Freelander 2 2.2 TD4 Timing Belt Service
What is a Timing Belt?
A timing belt, often also referred to as a cam belt, is an integral part of the workings of all internal combustion engines.
The belt was for many years made of very tough rubber – especially in most older engines from the early 1990s and before – and its job is to turn the engine’s camshaft/s at exactly half of the speed of the crankshaft, while ensuring that the two components stay precisely aligned, and that the crankshaft rotates at precisely twice the speed of the camshaft.
This latter part, in turn, controls the opening and closure of the car’s intake and exhaust valves, and ensures that they are kept in time with the pistons’ up and down movement inside the engine’s cylinders.
The maintenance of this precise timing is important for the smooth running of an engine and, as a timing belt is often made of rubber, it can lose its optimal tension after a period of time, meaning that the valves no longer open and close at their ideal intervals.
Essentially, its job is to keep the top – cylinder head and valves – and bottom – crankcase and pistons – sections of your car’s engine working in close synchronisation.
When should my Timing Belt be replaced?
Timing belt changes are a vital part of vehicle maintenance. The replacement interval for the Freelander MK2 2.2 TD4 is 10 years or 150,000 miles whichever comes sooner. This then changes to 7 years for newer models. If you are unsure please ask. Failure of the Timing Belt can cause severe engine damage and a costly repair, this can include a full replacement engine
Freelander 2
What can happen if not fitted?
If the timing belt was to break suddenly, the pistons and the valves would collide which could cause a lot of internal damage to your vehicle.
This is why it is extremely important to monitor the condition of your car’s timing belt and to make sure that you change it before it breaks
What parts are fitted?
Timing belt, tensioner pulley, idler pulley and antifreeze – with the option of also changing your water pump
All of the parts we fit are either Genuine Land Rover or the OEM equivalent part which ensures the parts fitted are of a suitable quality
Rubber is, of course, a perishable item, and the constant exposure to the high temperatures found in an engine, together with the speeds at which the belt has to constantly rotate, means the timing belt has to work really hard to keep everything running harmoniously – rather like an orchestra conductor. If your timing belt snaps, there are two likely scenarios, which will depend on the type of engine timing configuration employed, in the case of a Freelander 2 it is an interference engine.
So-called ‘interference’ engines need the cam belt to prevent the valves and pistons inside your engine from smashing into each other at high speed. And of course, if they were to do this, it’s likely to result in the respective parts being smashed to pieces, and distributing the resulting debris all over the inside of your engine, so unleashing all kinds of mayhem which can cause damage way beyond the individual components involved
We can help and would ask that you contact us straight away if you think this has happened to your vehicle. We can arrange recovery and an estimate for repairs to enable you to make the best decision for your circumstances going forward