[CBennett]

Gears or nothing for me.

I had a 1969 RoadRunner with Gear Drive purposely put the loud set in(they had a loud and quiet set) sounded great.

 

[Shoulder]

Timing chains come with their own issues, and they still need to be replaced, though at longer intervals. (And what happens if they are not replaced, and they just stretch, and sprocket teeth wear?)

Replaced my 2005 RL timing belt, water pump, etc. for about $130 back in 2016, and the guy who owns it today says it's still going strong. I put about $1500 into that truck in 11 years, including oil and one set of tires, rear seat cams, RF headlight, and a few other things I can no longer remember. Pretty reliable, IMO.

One counterpoint I've heard is "timing chains don't require replacement, and last the life of the engine!" So I bite, and think to myself, "Ok, how long is the life of the engine? 100k miles? 200k? 400k? ONE MILLION MILES?" The gentleman who drove his 4-Cyl RWD Nissan Frontier in Chicago for 1 million miles, Brian Murphy, replaced the timing chain at 700k, but only because he was there doing other stuff, and figured why not. But with an engine with only one bank of cylinders, and thus only one timing chain required, its simplicity adds to its longevity. Same would hold true for a Straight-6.

I think the reason why most manufacturers do not put a service interval into a Timing Chain is because it could last damn near half a million miles before it's stretched. On the other hand, another poster above mentioned timing chains are quite complex in their design. I was even talking with my wife yesterday, and mentioned how a typical timing chain doesn't require oil to be circulated through vs. a timing chain. In fact, this might explain why my 3.2 Pentastar V6 in my former Jeep Cherokee required a full 6 quarts of oil, whereas the 3.5 V6 in the Ridgeline only takes 5.6/5.7 quarts. On top of engine block design, wonder if it's also because a timing belt doesn't require oil to circulate though?

Also, since we're on the subject of Timing Chains, and how ludicrous their design can get, I bring you the Holy Grail of overengineered Timing Chains! (Audi 4.2 V8)

Completely extreme case here for sure, though just off hand, I spot 4 individual chains, 4 Belt Tensioners, 10 Chain Guides, 8 sprockets (2 of which are attached to another sprocket), and don't know how many holes for the oil.

 

[dukebound85]

I don't know if I agree. Obviously I would like to have a car where this service was not needed but I have a 2002 Tundra with over 530k miles sitting in my driveway that has been the definition of reliable. The only reason I have a ridgeline is because of a growing family and the tundra's inability to accommodate carseats

 

[wjfyfe]

For argument sake, let us accept that the timing belt is unreliable, what is anybody going to do about it?

Bill

 

[NoelPR]

I'm speechless by the fact that this post exists because a Jeep engineer talks about reliability. #NonSense

Seriously?

Come on, April's fools is just a few weeks away.

 

[Shoulder]

For argument sake, let us accept that the timing belt is unreliable, what is anybody going to do about it?

Bill

While this is more in line of a "serpentine" belt than a timing belt, the 1990s Kenmore Dryer that came with our house had never been serviced until about a month ago. I recently took it apart, and vacuumed all the lint in the ducts, and anywhere else dust bunnies had accumulated over the years. When I took the drum off, the belt looked original, and while still working, had lots of cracking. A quick search on Sears Parts Direct, and now I have a new belt, drum seal, and foam seal for the vent duct waiting to be installed, which I'll do in another week or so.

Is the humble tumble dryer unreliable because it uses a belt instead of being direct drive?

 

[Ergo Sum]

While this is more in line of a "serpentine" belt than a timing belt, the 1990s Kenmore Dryer that came with our house had never been serviced until about a month ago. I recently took it apart, and vacuumed all the lint in the ducts, and anywhere else dust bunnies had accumulated over the years. When I took the drum off, the belt looked original, and while still working, had lots of cracking. A quick search on Sears Parts Direct, and now I have a new belt, drum seal, and foam seal for the vent duct waiting to be installed, which I'll do in another week or so.

Is the humble tumble dryer unreliable because it uses a belt instead of being direct drive?

That's interesting... I also have a Kenmore gas dryer from the mid to late eighties, that still runs just fine with the original belt. At this points, I'll just replace the dryer if it breaks....

 

[Danke]

I had a 1969 RoadRunner with Gear Drive purposely put the loud set in(they had a loud and quiet set) sounded great.

Just listen to a RC 30, RC 45, or RC 51 for the Honda music.

 

[dkayak]

It’s a clickbait headline. The timing belt affects maintenance cost but not reliability. If you replace it on time you’ll never be affected. The same can be said of drivetrain fluid changes, motorcycle valve adjustments, etc.

 

[CBennett]

Just listen to a RC 30, RC 45, or RC 51 for the Honda music.

in the RoadRunner they thought i had a blower under the hood lol.

 

[Drsojo]

used to work as an Engineer

There's an old "engineer" joke that rings true here...

 

[Harvey Wall]

Considering that the author is a self described "Rust-loving Jeep man" that in and of itself makes the opinion put forth suspect. We all know how reliable Jeep is. It speaks a lot to the engineering as well.

If it is mechanical in any way shape or form it is Unreliable. PERIOD. At some point a component will fail and it will break down. The only way to keep any mechanical device highly reliable it to to proper maintenance competently done on time every time and to never ignore anything unusual or out of the ordinary.

