Q: dose timing belt effect the power and speed of your car if it dose how can u tell when u need a new one on an acura 2001 cl type s ...i poped my hood and reved it a little from the engine and put my hand where the timing belt sits and when i reved the motor i felt a slight growl from the timing belt ,could this be the problem ,i have hear when the timing belt starts to go the timing of the valves are off and that leads to less power please help all answers would be alot of help thanx
A: A timing belt's life-death is mostly an all-or-nothing proposition... Typically when a belt fails, one or more teeth will deteriorate/strip out, and the engine will abruptly stop running. Acura (i.e., Honda) motors are 'interference' engines, where you're almost guaranteed of a costly collision between a valve & a piston consequential to a timing belt failure. Also, it's really tough to tell if a belt is about to fail by mere visual inspection. This is why it's always best to change the belt regularly according to the user manual's specifications. Even then, timing belt life will vary depending upon how you drive the car, and upon climate/locale...best to be conservative about it & change around the lower milage interval listed.