The best thing that you can do is have the vehicle timing belt service performed on schedule. Timing belts are a normal maintenance item on a vehicle. If the timing chain is not metal, it’s really a timing belt, and they can be a lot more difficult to tell if they are going bad. Far and away the best time to identify the sound of a timing chain that is about to jump is going to be listing to it when you first start the vehicle. That may be a strange analogy, but if you can imagine what that would sound like, you’re getting close to what a timing chain that is about to jump sounds like.Īt normal cruising speeds you’re probably not going notice any sort of a sound at all. It’ll sound a heck of a lot like a metal on metal washing machine. With the extra slack that develops in it, it’ll often clack against the timing chain cover. The timing chain will begin to make a clacking sound. The good news with chains is that with a good ear you should be able to detect this coming. It’s very important to catch this before it happens.

There’s not a whole lot that you can do for a motor once the timing chain jumps. It’s always a good idea to really listen to your engine every now and then, so you know what the signs of a timing chain getting ready to jump are. If something happens to the tensioner, it can cause the timing chain to jump prematurely. Most timing chains use a tensioner to keep them tight and to keep them from jumping. If a valve is open or the plugs don’t fire at the right time the air and fuel that have entered the combustion chamber are not going to ignite. It ensures that the piston is close to or at top dead center at the moment of combustion. The timing chain connects the crankshaft to the camshaft(s). A typical modern timing chain that you’d see in a dual overhead cam vehicle They require a lot of mechanical skill to replace. Depending on the motor, it can cause all sorts of problems. Of the many things that can go wrong with and engine, the timing chain jumping can be one of the most frustrating problems to have.

Timing chain symptoms