I have a 1995 Chrysler Sebring LXI V6 2.5L how to I reset the timing for the timing belt? We can see it has a new belt and the marks where the timing was recently reset, but it has slipped, and it is slipping at the harmonic balance. After talk to a few people they say since it is not locked up yet we can probably reset it.
I’m not sure that I understand what you are saying. People say that since what isn’t locked up yet you can’t reset it?
If a new timing belt was put on and it has now jumped some teeth then the timing belt job needs to be redone. It sounds like you might have just bought this car? If so, then you’re going to need to take it someplace to re-do the belt. If you just had it redone then it has to go back to whomever did it.
I did just buy the car. We are being told we can reset it. Who ever owed the car before replaced and reset the timing belt.
Yes I suppose you can reset it…by re-doing the entire T-belt job from start to finish. Do you know how to do that? AND they arent supposed to slip when done properly…Did the previous owner replace ALL of the T-belt items…These usually include the Water pump as many vehicles drive the pump off the T-belt…if so it must be done at the same time as T-belt service… Also ALL of the pulleys and idler bearings that the belt rides on need replacing. As well as the tensioner.
SO…
- Water Pump
- Timing Belt
- ALL idler bearings
- The T-belt tensioner
- Front Main Seal on the nose of the crankshaft…
These are all the items that need to be done at time of T-belt service…If they were not done…then any of them can fail at any time…causing HUGE issues…Including belt slippage…and total valvetrain failure…when the pistons contact the valves because of improper Timing,
This is HUGELY IMPORTANT that you address this issue. You need to redo the T-belt…and make sure all associated components are done…otherwise the job isnt done properly and yo will see these issues. Important stuff if you want to continue to drive your car.
Honda Blackbird is right. If the timing belt is not properly “in sync” then something has failed. Timing belts do not need to bet “reset” or “retimed” periodically. If the belt has jumped you have a failed part in the front of the engine. My first guess would be with the hydraulic tensioner–that’s the part that keeps the belt tight and keeps it from “jumping”.
Retail labor cost for timing belt replacement on this car would be about $450, does not include parts.
This has an interference engine, so the valves can smash into the pistons if the valve timing is not correct.
Do not attempt to start or drive this engine, you need professional help immediately if it’s not too late already.
If you’re lucky, the diagnosis is wrong, sounds pretty questionable anyway.
This engine actually is not an interference engine, so the OP is lucky in that regard.
What symptoms are you getting that indicate the timing belt needs “reset”? Engine will not start or run? Did you buy the car like this, in a not running state? There is no need to periodically “reset” a timing belt, and the only marks that should be on the pulleys are the ones the factory put there. This is the only trustworthy way to line up the pulleys when performing this job. If someone just marked stuff with a marker or paint pen and tried to reassemble it that way, they may have done it wrong in the first place. I suggest you have a professional redo the whole shebang with all necessary new parts: belt, tensioner, idlers if applicable (I don’t remember. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these), crank seal, cam seals, water pump. If the belt jumped time, it will do it again unless the job is redone properly.
I don’t mean this to be argumentative so please don’t take it that way. A Chrysler expert I am not by any stretch of the imagination but a quick look at a parts listing for this car shows it to be an interference fit motor. The cut and paste below, for what it’s worth.
This Engine Timing Belt fits the following chrysler sebring engines.1995 Chrysler Sebring LX 2.5L 2497CC 152CID V6 GAS FI N - Interference engine application1995 Chrysler Sebring LXI 2.5L 2497CC 152CID V6 GAS FI N - Interference engine application
IF this is the case then you’re likely up the creek on this car. Hopefully you did not give too much for it and any possibility of resetting it is pointless.
If the belt jumped it can be reset. It is 90% the same job as replacement but you do not have to take the engine mount apart on the left side. If the valves are not toast already, you are fine. It is a pain to locate the cam and cylinder locations to set the timing. Find a good mechanic on the mechanix files at this web site
This engine is a mitsubishi and it is an interference engine. it is the same as a chys cirrus which is my car also a 1995.
If this is the issue, the belt was done wrong to start with. It is not a fancy system and it is not subject to a tensioner failure. At least I have never seen one on a 2.5 mitsu motor for this model.
I guess this one threw me for a loop because most Mitsubisi built V6 engines are not interference engines and the website I consulted does not list it as an interference engine. This website is not to be trusted: http://www.aa1car.com/library/timing_belts_interference_engines.htm (in retrospect, I should have looked at it more closely. Any website that says the Ford 4.6L has a timing belt should not be trusted.)
This one is much more comprehensive and trustworthy: http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index.cfm?location_id=3598
If the belt jumped on an interference engine, there is most likely valve damage and resetting the belt will probably not solve anything. Valve damage needs to be ruled out before anyone wastes their time reinstalling the timing belt. Resetting the timing belt is one way of finding this out, but is among the most labor intensive ways to do this.
Maybe the “since it is not locked up yet” comment had something to do with someone saying that the engine hadn’t been damaged yet. This might just be one of those posts where we never know what someone was really asking.
But its time for the OP to just clarify. The car was just purchased. Presumably it was running when it was purchased? How well did it run? Start right up? Idle smoothly? Acceleration? Then, one day…
Umm, isn’t any moving part subject to failure?
Ok so my neighbor who worked as a chrysler mec. came over and looked at it, the valves and pistons are ok. When the timing system was replaced they did not put enough tension on the belt which caused the belt to slip, it has not even jumped a whole tooth, do to the fact it is resting right up against the lip of the pulley. That is why a few days ago I heard it slipping even now and then. Hoping to get it fixed tom. Any other ideas or advice will be grately accepted.
So the car went back to the dealer to fix. According to the owner of the dealership, the water pump went out which caused the timing belt to break. They will not know if there is damage to the valves till the parts are replaced. I ask that all of you send positive thoughts this way that everything will be good. I’m not sure if I can handle more damage and money!!!
Here we go again. These parts do NOT have to be replaced at great expense to determine whether there is damage or not.
There are several ways of determining this but blindly throwing parts at it and praying is not the answer.
I do realize that they do not have to be replaced at great expense to determine if there is more damage. And I’m am grateful I am not being charged labor to repair these 2 problems. All I’m hoping for is that there is not valve damage which will be a great expense on my part to fix. I know the dealership will work with me on the cost that is not the issue, but I do not want to spend months or yrs making payments on repairs. I’m just asking for a little bit of good luck. I also realize that problems with cars happen and I do know a but about cars and trucks to get me by. But I also know that sometimes good things can happen. And I really do like my Sebring! I have heard mixed reviews about these cars and hey it is what it is.
Checking valve lash or performing a leakdown test are two methods of determining if there is valve damage. Either one takes a half hour or so to do and will tell you whether or not the engine will start and run. It takes a lot more than a half hour to replace the timing belt and water pump and hope for the best when the key is turned. It never ceases to amaze me or others on this forum how many, many mechanics do not seem to realize this and instead tell the customer the only way to tell if there is valve damage is to install a timing belt and try to start the engine. It just seems like a huge waste of time and money to do things this way.