The difference in price between the Cruze LS and Cruze LT1 is $2200. While there is more to the trim package than the engine, paying $700 to $1000 every 7 years for the timing belt is not a bad deal if the other upgrades aren’t needed. My daughter has a 2012 Cruze LS with the timing belt, and the base trim level is adequate.
@kmccune
My colleague HATES timing belts, out of principal. He’s a very hard worker, but he doesn’t want to do any kind of car work on the weekends.
In fact, he buys new and only keeps vehicles a few years before trading in. I believe he pays to have his maintenance done. He earns more than me . . . I won’t bore you with the details . . . , has 2 houses (both paid off, 1 is being rented out) and he is financially sitting pretty
And yes, he does make payments on his vehicles. But as I said, he can afford it.
This good ,it provides employment for other people-Kevin
I much prefer chains, but having spent very many years in manufacturing involved in the design of many things, I totally understand why manufacturers went to belts. I like to think that sensitivity to customer dissatisfaction with belts played a part in manufacturers going back to chains for many engines, but I also realize that might not be the case.
To me, a belt is not a deal breaker if it’s the only thing I don’t like about a vehicle, but it is nice to know the vehicle I like has a chain. Timing belt changes are just too expensive and too prone to shop errors. In my mind it’s too big a job to be acceptable as routine maintenance. We have countless posts here documenting problems with timing changes that didn’t come out right.
Well if it was made easy to do,sometimes other componets which are somewhat toublesome can be replaced relativly easy,the part I detest is having to remove that nut that holds the pulley on,that being said,I dislike having to do this as a part of routine maintenance-Kevin
@chunkyazian
I hear you ! Great motors and liked my families straight sixes in all the older cars and newer BMWs.but, we are talking about rwd cars now. Even many v8s are just too big to fit in a fwd chassis where space is a premium. They are now being restricted to trucks of late with very few exceptions that few of us can afford. Plus, the power of a good v8 with it’s abundant torque is wasted on most fwd cars.
V6 motors and soon turbo fours are the space saving wave of the future in more power in ICE motors.
How do so many threads end up being about timing belts and chains? I’m surprised we haven’t all exhausted the subject by now. Don’t we all know where each of us stands on this debate?
the posters keep asking, and having problems. they get the benefit of our knowledge when we have these discussions.
the people still talking about it obviously have things to talk about. I still learn something every time timing is discussed. as marnet would say, still listening, still learning.
I for one don t have many stands set in stone. I am willing to change my mind if new knowledge is attained
It would be nice if the timing belt were “outside” and as easy to change as the serpentine belt.
But you’d have to protect it from road debris
I see no way around a large timing cover
Contrary to what some believe, the timing belt cover is outside the engine. You don’t have to open the engine to get to most timing belts. You do have to remove 1-3 belts to get to it, but you don’t have to open up the engine itself.
But@db,it could be made simple and wouldnt hurt business-Kevin
I think the big problem with timing belts being outside the engine is simply the criticality in maintaining proper valve timing. Because of that, changing timing belts will always be more complicated than changing a fanbelt. The ideal solution for permanence would be gears, which has occasionally been done over the years, but that’s an expensive way to drive the camshaft(s).
For the record, whitey, I understand your point, but I’m using the term “outside the engine” to describe things readily visible to and accessible by the average owner.
I never considered the timing belt inside the engine…but I do consider a timing chain inside the engine. Yes…it’s outside the block and heads (sort of)…timing chains need to be lubed…and thus oil and gaskets are involved. On many vehicles you need to drop the oil pan to remove the timing chain cover.
It’s just semantics. I generally consider anything that requires removal of covers from the engine to access to be inside the engine. Others consider those things not subject to lubrication to be outside the engine. Nomatter.
Back when tuning VWs was big ('80s-'90s) some would take the dust cover off the timing belt, sometimes to show off fancy anodized pulleys, some just because:
db4690 to answer your question, I probably will never buy a car with a timing belt. I don’t think I should have to spend $300 to $700 upkeep an engine in less than 150 K miles.
If you think $300 is too much to spend to maintain your vehicle …
I’ve got nothin’. At least you can change the oil! Good luck buying tires.