Car Engine Change

Timing Belt Replacement

The engine timing belt is a serviceable item that in most cases requires replacement every 5 years or at a specified mileage depending on the engine. If the timing belt, or the components associated with it were to fail the damage to the engine would be catastrophic and often leads to a car engine change. The last time we saw this was recently, the vehicle, a 2015 VW Golf 1.6tdi, was recovered in with obvious timing belt failure.

Car Engine Change

A reconditioned engine was purchased (almost half the price of a brand new unit), then the laborious task of fitting it could begin. First the exhaust and subframe were removed, then after disconnecting the wiring harness, driveshafts, clutch slave cylinder, gear cables, fuel and coolant hoses, the complete engine (with gearbox) was lowered to the floor.

The damage to timing belt, idlers, tensioner and coolant pump was extensive and therefore it was not possible to determine which component had failed first.

The new engine was bare, so everything including, the gearbox, flywheel, clutch, DPF (diesel particulate filter), turbocharger, EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve, injectors, sensors, coolant pipes, fuel lines, wiring and more had to be removed and then re-fitted to the new engine. This took a couple of days as every removed component had to checked and fitted in the correct order

using new gaskets and seals.

Removed Car Engine Parts

Once this was done the complete engine and gearbox was re-fitted into the vehicle and reconnected. All the other removed parts were installed before fresh oil and coolant was added. Next ODIS (Offboard Diagnostic Information System) was connected to tell the ECU that a new engine had been fitted and to reset the learnt parameters. A road test and re check for leaks was satisfactory and the customer was happy the have his car back, albeit after a hefty bill.