how to check if my timing belt is broken?

Question

I am having a problem with the sound in my car.. can't really tell if its coming from the front of my car or if its coming front the CAT...

ive narrowed it down to those two possibilities.. My Question is:

1) Is there a way to check if my timing belt is worn/Broken

2) Is there a way to check if the substrates in my Cat conver. Has broken down?

Of course- I mean without taking it to a mechanic initially. Thanks in advanced, guys

Answer 1

1) The engine wouldn't run if the timing belt were broken. Plus, turning the engine over on the starter would do mega damage to the engine as some of the valves would be open and be hit by the rising piston - ouch. You can remove the cam belt cover to inspect the cam belt, but you should replace the cam (timing) belt every 60,000 miles. This is best done by a qualified technician.
2) You can't check whether the catalytic converter (Cat) is working correctly yourself, you need to go to an MOT (tune-up shop) for them to insert a probe into the exhaust (ooh-err!) to check whether the Cat is doing it's thing with the hydro-carbons. By the way, the Cat does not make/produce/reduce any noise at all.

You don't say how many miles your car has on the clock so I can't say about the timing belt. As far as the noise is concerned, if the noise is coming from the front of the motor then it could be the water pump. Just a thought?

I would definitely get that timing belt checked.

Cheers Bigpathome

Answer 2

ok...if ur timing belt was broken then ur car wouldnt run. your push rods would be slappin on the pistons and would break. which means u would have alot of backfire and if it did actualy run a lil it would barely run. if the car has a chain rather then a belt then the belt may be strechted out a lil. best idea is check. its also possible that u may have brokent the timing sproket...which realy sucks cause u will have to reshoot the timing. if its the cat...well the only way to tell is to cut it out of the pipe and look through it. if its broken no big deal. just clean the crap out and re weld it. only need a cat for emissions

Answer 3

If your timing belt were broken, your engine would not run. Your valves would stay in one position until they were pounded by the pistons and it would cause serious damage. A worn belt would cause miss-fires and rough idle.

Cat converters occasionally break loose inside and rattle.

Best bet is to take it in and put it on a lift while it's running and trace the sound down.

Answer 4

definately not the timing belt your car would have shut down or if its an older modle car it would have blown the valves in the engine . I have no idea about the cat converter though all I know about that is its illigal to take it off with out replacing it!

Answer 5

as much as now as i understand, in the adventure that your timing belt is broken your automobile should not be runing ( i improve into employing whilst my timing belt snapped and that i had to junk the automobile). depening on the area you're taking it it could fee any the place from 3 hundred - 500 greenbacks.

Answer 6

If you crank the ignition, when the belt is broke, the motor will crank real fast and sound an electric motor, because there is no connection to the cam, to force the compression.

Answer 7

If it squeals in a sort of repetitive way (and gets faster the faster you drive) it's the belt.

Answer 8

With the broken timing belt the engine will not run. the camshaft would not turn.