How do I tell if/when I need to replace my timing belt/water pump and such?

I don't have access to the records from the previous owner of my car and I have no idea what he had already had replaced on the car. Is there a simple way to tell without taking the front half of the engine apart?

thanks

 

How many miles you got on her total? How many miles on her when you purchased?

 

91k is where I am at now. I was to say it was in the high 60s when I got her.


I am pretty sure I need to change em, but I just don't want to spend the money if I don't have to.

 

if you have 90k you should definitely change it asap. The dealer suggests changing at 80k. I'm getting close to that myself.

 

8ok is even too low... 70k is max IMO... you don't want that bad boy to snap.

 

Ya, well, i was told to replace it no later than 105k miles, and i did mine at 100k (when i bought the car)

I dont know if it was allready replaced, but if you snap that, you wont be happy.

I dont know exactally, but there is a good chance that if it snaps, your valves will beat the **** out of the pistons and everything will go to hell in a hurry. Meaning best option then is new engine.

Either way, its worth the money, just to have that accurance

 

yea, you can tell you needed to change your timing belt only after it's too late. change it now and prevent disaster.

 

I went 108k on my Taurus SHO before i changed the belt, then again the engine is not an interference design so if it broke I wouldn't have any trouble. Since Audi uses an interference design bent valves are a requirement of a broken belt. Do it.....

 

The real question left for me is whether or not to buy the parts on ECS and bring them with me or use the parts that they order. About the same cost, but theirs has a warantee on it.....

 

Then obviously go with the warrantied parts.