Timing belt replacement on Öland

Many cars have a timing belt, others have a timing chain. The belt keeps the valves in step with the pistons and you can't see it from outside — it sits behind a cover and wears without warning. The interval is in the owner's manual, in both years and kilometres.

If the belt snaps while driving, the engine stops at once. On many engines the pistons then hit the valves, and you're looking at an engine rebuild instead of a belt change. We replace it to the manufacturer's interval, whichever comes first of time and kilometres. We change timing belts on most makes.

The estate is the family car that keeps going year after year. Many Volvo V70 and V60 models have a timing belt, and they often reach both the age and the mileage for a change before the owner has thought about it.

If you buy a used estate with no record of the timing belt, assume it needs changing. We replace the belt, tensioner and water pump where the manufacturer recommends it, and stamp the service book so the change shows when you sell.

In an SUV the engine is often mounted crosswise in a tight bay. To reach the timing belt, engine mounts, drive belts and covers often have to come off first.

With that much already apart, it's the right moment to replace the water pump and tensioner as well, if the manufacturer recommends it. Otherwise the same labour may have to be repeated when the pump starts to leak.

A van covers a lot of distance every year and often reaches the timing belt's kilometre limit long before the time limit. It's also a working tool — when it stands still, so does the work.

A belt failure on the road means a tow, a workshop visit and maybe a new engine — in the middle of a working week. Book the change in a quiet period and we'll schedule it and have the parts ready when the van arrives. If you need a vehicle while we work, ask for a replacement car when you book.

Many motorhomes are built on the Fiat Ducato. A motorhome stands still most of the year and maybe covers a few thousand kilometres, so it's usually the time limit for the timing belt that comes first.

The rubber in the belt ages even when the motorhome is parked. Change it on time, not just on mileage — and do it in winter, so the motorhome is ready when the trip begins. First check whether your engine has a belt or a chain. On the 2.3 Multijet, the most common motorhome engine, the interval is often around five years.