Urbandale Auto Repair

If your vehicle's engine has been misfiring, or your car's generally been running rough, the timing chain could be to blame. It's important to pay attention to the sounds your car makes on a day-to-day basis. As with our health, preventative care is key to a safe, smooth running car. If you're unsure where to start, check your vehicle's maintenance guide, or take it to a qualified mechanic for an inspection. Below, we'll cover the signs that your timing chain may be malfunctioning, or need to be replaced altogether.

Oil changes should be performed anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000-7500 miles, depending on your vehicle. If the mechanic changing your oil notices metal pieces in your old oil, you may be looking at a timing chain issue. Metal shavings in your oil are a telltale sign that your timing chain is starting to fail, and and that there is some serious wear on your cylinder hardware. Although it may be easy to dismiss an extra add-on's during an oil change, you should take any reports of metal in your oil very seriously. Any issue mechanically can quickly turn into a safety issue on the road in the future.

If your engine won't start, or starts and then fails, you might need to have your vehicle's timing chain inspected. Although issues with starting the vehicle can relate to many issues, if your timing belt is indeed broken, there won't be enough compression to get your engine going. Additionally, if you are feeling a lot of rattling while you are idling at stoplights or your local drive-though, take note.

These are also signs that your vehicle is in need of some serious preventative repair. Lastly, if your check engine light is on, this is of course a sign that something is amiss. You can take your vehicle in to a mechanic, who can take a look at your vehicle to determine why your check engine light is coming on, but it could be the timing chain.

It's very important to schedule preventative maintenance for your vehicle to prevent any expensive mechanical or safety issues. If you need timing chain repair, give our auto repair shop a call today!