My 03 dodge neon has jumped time. What do I need to check. I know that I will have to replace the timing belt. Do I have to replace the valves or get the head resurfaced?
Most mechanics would pull the spark plugs and check the compression in the cylinders, but usually anyone with a trained ear can tell by the sound of the starter when cranking against the compression of each cylinder. Many of the smaller engines today have valving designed so that when they are out of time, the pistons interfere with them. That means two objects try to take up the same space at the same time and at minimum the valves bend. Worse case scenario would be upper head/camshaft damage and possible piston damage. That's pretty severe. You won't know until you get the valve cover off or maybe deeper. Hope that helps.
Most likely you will only have to replace the timing belt. There is a chance that a valve hit a piston, but this usually doesn't happen unless you were racing the engine when the belt broke.
847 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×