Ann Arbor Auto Repair Blog

Answer: YES! The failure of a timing belt in most cars can result in serious engine damage. The cost of repairing an engine with a broken timing belt is much greater than the cost of a timing belt replacement. Timing belts also deteriorate over time regardless of mileage. Even if your vehicle gets little use the materials used in the belts ages and should be changed. Oil and coolant leaks can accelerate belt deterioration and failure.

Short answer: every 3,000 to 5,000 miles or 3 - 6 months depending on the type of driving you do.

Long answer: When to change your oil varies with driving habits & type of vehicle. I’m assuming we share the goal to minimize the need for major auto repairs. If you’re driving 20 miles one way to work & 15 of those miles are on the highway, most vehicles should have the oil changed every 5000 miles. If you’re like me, drive 8 miles to work, never go more than 2 miles without stopping, most vehicles should have the oil changed every 3000 miles or every 3-4 months. If you ride the bus to work and only drive your car to run a few errands on the weekend, that is the hardest type of driving on an engine. You may need to change your vehicles oil every 3-6 months regardless of the mileage.

Common Sense Car Maintenance

Much like the human body, the modern auto is very resilient. Much like the healthy choices we make (or not) in our lifestyle during our younger years… we may find ourselves at fifty years old & wishing we had made different choices. Our cars are similar, we can choose to avoid maintenance during the “early” years only to find out that the cost of car repairs are compounded exponentially due to the lack of maintenance during the first miles driven.