Dear Tom and Ray:

I need your advice. I have a 1991 Nissan Maxima with 69,000 miles. The dealer tells me I'm driving on borrowed time by not having the timing belt changed. The guys at my office think I'm nuts for even considering such a thing when the car is running fine. I have yet to talk to anyone who has replaced a timing belt as preventive maintenance. -- Debbie

Ray: Until now! I've replaced timing belts as preventive maintenance a jillion times.

Tom: How many is a jillion? Is that one more zero than a bazillion?

Ray: We recommend that all of our customers with timing belts have them changed at 60,000, for two reasons.

Tom: Reason No.1 is that when the timing belt breaks, the car stops running. And that can be inconvenient if you happen to be a quarter of a jillion miles from home when it breaks.

Ray: But the other reason is that some cars have engines that are designed in such a way that when the timing belt breaks, the valves get crushed and sometimes the entire engine gets ruined. And guess what, Debbie. You've got one of those cars!

Tom: Right. Nissans and Hondas fall into that "motor-wrecker" category, among others. So for you, it's especially important that you change the belt at 60,000 miles -- or in your case, 69,001 (i.e., as soon as possible). It'll cost you a couple of hundred dollars to replace the belt. But that's nothing compared to the 2.6 bazillion you'll spend on a new engine if the timing belt breaks before you get to it.

Stop the madness! You can stop driving like a knucklehead, and you'll help your car in the process. Learn how your driving habits can harm your car in Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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