Current Events > Harmonic balancer...? Car guys, help?

(+) Yeah! (+)

My car made noises, so I went over to a mechanic and got it checked out. He says (I'm paraphrasing here):

The rubber on the harmonic balancer has completely cracked, and the serpentine belt is all over the place, to the point that the serpentine belt is rubbing off on the timing cover. At the minimum, the belt and harmonic balancer should be replaced ($636). He recommends replacing the timing cover as well ($600), as it has wear marks due to the serpentine belt.

I asked if he's replacing the timing cover, how much extra would it be to replace the timing belt (owner's manual says to replace it in ~15k miles; might as well get it done now if it's cheaper), since he has to get to it anyway, and he said it'll cost an extra $300.

So............ does any of that actually make sense?

Should I get just the [A] harmonic balancer and the serpentine belt replaced ($636)? Get the [B] timing cover replaced also ($1236)? Or get both [A] and [B] and add the timing belt as well (~$1500)?

Go ahead and get the timing belt done. A lot of the cost is the labor in being down into that part of the engine, so by getting it all knocked out now you'll save money when you do have to do the timing belt. Plus, depending on whether your engine is an interference design or not, preventative maintenance for the timing belt is a very good thing.

treewojima posted...

Go ahead and get the timing belt done. A lot of the cost is the labor in being down into that part of the engine, so by getting it all knocked out now you'll save money when you do have to do the timing belt. Plus, depending on whether your engine is an interference design or not, preventative maintenance for the timing belt is a very good thing.

That's what I was thinking. Not sure why it costs $300 though, since everything is already off...

It takes time and effort to replace a timing cover, so changing the timing belt now will actually save you $.
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You may also want to ask about your water pump. It depends heavily on the engine, but a lot of times they're buried down in there behind the timing cover so it may be a worse idea to just get it replaced for peace of mind.

IdiotMachine posted...

treewojima posted...

Go ahead and get the timing belt done. A lot of the cost is the labor in being down into that part of the engine, so by getting it all knocked out now you'll save money when you do have to do the timing belt. Plus, depending on whether your engine is an interference design or not, preventative maintenance for the timing belt is a very good thing.

That's what I was thinking. Not sure why it costs $300 though, since everything is already off...

The timing belt is a toothed belt that synchronizes the rotation of the crankshaft with the camshaft(s). Unlike an accessory or serpentine belt, it has to be precisely lined up with the teeth of the various sprockets or else the engine won't run properly. It's a delicate process.

Well, time to crack out a Haymans manual of your car and learn to fix those sort of things yourself. I've swapped entire engines by reading stuff on gpogle and watching youtube videos >_>

As above, get your water pump and thermostat chagned while the mechanic is down there. Those two things are common to go on a lot of cars.

So no one has an opinion on the harmonic balancer and serpentine belt issue, and whether or not the timing cover even needs to be changed?

If the timing cover does not need to be changed, and only the harmonic balance/serpentine belt, that's just $636.

I can't answer that without knowing the year, make, model and mileage of your vehicle.

Travis Hamonic is a good defenseman.
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I mean how can we know unless we take a look.

He said he looked and thats what he saw
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treewojima posted...

I can't answer that without knowing the year, make, model and mileage of your vehicle.

It's a winter beater: 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe V6 2.4L with just under 100k miles.

HydroCannabinol posted...

I mean how can we know unless we take a look.

He said he looked and thats what he saw

Oh no, I meant is what the mechanic said reasonable? Or is it just far out of the ballpark it doesn't make any sense and he's bullshitting me.

I'm bringing it to a Hyundai dealership for a second opinion ($20 diagnostic charge). I'm telling them the same thing I told this mechanic; that it's making funny noises, and I have no idea why.

My guess is the dealer will either charge more or there will be a salesman conveniently visiting his friends at the service desk and he'll overhear your conversation and try to sell you a new car.
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littlebro07 posted...

My guess is the dealer will either charge more or there will be a salesman conveniently visiting his friends at the service desk and he'll overhear your conversation and try to sell you a new car.

Oh absolutely, the dealer will charge more. But I want to know if the problem they "find" is the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyt-iPX5YwU
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I don't know nearly enough about Hyundais to say one way or the other. If the timing cover is only damaged cosmetically you can probably skip that, though I'd still consider the timing belt. 15k is a little over a year of driving for a lot of people, so you can either put it off or get it knocked out now.

treewojima posted...

I don't know nearly enough about Hyundais to say one way or the other. If the timing cover is only damaged cosmetically you can probably skip that, though I'd still consider the timing belt. 15k is a little over a year of driving for a lot of people, so you can either put it off or get it knocked out now.

Yea, we drive this car less than 5k a year (in the past two years), so it'll be a while before we have to get that done.

Dealer says they need to replace the harmonic balancer and the belt. The timing cover is not needed to be changed; he showed me, and it has some scratches on it, but it's not enough to justify a change. They said to change it when I change my timing belt in 15k miles. They quoted $351 for the work.

In addition, the fuel tank is leaking. They said Hyundai has an extended repair period for this safety bulletin work, so it'll be a free fix. And because these items will take 2-4 days, they'll provide a loaner car.

Wow... Dealer turned out to be "more honest" and cheaper than the mechanic I went to.

Not all dealerships are out to rip you off - I happen to work for what I consider to be a very honest one, and I love it. On the flip side, not all independent shops have your best interests at heart. It's good that you got a second opinion.

treewojima posted...

Not all dealerships are out to rip you off - I happen to work for what I consider to be a very honest one, and I love it. On the flip side, not all independent shops have your best interests at heart. It's good that you got a second opinion.

the consumer has a say if they want the work done for that price (gotta shop around), wold agree with the mod's idea of trying to fix it on own but that requires some knowledge of cars (anything could go wrong).
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