Friday, June 3, 2011

How hard is it to change the timing belt in a 2003 Hyundai Accent?

I am fairly good in the garage but have never worked on anything serious on my Hyundai- just regular maintenance. It has just rolled over to 60k on the mileage and that it when it is suggested to change the timing belt. The dealership wants $500 to do it. Is it worth it? The timing belt itself is only $35- so the labor has to be extensive. Is it worth it to take it in or is investing the time to do it myself the way to go?How hard is it to change the timing belt in a 2003 Hyundai Accent?There are simple things that everyone can do however there are complicated repairs/maintenance that requires finesse and knowledge. Timing belt replacement is one of the tough ones. $ 500 to replace the belt its too much Labor should not exceed $ 300 with LTS (Labor Time Standard Guide - Mitchell Book) allowing 2.4 hr to replace the belt. Multiply that by shop hourly rate and that should be your labor dollars to pay. You can negotiate the price or choose a different shop. Its worth to let a qualified technician to replace the belt for you. Like the previous guy said, one wrong move and with first crank on the engine and you will be seeking for major repairs.How hard is it to change the timing belt in a 2003 Hyundai Accent?You need to remember a few things when doing a cam belt. Mainly, if you cock it up you car is dead as there is no clearance between the valve and the pistons. In the first stroke you'll bemd the valves if you too far advanced. My company has just invested 3000 in a cam belt locking tool set. (massive thing it is lol) you might even find you need to buy a sprocket locking set which is very expensive. lay off the dealer, in my garage i'd charge 260 for that. just make sure where ever you go they will give you warranty. Plus that price is prob belt only, you'll be wanting to do the tensioner as well, get a price on that then the $500 will seem a bit more value for money.