What happens to timing chain when tensioner fails?
What happens to timing chain when tensioner fails?
If the tensioner fails and the chain becomes loose, the timing of the engine is thrown off. Whether the timing chain itself has stretched, or a tensioner isn’t doing its job, the result is the same. Here’s some tell-tale signs of a timing chain problem.
What are the symptoms of a bad timing chain?
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Timing Chain. 1 1. Engine misfires or runs poorly. There are two ways to achieve valve timing in a combustion engine. The first is the two-gear method, which includes 2 2. Metal shavings found in the oil. 3 3. Engine won’t start or fails. 4 4. Check Engine Light is on. 5 5. Engine rattles while idling.
Why does my timing chain make a rattling noise?
Excess slack in the timing chain can cause a rattling sound or even a clanking sound if the slack is severe enough to cause the chain to contact the timing chain cover. If the engine is equipped with a hydraulic timing chain tensioner, the noise may disappear or lessen as the engine oil warms up and the tensioner removes some of the slack.
Can a bad tensioner cause a belt to break?
More often than not, it is actually the tensioner that goes bad, not always the belt (unless it is really old). Most of the time a belt will break due to a seized pulley or bad tensioner allowing it to contact the timing cover.
If the tensioner fails and the chain becomes loose, the timing of the engine is thrown off. Whether the timing chain itself has stretched, or a tensioner isn’t doing its job, the result is the same. Here’s some tell-tale signs of a timing chain problem.
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Timing Chain. 1 1. Engine misfires or runs poorly. There are two ways to achieve valve timing in a combustion engine. The first is the two-gear method, which includes 2 2. Metal shavings found in the oil. 3 3. Engine won’t start or fails. 4 4. Check Engine Light is on. 5 5. Engine rattles while idling.
Where to look for a timing belt tensioner?
You will see a smooth belt wrapped around several pulleys. The tensioner can be tricky to spot, so look for a helpful sticker placed in the engine bay. The tensioner positioning varies depending on the vehicle you have. If your car doesn’t have a sticker in the engine bay, look through the owner’s manual for a diagram.
More often than not, it is actually the tensioner that goes bad, not always the belt (unless it is really old). Most of the time a belt will break due to a seized pulley or bad tensioner allowing it to contact the timing cover.
