The timing belt on mine has about 138,000 miles and has never been replaced since I bought it at 67,000 miles. It still "looks good", for whatever that is worth. I have heard of one fail at about 150,000 miles, luckily thing whole engine did not fail with it. So what I am trying to say is that mine is due, yours, not so much. Rear shocks are inexpensive and readily available, same as a Chevy Cobalt?. Front rotors and pads are also inexpensive and readily available, my rears were replaced, and rotors resurfaced at 68,000 miles. The fronts were replaced at 98,000 miles and then the rotors also resurfaced. My rear brakes are again due, with new rotors this time, at 138,000 miles. Your struts could be nearing replacement. But probably not, it's your own call. Could you replace this car for less money than repairing it? Again it's your call.

 

would you recommend doing the timing belt job by yourself if you have access to a garage and equipment tho?
mine is about to be due, found a 30 min how to on an opel on youtube so i'm wondering if someone with little to zero experience could tackle this kind of job or there are too many factors to take in consideration lol. I'll look in other threads but your comment resonated with the shenanigans i'm up to.

Thanks!

 

Timing belts and chains are not something I'd recommend if you have zero experience with timing stuff. The majority of mistakes will lead to bent valves, also known as a trashed engine that in this case will likely not be worth fixing.

Have someone w experience oversee what you're doing in real time. Conceptually it's not difficult, but it real life, if you lose track of where you are, it usually doesn't end well.

 

I agree with Derf, unless you just want the experience and you don't care about the outcome. If it ain't broke don't fix it, knock on wood, I've never had ro do a timing chain, even owned a car from New and drove it for 14 years never doing a timing chain, plus around 6 other cars no timing chain maintenance or repair

Your not talkong about a serpentine belt right ? Ive noticed some peopele think there the same thing.

 

Yea, definitly, this was the answer I was looking for. It definitly sounds like something that could go south easily from only a turn too much of the ratchet lol so if i tackle it i'd go with someone too I guess.

I asked because yesterday while doing my brakes a mechanic told me he saw wear on my timing strap belt but this morning i realised I did it in 2023. The strap has shown signs on wear tho so i'm kind of worried lol. Guess i'll just wait and see. I could provide some pictures if anyone is curious too lol

 

you make me wonder right now if i'm not talking about the serpentine lol. I'll picture it and send it so maybe you could confirm lol? Thanks..

 

If it's outside the engine and is running around in some bizarre pattern around a bunch of pulleys, you are most definitely discussing the serpentine belt. You cannot see the timing belt without removing the timing belt cover. There is no excuse, French or not, for referring to the serpentine belt as a timing belt. Also, someone above mentioned not needing to change the timing chain. For engines with metal timing chains, replacement is not necessary unless signs of wear, usually exposed by hearing them, are present.

Timing belts, however, are usually made of some type of rubber with plastic teeth that allow the crankshaft to drive the camshafts, balance shafts, water pump and whatever else I'm forgetting.

These typically last 80,000 to 120,000 mi.

He's probably looking at the serpentine belt grooves on the surface that touches the pulleys and sees some cracking in the rubber.

What I see with a lot of rubber parts, not just Saturn parts, for vehicles no longer produced, is that even the new old stock with rubber parts show up with the rubber already dried out. It's because they were manufactured 10-15 years ago and have just sat on a shelf in a warehouse drying out. Most of the aftermarket parts are no different so you take what you can get. I stopped replacing the front LCAs on my 95 Saturn and even just the bushings to the stabilizer bar because even the AC Delco new stock arrives with a manufactured date of 2014 or earlier. Not quite as dried out as the ones I have but close enough to make the replacement more or less pointless.

Sorry for rambling on...hmmmm....

Ramble on, and now's the time, the time is now
To sing my song, I'm going 'round the world, I gotta find my girl
On my way, I've been this way ten years to the day
Ramble on, gotta find the queen of all my dreams

 

Well it definitly is the serpentine he was talking about then. I'm kinda surprised the mechanic didn't differentiate these two, or just didn't tell me nevertheless. At this point i'm going through the reparations i've made so far and i realise i've changed the timing belt kit in 2023 so... guess the parts were already fairly dried out which is why he thought it'd be needing chance.