Hey folks,
I just bought my car 2 months ago and I am not sure if the whole 60k service was done. I'm tryin to get in touch with the original owner, but is there any way for me to check the timing belt to see if it is the original or newer? I'd like to figure this out ASAP cuz my car's at just over 74k miles and I don't wanna screw things up. I also wouldn't wanna spend the money to have it changed if I don't have to since I'm in college and have almost no money.
Thanks a lot in advance guys,
Mike

P.S. I have almost no technical knowledge about engines so if ya could keep it simple i'd appreciate it:D

The only thing i can think of besides taking it apart, is to pull that little inspection cover off and check out the belt. Might not be able to see that much... IMO ASSuME it wasnt changed...

Yeah I bought my car with 74K on it and I checked my belt out (planning on changing it) and the damn thing looks brand new. No tooth wear on the belt or anything. So I'm not sure if I should change it or not.

And I broke the freakin inspection window in the process. Very brittle plastic, be careful with it!

Bump....c'mon guys

There's really no way of knowing. The entire timing belt and its accessories are self contained within their own cover. You take a big risk of making assumptions that its been done by visually inspecting it IMO. Just because you don't see any thing wrong with the teeth is hardly an indication of the timing belt having been done recently. In my laser, the timing belt hadn't been done for over 120k miles, and notwithstanding the balance shaft belt which was totally gone, the timing belt itself was in pristine condition visually. Besides the fact that 10 of the valves were bent and the car wasn't running, there really is no way to tell without really taking the belt off and bending it back and forth looking for cracks, to really tell whether it's been done.

So, if you don't SEE the service records indicating it's been done, including the tensioner, pulleys, and bracket, as it's been said above, ASSUME it's NOT been completed. Believe a person who's had experience in the alternative, it's not worth risking. A timing belt procedure can be done probably in about 3-4 hours by someone inexperienced, and probably in about an hour or 2, once you've gotten the hang of it.

The cost of the timing belt parts is so far less than having a head rebuild, it's totally worth it. Moreover, you'll have to pay for this anyways if it DOES slip, break...etc.

Thanks for the info "JasonESi T" and thanks for the bump "a miller 76". My next oil change I'll ask the shop to take a look at the timing belt and accessories, see what they think. Hopefully they don't say it hasn't been changed just to get my $$.
Thanks again guys :thumbsup.
-Mike

Well if you bought it from a dealer, then go to the dealer, and they will usually keep a log of what they did from when they aquired the car till when they sold it.
I worked at a chevy dealership for a very limited time back in high school, but this was standard proeedure. If a car was within 5k miles of the next major maint. the dealership would do it before the car went out. They want to make top dollar off of the car they sell, however, they don't want to sell you a car, and then 2k miles later something like a timing belt breaks.

So just give them a call, let them know your vin # and they will look it up for you!

Note for future: Before you buy a used car, check into this stuff, most dealerships advertise they do a 102 point inspection before passing a car along, but ask to see the inspection sheet, to see what they had to replace, and what they replaced out of the goodness of there hearts.

You also have to keep in mind that the service department guys love doing things like used car trade in things. They change stuff all the time, not because the car needs it, but because the service installer needs the money from doing it. Most service departments pay their employees "Piece Work" meaning they don't get paid unless they work on something.

Just a little info to keep you guys rollin' on a good set of wheels.