What are the causes of timing belt skipping?
2 Answers
The causes of timing belt skipping are: 1. The belt comes into contact with oil: This can easily cause the belt to corrode and deform, leading to slipping and skipping; 2. Failure to promptly inspect and adjust the tension of the timing belt: After a certain mileage, the timing belt will naturally stretch, and if the tension is not adjusted in time, skipping is likely to occur; 3. Improper use: Since the timing belt is made of rubber, abnormal rapid starts and sudden acceleration can temporarily stretch the belt, causing it to skip. The symptoms of timing belt skipping are: difficulty starting the engine and poor acceleration. If the engine timing chain is not regularly maintained and adjusted, timing belt skipping may occur.
Timing chain skipping, simply put, means the chain or belt in the engine has jumped out of position, throwing the engine's timing system into chaos. I've seen this issue a lot, and there are several common causes: chains stretch and loosen over time, just like aged rubber; tensioner failure is another major culprit—if this component loosens or gets damaged, the chain can wobble and skip teeth; poor lubrication is also problematic, such as when the oil is too dirty or insufficient, increasing friction and wear on the chain; or misalignment during installation, where the gears are off-position, causing the chain to skip as soon as the engine starts. Timing chain skipping is no small matter—it can lead to severe engine shaking and increased fuel consumption in mild cases, or even piston-valve collision and total engine destruction in severe cases, which is both costly and dangerous. That's why regular maintenance—checking the chain's condition, changing the oil, and using genuine parts during installation—is the most reliable way to prevent it.
