car buyers love long term low cost maintenence,ie timing chains.

Guess who auto companies will cater to?


I don't think that matches the trend we're actually seeing. Even Honda is moving all their engines to chains (only engine still on a belt is the V6, which dates from 1996. I'm pretty sure Hyundai/KIA are using chains on their new engine designs as well.

I'm reaching outside my knowledge here, but can anyone cite a car company that went from chains to belts on similar-purpose engines in the last, say, 30 years? I'd be interested to know because it seems like the trend is the other way around, just some companies are later than others to do the changeover.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
I wouldn't feel bad about driving the car for a few weeks more, especially if the miles were done on the highway.



Agreed. A few weeks should not hurt.
 
Originally Posted By: pbm

I also have wondered why some manufacturers still recommend 60K and others (like Honda) recommend 105K. My Accord has 86K on the original belt and I'm thinking of doing it next spring (when it should have approx. 95K)

PS: I think the move to rubber timing belts (from chains) was a terrible decision for the consumer. I'm sure dealers loved it because it brought more business to their service departments.

engines use belts or chains for different reasons; some is packaging, how much room they have, etc. engineering a chain drive is more complicated, req oil squirters and large areas to sel w/ a gasket.
the Japanes and Euros have used belts for a long time (my mid '80s VWs were belts). the domestics were always chains for the most part; of course, they were also slow adopters of OHC engines which really benefited from a belt.
 
Originally Posted By: rationull
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
I wouldn't feel bad about driving the car for a few weeks more, especially if the miles were done on the highway.


Unfortunately, they won't be on the highway. But we're talking div>

I should have said if the miles on the car already are mostly highway then its no big deal to put some more on. I've read in the miata forums that its not unusual for their timing belts to go in the 80k mile range but they non interference engines so people push them abit. The timing belt on our old Escort GT (miata engine)went at 130k but we have no idea if it was the original. I suspect it was.
As for the chain vs belt argument, my Tracker has a chain and it sounds like a bucket of bolts for 1/2 a second on start up until the oil pressure comes up, in the Neon with a belt, the start up is much quieter, I only hear piston slap...
LOL.gif
 
You can remove the upper inspection cover for the timing belt and use the standard belt criteria. Look for cracking on front or back particularly around the teeth, also look for missing or rounded teeth (if I remember correctly these should be square shouldered). If the belt appears to still be in good condition you have some time.

bcjf012a.gif

Check to make sure the belt has not begun to harden as well.
bcjf011a.gif



I have an 06 Rio and I finally had mine replaced at 65k miles. A fellow owner neglected his past 80k miles when it broke also an 06, no damage luckily.

Kia has a now free online service manual for all there cars, hyundai does as well. Kiatechinfo is where I get all of the images I use.
 
The one person I know who had it break, they had about 71k miles on it. So I wouldn't get close to that mark. (And yes it ruined the engine and the warranty didn't cover it.)

John
 
Thanks Tater! I'll be visiting them this weekend, maybe I'll take the inspection cover off and check it out if it's easy enough.

Not sure what the time recommendation is. Maybe 5 years?
 
I just checked its 40 months severe service and 60 months for non-severe. I would post the maintenace schedule for the spectra but its rather large.
 
Now would probably be a good time to replace the tensioner and idler pulleys.

Far too often I have seen a tensioner fail halfway in the life in the second T-belt, destroying the belt, and sometimes the engine.
 
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