What are the symptoms of misaligned timing belt?

[Tim]

The symptoms of misaligned timing belt are: 1. If the timing belt deviation is minor, the car will experience weak acceleration and difficulty climbing slopes; 2. If the timing belt deviation is significant, the car will have no idle speed, severe idle vibration, abnormal noises from the exhaust pipe, and engine stalling when accelerating; 3. If the timing belt deviation is very large, the car will fail to start, there will be knocking sounds inside the engine, and it may even lead to major engine repairs. The timing belt is a rubber component, and as it ages over time, its stretching may exceed the limit, causing the timing sprocket to slip. When inspecting the belt, if you notice reduced hardness, corrosion, fiber breakage, or cracks, it should be replaced promptly.

[EmmaDella]

Recently while driving, I noticed the engine idling so roughly it was shaking like a sieve, with the steering wheel trembling violently. It was especially obvious right after startup - the tachometer needle was dancing up and down. When accelerating, even flooring the gas pedal provided no power, making overtaking difficult. What's more absurd was the sudden spike in fuel consumption - a full tank gave me 100km less range. At the repair shop, they diagnosed it as misaligned timing belt. The mechanic said this would mess up ignition timing and cause the four cylinders to work out of sync. I even smelled something burning at the time. Had I delayed further, it might have caused valve-piston collision, requiring complete engine overhaul.

[McAlex]

My car previously had difficulty starting, requiring turning the key three or four times to barely ignite. At idle, I could hear a ticking noise from the engine compartment, somewhat like metal pieces knocking. On the highway, there was a noticeable intermittent power loss—stepping hard on the gas pedal increased the RPM but the speed didn't pick up. The engine warning light on the dashboard flickered on and off, and reading the fault code revealed ignition timing deviation. The mechanic found the issue upon opening the timing cover: the belt was off by two teeth, causing misalignment in the intake and exhaust timing. This deviation leads to incomplete fuel combustion, which is why the exhaust smelled particularly pungent.

[OliviaLynn]

The moment I left the neighborhood that day, something felt off. When accelerating, the engine made a hissing sound like an air leak. At a red light, the RPM suddenly dropped from 800 to 500, causing the entire car to shake violently and nearly stall. After stopping to check, I noticed black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the coolant temperature was about ten degrees higher than usual. The inspection revealed that the timing belt was misaligned, causing an imbalance in the air-fuel ratio, leading to an overly rich mixture that burned out the oxygen sensor. Simply put, the pistons and valves were out of sync, like dancing to the wrong beat. This situation can also cause the catalytic converter to fail prematurely, resulting in costly repairs.