What cars, made in the last 10 years, will incur not engine damage when the timing belt breaks. I think most would have pistons crashing into valves, but it would be nice to know which ones will not, so if we are lazy or cheap, there is no harm done, except to be left by the side of the road.
Anything without an interference motor. If you have something in mind why don’t you post it and we can tell you if it has one or not.
Here ya go: http://www.gates.com/downloads/download_common.cfm?file=428-1466_web.pdf&folder=brochure
This PDF will give you info for every modern car on the road as to whether the engine is an interference type or not.
Most Hondas have interference engine, as well as Hyundai & Kia.
Cool!! Thanks for the link. I’m not the OP, but I’m sure we all appreciate the knowledge.
Seems like awful criteria for buying a vehicle. If you neglect it why worry if it has a timing belt or not?
Unless you have AAA or other free towing I cannot see how it better to pay for a tow to an unknown garage possibly either.
The lack of concern on the part of engine manufacturers regarding piston/valve interference is appalling. The lack of an indention for each valve in the pistons would make the engine “idiot” proof, and the cost of the indentions would be virtually ZERO. Such stupidity regarding this subject makes me suspicious of an entire manufacturer’s offerings. The drastic decline in value of Hyundais and KIAs is due in large part to their very poor reliability once in the hands of the final owners, the poor and poorly informed. This group has, in the past, kept the big domestic tanks like Caprices and Crown Vics running for years and seems to be replacing them with SUVs and the base model Camrys. The bottom market wants a car that can be driven until it fails, easily diagnosed and cheaply repaired.
I’ve noticed that manufactureres are going back to chains now. You may want to check this out on models you’re looking at.
Car makers, especially US companies, have always have timing chains. They never stop making them. But they added the timing belts system giving buyers a choice. So why bother with timing belts cars when you can buy cars with timing chains? Aside from less maintenance & saving money, you have peace of mind.
Tight emissions standards forced manufactures to do away with the piston indentations that would make a engines non interference. The only engines that are non interference are under square (long stroke) engines that have the piston clearance naturally without needing piston indentations.
Belts generally end up being lighter and quieter.
I personally prefer timing belts as long as they’re reasonably easy to service. Far more quiet than chains, less rotating mass, prevents the issue of poor timing that you experience when a chain gets worn and develops slack, etc.
“The lack of concern on the part of engine manufacturers regarding piston/valve interference is appalling.”
It is not as simple as that. In the effort to increase power, mileage, engine life (assuming you change the belt) and reduced emissions, interference is one of those things that sometimes looses out.
This is an easy question to answer.
A matchbox car.