Is it bad that I haven't had my timing belt changed yet on my '03 Mazda Protege at 128,000 miles?

I can't afford to for another month and a half. How much is itIs it bad that I haven't had my timing belt changed yet on my '03 Mazda Protege at 128,000 miles?As far as I know Mazda never made an interference engine so if your timing belt breaks, all you will need to do is get the car towed and fixed. There should be no extra damage to the valve train.
Is it bad that I haven't had my timing belt changed yet on my '03 Mazda Protege at 128,000 miles?
It's only bad if it breaks. If the timing belt breaks, it will cause other significant damage to your engine.



An independent repair shop should do it for around $313.00. A dealership should be around $409.00.



Hope this helps and good luck
Is it bad that I haven't had my timing belt changed yet on my '03 Mazda Protege at 128,000 miles?
If it has never been changed, you are living on borrowed time. If it is an interference engine, which most are, it will do plenty of damage should it break. For an accurate price you need to call a few shops near you. I would suspect a few hundred $.
you need to do it as soon as you can. This belt allows the crankshaft to drive the camshaft, which in turn opens and closes the valves. Without this belt, the engine can't run. If a timing belt breaks or jumps a notch in an interference engine, the valves may open at the wrong time and then be struck by the pistons. The result will be many hundreds of dollars in damage to your engine.A broken timing belt will leave you stranded 鈥?which is inconvenient 鈥?but won't do any permanent damage. Based on the engine type of your car, price can range anywhere from 250-1000 dollars
Look at your owner's manual. It should tell you when to do what. And Frankie's right. If it breaks, your pistons could hit your valves, then you're looking at lots of money. My mechanic friend has a saying %26quot;You can pay me now or pay me later, but you will pay me%26quot; So keep him (amd yourself) happy bay a little now, instead of alot later
Yes, it could fail and cause serious engine damage at any time. However, if you have a few tools, it is quite easy to do yourself.

At Autozone, the Gatorback part # is 40228 and it goes for $40.99.

The Chilton's or Haynes motor manual for your car is about $24.99.



You will need a set of sockets and/or wrenches. You will need a couple of sockets, no questions. One to turn the crank and the other to turn the cam. You will also need a jack. And about 2 hours. The motor manual will describe in words and pictures exactly what you need to do to change the belt.



Doing it yourself will save you about $200.