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Cambelt Replacement in Hamilton

Get Your Next Cambelt Replacement done by Affordable Auto Services.

Cambelts are critical for continual high performance of your vehicle and they need to be replaced – if a cambelt is worn down it could break or slip, damaging your engine.

Prevent major damage to your vehicle's engine by keeping your cambelt in good condition.

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8 signs your cambelt needs replacing

  1. Excessive Exhaust - If your car puts out more than a typical amount of exhaust, check your cambelt.
  2. Difficulty Starting - A car with high mileage and hard to start, check your cambelt.
  3. Hot, Leaky Engine - Older rubber cambelts degrade in hot temperatures and exposure to motor oil. If your car is running hot and has a leaky engine the life expectancy of your cambelt is lowered. Newer cambelts are made of heat resistant materials and do cause these problems.
  4. Car Shakes - A working cambelt is perfectly timed to the valves and pistons. If the belt is degrading the timing will be out causing the car to shake.
  5. Noisy engine - The noise could be a squealing, hissing, grinding, rattling, chirping or rumbling kind of sound. Squealing is common for a loose belt, which can indicate wear and the need for replacement. If the belt is fairly new, yet is still making a noise, have the tension adjusted, and have the belt visually checked for unusual wear.
  6. High fuel consumption - Older timing belts are probably cracked and stretched and causes poor adjustment and not a tight fit around the gears - with a properly adjusted and properly fitted new timing belt, the valves of your vehicle will give efficient combustion
  7. Rough Idling of the Engine - An engine that starts acting up when you reach between 2000 - 4000 RPM could be failing to function normally because the timing belt is loose or breaking down from wear and tear. This may cause the belt to 'slip' while accelerating.
  8. Warning light appears

Cambelts wear out and eventually need to be replaced. How quickly depends on factors unique to you: your driving habits, type of vehicle and when and where you drive.

Belt wear is just like tyre wear, as you lose grip you lose traction, which makes the timing belt slip.  This is more likely to happen during high load use (pulling a trailer/caravan) or in wet weather.

Book your vehicle in for a cambelt replacement
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cambelts / timing belts

 

What a Cambelt Replacement covers

We offer a comprehensive cambelt replacement service - regular cambelt replacement is essential to keep your vehicle working optimally for safety and performance.

Our cambelt replacement includes the following:

  • check power-steering belt
  • check air-conditioning belt
  • check alternator belt
  • check auto tensioner
  • check cambelt idlers
  • check external condition of water pump
  • check oil seals
  • check and replace cambelt (cost of belt depends on vehicle)
  • check power-steering fluid level
  • check and adjust cam timing
  • check and adjust ignition timing
  • check engine mount

Our technicians know cambelt systems inside and out and can perform cambelt replacements on any make and model.

We highly advise you to also replace water pump, tensioners, idlers and seals. This will add several hundred dollars to the bill but you will have peace of mind that these items will last to the next cambelt change.

 

To arrange for a cambelt check simply contact us to book your vehicle in.

Book your vehicle in for a cambelt replacement
Contact us today

cambelt equipment

FAQ's

Common Questions about Cambelt Replacements

A cambelt (or timing belt) is designed to drive your valve train assembly. Cambelt work to keep your engine in time with other engine components, stopping the valves and pistons from colliding with each other.

When a cambelt breaks the sequence is thrown out, the valve hit the pistons, bending the valves.

If the cambelt is not replaced at regular service intervals it could cause serious damage to your car.

engine timing diagram

When a cambelt breaks the engine timing sequence is thrown out, the valves hit the pistons, bending the valves and the engine is usually very badly damaged.

This can cause many thousands of dollars of repair work, and in many cases, it is more cost effective to put a second-hand engine in.

Replacing your cambelt will reduce the risk of it causing serious engine damage.

valve and piston collision

Due to the position of the cambelt, it is not a simple vehicle maintenance task like checking the level of your oil, therefore, getting your cambelt checked by and expert is highly recommended.

Replacing a cambelt or timing belt requires the removal of many parts from the front of the engine. In most cases the technician must remove the serpentine drive belts to the alternator, A/C compressor and power steering pump. The timing belt system can consist of a single belt or multiple belts. In a multiple belt system, one belt drives the camshafts and the other belt drives the balance shafts.

NZAA Article on cambelt replacements

Once the timing belt is removed, the bulk of the labour is already done for a water pump, camshaft, crankshaft seal replacement. We highly advise you to also replace water pump, tensioners, idlers and seals. This will add several hundred dollars to the bill but you will have peace of mind that these items will last to the next cambelt change.

With a new cambelt installed you will enjoy:

  • reduced engine wear and damage
  • increased fuel efficiency
  • quieter engine
  • improved engine performance
  • greater engine reliability
  • easier engine starting

Check the 8 signs above and also do a visual inspection:

  • Cracking along the belt – signs that it is getting worn out.
  • Glazing – shiny underside of the cambelt which means it is stiff and inflexible.
  • Leaking engine oil/ coolant – watch out for drips on your driveway.
  • Lost teeth – in the same way as you might spot oil patches underneath the car, an older timing belt will begin to lose teeth, so look out for these too.

When buying a second hand car, always check the mileage on the cambelt by looking at the service record. Additionally ask when it was last replaced. If you cannot confirm this, it may be better to walk away. In any vehicle pre-purchase inspection, this is one of the most important things to note. Make certain you know the condition of your new car's cambelt.

If you are unsure of the age or condition of your cambelt - book in to get us to check your cambelt for you.

All vehicle manufacturers recommend the number of kilometres driven before replacement is required.

Most Japanese cars need the cambelt replaced every 100,000 km or every 5 years - whichever comes first. European vehicle cambelt replacements are sooner. Replace your cambelt at least as often as your owner's manual suggests.

Cambelt wear is just like tyre wear, as you lose grip you lose traction, which makes the timing belt slip. This is more likely to happen during heavy load use (pulling a trailer/caravan) and in wet weather.

Testimonials

Lian from Google

"Love these guys, down to earth people, polite, excellent services... been taking my car here for everything for 5 years now"

Harry from Google

"How often do you come across someone in the Automotive business willing to go that extra mile for a customer. Not often however, Affordable Automotive, friendly and a history to support any issues to do your vehicle. So call them and just maybe, they could have the answer you've been looking for to fix some ongoing problems. "

Noel from Facebook

These guys know their stuff!!! Took for a drive and instantly told me what was wrong and quoted what it would cost.. Final cost was far less than quoted. Gave me a ride back to work and picked me up when it was ready.. Great team and 5 star customer service. Would definitely recommend..

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