Hi guys, I bought my car a few months ago and was told the timing belt was changed 4 years ago. I've had changing the timing belt towards the top of the to do list. Yesterday I pulled the cover off for the first time to just get a feel for what I'm up against and saw that visibly, the belt looks to be in great condition and although I couldn't closely examine every part, the whole system looks good (no coolant leaking from water pump, no bearing grease visible). So, my question is; When the timing belt breaks on these cars, is it the actual belt that tends to fail or other parts such as the tensioner, idler that might not be as easy to visibly assess. Thanks!

 

All the above. I would say the belt breaks about 20% of the time. If a roller seizes up, it will burn the belt and cause it to break.

Look for PROOF. If you can't find PROOF, replace everything. $200 to $300 for insurance is a low cost.

 

Yep, Cheap and easy insurance. I just changed the timing belt on the kids 95 850 Turbo for the second time. If you have proof of when it was changed, a good rule of thumb is 7 years or 70,000 miles. If you only have the previous owners word....change it NOW!