Avoid Used Cars not having Certified Mileage; A Broken Timing Belt will flatten your Wallet
by: Ralph Hoffmann
Premature failure of rubber automotive timing belts can easily cost two or three thousand dollars of repairs, possibly including a new engine. Therefore knowing the true mileage of a used car is imperative. Cars having 4 or 6 cyl. engines may have rubber timing belts and should be avoided.
Be warned
Five years ago an international oil company survey found that 50% of off-lease cars had their odometers illegally turned back and suggested consumers avoid buying off-lease (used) cars, or leasing used cars having uncertain mileage. If the cars really had 50,000 miles, and the odometer read 30,000, then the timing belts would fail long before the new owners expected them to fail.
What is an ?interference engine??
Rubber timing belts are usually used in ?interference? engines in which the
valves open further and project further into the combustion chamber than in a ?free-running? engine. This allows outside air at atmospheric pressure to flow faster into the combustion chamber through the larger valve openings, allowing the engine to inhale more air, be smaller and still create as much power while reducing its manufactured cost and guaranteeing future repair business for the dealer.
If a rubber timing belt breaks while engine is running, some of the valves stuck in their
open position will smash into the top of the pistons, thereby breaking or
irreversibly damaging one or the other or both.
How to find out if the engine is an ? interference engine?.
The salesperson may not know; ask the Service technician. Better yet, go on any search engine and type in "interference engine list" because asking the Dealer?s service technician may not be reliable. If he says it does not, have the Dealer?s Sales Manager (not the salesperson) say so on the purchase order and personally sign and thereby guarantee his assertion. For recommended replacement mileage of rubber timing belts, connect on the Internet to Gates Rubber Company, a worldwide manufacturer of such belts. On its web site, click on Replacement parts/automotive. Look for ?timing belt replacement Guide?.
Get a written guarantee to cover premature failure of the car engine's timing belt.
Because most rubber timing belts on car engines should be replaced at 60,000 to
70,000 miles to avoid the engine self destructing, insist on a written guarantee from the seller to guarantee replacing the timing belt at no charge if it fails within another 20,000 miles. If the seller won?t guarantee it then he?s admitting that the mileage may be inaccurate and by implication may have been turned back. Consider a compromise, such as a $300 price reduction on the vehicle. If not acceptable, walk away.
Replacement cost
Simply replacing a rubber timing belt even at recommended mileage can cost $400 + dollars. Before buying any car, especially 4-cylinder foreign cars, or even a 6-cyl. BMW, be aware of the unavoidable cost of $400-$800 to replace a rubber timing belt at recommended intervals based on mileage or car age.
That's assuming the timing belt didn't break. If it breaks (always while the engine is running) then internal engine damage will take place catastrophically. If a timing belt on an interference engine is not replaced at recommended intervals, the repair cost when the belt breaks could increase to $3,000 to $5,000 to replace the entire engine. The sales person will invariably not mention that an interference engine powers the vehicle and may not even know what one is.
The sad part of this problem is that it is not possible to detect timing belt wear without substantially tearing down the engine. The timing belt is literally a ?sleeping time bomb?.
Therefore, always buy the cars with ?free-running? engines
About The Author
Ralph Hoffmann graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin, majoring in Applied Mathematics. He has ten years experience raising venture capital plus added business experience and has used his math and additional business background to develop web site http://www.autotruckdata.com for anyone intending to lease or purchase a new car. Note: He's completely rebuilt three car engines, hands-on, and knows the difference between hydraulic valve lifters and tappets. He also writes on other automotive issues. Copyright 2005-2006 Beacon Data LLC. All rights reserved.
|
The Death Of The Muscle Car ? My First Case
The Death Of The Muscle Car ? My First Case
by: Warren Newson
How could muscle cars, the most powerful affordable cars the world had seen, lose their oomph so quickly? What caused them to disappear? I?m not a private eye, not remotely like one, but this was one case I had to solve.
It happened back in the 70?s, but the evidence was still there. It was the case of the disappearing horsepower and this is what happened.
In the era of the muscle car power was everything. It didn?t matter what it was, sports car, family car, pickup; it had the biggest V-8 possible stuffed under the hood. Cubic inches were king and advertised power was astronomical. These cars could kick sand in the windscreens of anything else on the road.
But then horsepower seemed to disappear overnight!
Take my favourite muscle car, the Ford Mustang. The macho models had V-8s, though meeker models came with an inline six. The biggest six had 200 cubic inches and...
The Death Of The Muscle Car ? My First Case
Used cars > The Death Of The Muscle Car ? My First Case
What To Look For When Buying Cars Online
What To Look For When Buying Cars Online
by: Dr. Drew Henry
Ten years ago, you would be laughed at if you were to tell someone that people would buy cars without first inspecting them in person. Well, today thousands of people are buying cars on the internet through sites like eBay, without ever physically coming in contact with their cars before the purchase!
Let?s face it: The internet is a hassle free place to shop for cars. There are many advantages to shopping cars online. When buying a car online, you don?t have to listen to a dealer talk about the specs of a car. You just have to read all about it in a website. You don?t have to go to a showroom, you just to have to point and click your mouse and you could browse through different make and models of cars. And if you want to take a second look at a car it?s very easy.
Furthermore, transactions can be done without you having to go out of your room. After ordering the car you want...
What To Look For When Buying Cars Online
Used cars > What To Look For When Buying Cars Online
Are You Scared to Start a Home Based Business?
Are You Scared to Start a Home Based Business?
by: Michele Miller
Every year more and more people are working from home, starting their own businesses. Men and women, even teenagers are starting their own home business ventures. In the last ten years work-at-home businesses have tripled, according to statistics. I think it's probably more than that actually. Just look at how many people make a living selling things on EBay!?
It's no wonder really why...
Are You Scared to Start a Home Based Business?
Used cars > Are You Scared to Start a Home Based Business?