Under the hood of a car as reliable as Volvo, there are a number of parts that work together to bring about the comfortable ride you’ve come to enjoy. Any of these parts can develop issues that need to be fixed over time and, when these problems arise, they should be looked at and solved right away. It’s best to never let a problem under the hood fester as it may become worse over time and lead to more problems.

An example of such an issue that should be attended to right away is any problem that occurs with your Volvo’s timing belt. This is a crucial piece under the hood of your car that goes a long way in ensuring the performance and reliability that Volvo owners’ have come to love in their cars. Should you suspect any problems to have occurred with your timing belt under the hood, take your car into a professional service shop right away.

What Does the Timing Belt Do?

Put simply, the timing belt keeps your car’s parts working in the proper order. As the name implies, the timing belt controls the timing of when parts engage under the hood of your Volvo. Specifically, the timing belt synchronizes the movements between your camshaft and crankshaft. These two parts are integral to the functionality of your engine and issues with them would result in an inoperable car.

The camshaft controls the valves that allow gas and air into the engine, whereas the crankshaft moves the pistons up and down within their cylinders each time the spark plugs ignite the air and fuel mixture. These movements are timed in such a way that the air and fuel mixture is injected into the engine at just the right moment.

If that timing is messed up, your engine could potentially misfire and the vehicle may not drive at all. That’s where the timing belt, a small rubber belt, comes into play. This belt wraps around the gears which are located at the ends of the crankshaft and camshaft. Using little rubber teeth, the timing belt latches onto the gears and rotates those gears so that the two other parts can work properly.

Over time, the rubber teeth within the timing belt can become worn down, as well as the rubber of the belt itself. This can result in serious issues occurring under the hood, as outlined below, so any problems noticed by yourself should be fixed right away. Inspecting the timing belt is a difficult task that should only be handled by a professional, given its placement within the engine.

Signs of a Failing Timing Belt

On the bright side, there are certain key indicators you can watch out for that will allow you to know when problems may be emerging with your Volvo’s timing belt. Stay watchful and take your car in immediately upon noticing any of the following signs:

Misfiring Engine

As mentioned above, the timing belts movements are what allow the crankshaft and camshaft to move at the proper time. If the timing of the air to fuel mixture is thrown out of sync with the movements of the pistons, your engine may misfire. This will likely sound as if your car is coughing at you.

Ticking Noise From the Engine

Another major sign of a bad timing belt is if you hear a ticking noise seemingly coming from the engine. As the belt starts to wear down, a ticking noise may emerge due to the loss of traction on the gears themselves.

Engine Won’t Turn Over

Assuming the timing belt has broken, your engine may not be able to turn over or ignite. This is due to the fact that the pistons and spark plugs need to be working properly to ignite the air to fuel mixture and respond to that mixture.

Rowlett Motorwerks For Your Volvo Needs

Here at Rowlett Motorwerks, your satisfaction is our guarantee. We hope to solve any issues your vehicle throws at us and our experienced technicians are sure to up for the challenge. We have worked with clients all around Garland, Rockwall, Sachse, Wylie, and Rowlett, TX, which means that we have the expertise needed to handle anything thrown our way. Please give us a call today or come on down and see for yourself why Rowlett Motorwerks is the best in the business. We look forward to earning your trust and patronage.