What happens if i dont change a timing belt on a 2005 dodge neon?

Answer 1

It's an ugly situation for the Neon. First off, when a timing belt breaks, it never happens in a convenient time or place. That's why it's a good practice to change the timing belt every 60,000 miles or so - check the vehicle manufacturer's specs for their recommendation. As for what happens, that depends on the vehicle. When the timing belt breaks, the camshaft stops turning, but the crankshaft continues to spin for a few moments. In some engines, there is sufficient clearance between the now stuck-open valves and the top of the piston that the engine harmlessly comes to a stop, and the only real damage is to the timing belt itself. On other engines, like the one in the Neon, there is NOT enough clearance between the stuck-open valves and the tops of the pistons, and the resulting damage is quite severe, probably requiring the cylinder head to be replaced or rebuilt. Changing the timing belt just because of the mileage might seem like an expensive precaution to take, but not changing it per the manufacturer's recommendation is taking a gamble that you can't win. It's true that you *might* get an extra 5,000 or 25,000 miles out of it, but WHEN it finally lets go on your Neon you can at least Quadruple the repair costs as compared to simply changing the belt itself.