Q: I recently had to have a new water pump put in my 2005 VW Bug. At the same time, they replaced the timing belt. Twenty-three days later, I was stranded because the timing belt broke. After they ...

The timing belt is a notched rubber belt, sometimes called a Gilmer belt. This belt allows the crankshaft to drive the camshaft, which in turn opens and closes the valves. Without this belt, the ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. DEAR CAR TALK: I had a 1991 Civic. At 105,000 miles, the timing belt broke ...

I had a 1991 Civic. At 105,000 miles, the timing belt broke while we were driving. I pulled off to the side of the road — the cold, dark, middle-of-nowhere, Indiana road — and just to make sure to do ...

Dear Tom and Ray: I recently had to have a new water pump put in my 2005 VW Bug. At the same time, they replaced the timing belt. Twenty-three days later, I was stranded because the timing belt broke.

Q: I had a 1991 Civic. At 105,000 miles, the timing belt broke while we were driving. I pulled off to the side of the road – the cold, dark, middle-of-nowhere, Indiana road – and just to make sure to ...

Unless you own a Yugo, you probably already realize that your car’s engine is a meticulously designed and engineered hunk of metal. Even so, you may not know that if one part of the engine fails, it ...

If a timing belt breaks, one of two things are likely. Either the broken belt will allow the valves and pistons of the engine to collide, instantly turning the engine to scrap. (This is what happens ...

I recently had the timing belt replaced in my son's car (a '97 VW Passat) by a local mechanic in southwest Michigan. The next day, my son left to drive back to New York City, where he is a student. An ...

I had a 1991 Civic. At 105,000 miles, the timing belt broke while we were driving. I pulled off to the side of the road — the cold, dark, middle-of-nowhere, Indiana road — and just to make sure to do ...