What happens if your timing belt breaks?

When i had my oil changed last, my mechanic said i needed to have my timing belt replaced because of the mileage on my car. (about 93,700 miles) What does the belt do? How much is a new one?

And what happens if it breaks?What happens if your timing belt breaks?Basically the timing belt connects the crankshaft with the two camshafts. This allows the valves to open allowing air into the engine at the right time. If the belt breaks then the crankshaft along with the piston and rod assembly will still move but the valves will be still. This can cause the piston to collide with the valves which can cause damage to the pistons, valves, and the entire head in some cases. There is a chance of nothing getting damage though. There are interference and free-wheeling engines. The difference is that free-wheeling engines has a space between the top of the piston and the bottom of the valve so if the belt did break then the valve would not hit the top of the piston.What happens if your timing belt breaks?Timing belts should normally be changed every 60,000 miles.

If it breaks it all depends if it's an interference motor or not. If you have one of those engines and the timing belt breaks DO NOT TRY TO RESTART. Will destroy motor. But if its not an interference motor it probably won't do any real damage. Good Luck KamiKatWhat happens if your timing belt breaks?Totally agree with the previous answer. Just wanted to add it is EXTREMELY cheaper to replace it now than when/if it breaks. You can call a local auto parts store with your vehicle information to get a price on the belt. The part is usually very inexpensive compared to the labor to put it in (in most cases).