Normally you will be able to hear the timing chain rattling inside the cover. You may also experience problems keeping the engine in time. A timing chain will last the life of the engine under normal circumstances.
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if a timing chain is bad it can make clanking sounds and by that stage your in trouble but they can stretch and get lose and then it will start making sounds to warn you hope this helps
what engine do you have ? the 4.0L and the 2.5 do not use a timing belt. They use a timing chain. Under normal circumstances the chain should last the life of the engine.
A loose timing chain should be replaced.
Timing belt or chain may be bad.
back fires, wacky oil pressure, early or late shifts, spark plugs not firing when and in the order they are designed to are the most common
Normally it will become noisy and your engine may run rough and be hard to start.
Bad timing/valves/rockers/timing chain
If you think it is going bad STOP DRIVING and get it changed immediately. If the timing belt/chain goes while you are motoring it will ruin the engine.
Do you mean a bad timing chain ? The 2.3 liter four cylinder engine in a 2005 Ford Escape has a timing CHAIN instead of a timing belt
When the timing chain is bad on a 2002 Cavalier, the engine could have several symptoms. The engine could run rough, be hard to start, or not run at all.