The unreliable part of the equation is the human, who for what ever reasons fails to do what is needed, as needed and when needed.

 

[Shoulder]

It’s a clickbait headline. The timing belt affects maintenance cost but not reliability. If you replace it on time you’ll never be affected. The same can be said of drivetrain fluid changes, motorcycle valve adjustments, etc.

Was thinking about this as well. Does More Maintenance = Less Reliability, and vice versa? I think we already know the answer to that question, but wanted to point it out for the sake of this thread.

And speaking of fluid changes, the Chrysler 948TE, which is their version of the ZF 9HP used in their own models, states the transmission in there has a "Lifetime" fluid, and has no service interval. By contrast, ZF, and by extension Honda, state the fluid in the ZF 9HP does have a service interval. Does that mean the Chrysler variant (which again, is by all accounts the same exact transmission as the ZF 9HP, just with a different housing and software tuning) is more reliable than the ZF unit?

I drove my Cherokee KL until it had over 200k miles, and the tranny fluid was never changed. Should I have, given the conventional wisdom is to change your transmission fluid every so often (50-100k miles maybe)?

 

[Bobled]

Dumb statement. What difference does it make if the belt is on the inside of the housing or the outside? A simple periodic belt replacement makes this a total non issue. Consumer Reports recent car reliability rating show Honda at #5, led by Acura, Mini, Toyota and Lexus. Jeep is at #26. Enough Said.

I recently bought a 22 RTL-E. with 20k miles on it. I am looking forward to 100k, to do the timing belt and the valves by myself.

 

[stevem5215]

My experience with timing belts was in my 76' Ford Mustang Cobra II. It had the "gasp" 2.3 4cyl engine. It broke in there and I had to tow it home and fix it in my driveway. Then the rocker arms wore out and died again. Fixed that in my driveway and then drove it till the engine started blowing smoke and the transmission was slipping from the clutch being shot. Ok, that was the end of that car. Hmmm. . timing belts suck. Then I bought a 80' Mercury Capri Turbo RS. Drove that car for 57,000mi and didn't do anything to it other than oil changes and a battery. Sold that to buy a house before any major maint was done to it. Then bought a beater $300 Ford Pinto with the 'gasp 2.3l engine again. Yep, two more times belts blew and I had to swap them out too. I was getting experience doing this. Drove that car for 27,000 business miles and made some money on it. But, I swore off belt systems after that. Right up till the Ridgeline. I knew it was a belt but figured it had to be more reliable than those junk cars were back then. So far I've been right. 72,000mi on it and I'm more worried about journal bearings (did the oil test and it's good) and the junk 6 speed transmission (doing regular testing to "see" inside it and make sure it's working good). Yeah, I agree with that guy about how belts suck and while it's scheduled maint it's still expensive maint unless doing it yourself. My Pinto belt was $20 back then. lol

 

[Danke]

Dumb statement. What difference does it make if the belt is on the inside of the housing or the outside? A simple periodic belt replacement makes this a total non issue. Consumer Reports recent car reliability rating show Honda at #5, led by Acura, Mini, Toyota and Lexus. Jeep is at #26. Enough Said.

I recently bought a 22 RTL-E. with 20k miles on it. I am looking forward to 100k, to do the timing belt and the valves by myself.

You don't want a bunch of grime getting between the belt and the pulleys. That would eventually mess with the timing.

 

[F6Hawk]

One counterpoint I've heard is "timing chains don't require replacement, and last the life of the engine!"

I agree with you, and would add that anyone who claims chains will last a lifetime have likely never owned a chain-drive motorcycle.

 

[Shoulder]

I agree with you, and would add that anyone who claims chains will last a lifetime have likely never owned a chain-drive motorcycle.

Funny you mention that because for eBikes at least, belt drive is more reliable than chain drive, and is virtually maintenance free. I think motorcycles are similar, though my knowledge towards them are more limited as I don’t ride. But even shaft drive I think requires a fluid so the gears don’t eat themselves up over time.

 

[Steve Jordan]

Dumb statement. What difference does it make if the belt is on the inside of the housing or the outside? A simple periodic belt replacement makes this a total non issue. Consumer Reports recent car reliability rating show Honda at #5, led by Acura, Mini, Toyota and Lexus. Jeep is at #26. Enough Said.

I recently bought a 22 RTL-E. with 20k miles on it. I am looking forward to 100k, to do the timing belt and the valves by myself.

Actually, yesterday's CR has Honda ranked at 4th behind: BMW, Subaru, Porsche. Porsche jumped 11 spots over last years ratings. The bottom 4 are GMC, Jaguar, Land Rover and Jeep bringing up last place. I guess I'm just lucky, as I have a BMW (1999 323 i convertible), a Subaru and a RL in my garage. My wife's Beemer is almost never driven and really needs a new home with someone who will drive it.

 

[Beaumontian]

Well, the 2UZ-FE engine from Toyota, kind of the king of reliability in engines, has a timing belt, so I don't know what this guy is on about. Changing a belt and water pump every 100k miles to have an engine that will easily go 5x that distance is easily worth it. Someone posted the Audi V8 timing chain above, thats only acceptable to ze Germans.