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It could be the struts, or it could be any of a number of other suspension components that eventually wear out. Things like ball joints, CV joints, and bushings are all maintenance items. At 155k miles, you might need more than just struts. This could end up being a big expense. If you go looking for trouble, you'll be pretty sure to find it.
In my opinion, the timing belt will probably be fine for 1 to 2 more years or even more. I don't think the timing belt needs replacement at 90k miles as the mechanic suggested. Thats my opinion and so far I appear to be correct.
Its not that I don't want to maintain it well, its getting old, I won't get any money if I sell it and I don't want to put money in a van that may not last for a long time.
Do you know anything about how a timing belt works, and what its function in the engine is? Have you spent time designing or testing timing belt durability? Are you an experienced mechanic?
Here's some basic information.
Most timing belts are recommended for replacement in the 60,000 to 90,000 mile range.
If your timing belt breaks or the teeth strip off, your engine will stop, right then. You will not be able to re-start it, or limp home, or anything. You will have to call for a tow truck. Makes no difference if it's two in the morning in the worst part of town at 33 F in a driving rain with gang members all congregating round your vehicle and you are dressed in your best suit and have a wicked case of the flu.
Depending on the design of your engine, should the timing belt break in operation, it may also result in engine damage sufficient to require engine replacement.
There will be no warning that the timing belt is about to break.
Do you still want to take your chances on a timing belt with 155k on it?
Do you know anything about how a timing belt works, and what its function in the engine is? Have you spent time designing or testing timing belt durability? Are you an experienced mechanic?
Here's some basic information.
Most timing belts are recommended for replacement in the 60,000 to 90,000 mile range.
If your timing belt breaks or the teeth strip off, your engine will stop, right then. You will not be able to re-start it, or limp home, or anything. You will have to call for a tow truck. Makes no difference if it's two in the morning in the worst part of town at 33 F in a driving rain with gang members all congregating round your vehicle and you are dressed in your best suit and have a wicked case of the flu.
Depending on the design of your engine, should the timing belt break in operation, it may also result in engine damage sufficient to require engine replacement.
There will be no warning that the timing belt is about to break.
Do you still want to take your chances on a timing belt with 155k on it?
Yes, I still want to take my chances on my timing belt. I will also take my chances with getting into the van, driving on streets and possibly getting involved in a fatal accident.
It could be the struts, or it could be any of a number of other suspension components that eventually wear out. Things like ball joints, CV joints, and bushings are all maintenance items. At 155k miles, you might need more than just struts. This could end up being a big expense. If you go looking for trouble, you'll be pretty sure to find it.
Well, there are people who think ahead and by preparing for unpleasant eventualities, avoid many (though not all) of them; and there are people who refuse to do so, and find themselves constantly beset by "unpredictable" or "accidental" misadventures that would have been predicted and guarded against by the first group. The latter group are what we call "improvident".
Unfortunately, haranguing and exhorting are unlikely to convert improvidence into foresight and preparation. Sometimes, but less often than one would like to think, life experience can do this.
So, since it seems that advice on what to do about your car that currently appears to be running OK but is way overdue on obvious preventive maintenance, will simply bounce off your mind without resulting in comprehension or a change of behavior, I think we can all say that we're done here.
Well, there are people who think ahead and by preparing for unpleasant eventualities, avoid many (though not all) of them; and there are people who refuse to do so, and find themselves constantly beset by "unpredictable" or "accidental" misadventures that would have been predicted and guarded against by the first group. The latter group are what we call "improvident".
Unfortunately, haranguing and exhorting are unlikely to convert improvidence into foresight and preparation. Sometimes, but less often than one would like to think, life experience can do this.
So, since it seems that advice on what to do about your car that currently appears to be running OK but is way overdue on obvious preventive maintenance, will simply bounce off your mind without resulting in comprehension or a change of behavior, I think we can all say that we're done here.
This can also be extended to any nation that has 20 trillion dollars of debt but I digress.
You make good points and I appreciate them but I gotta do what make sense to me, from my perspective.
<>There will be no warning that the timing belt is about to break.
Do you still want to take your chances on a timing belt with 155k on it?
Component mortality is a part of the study of quality assurance. Sometime components like timing belts fail almost immediately. This is called infant mortality. Then the life cycle has pretty much no failures until service life failures set in at the end of the cycle.
Our 2003 Murano did give warning of impending doom with a noise from the timing belt tensioner(?) at 150 thousand miles. We jacked up the payment book and slid a new car under it. We were quoted $2000 just to pull the engine and check it with the possibility of finding more trouble.
Component mortality is a part of the study of quality assurance. Sometime components like timing belts fail almost immediately. This is called infant mortality. Then the life cycle has pretty much no failures until service life failures set in at the end of the cycle.
Our 2003 Murano did give warning of impending doom with a noise from the timing belt tensioner(?) at 150 thousand miles. We jacked up the payment book and slid a new car under it. We were quoted $2000 just to pull the engine and check it with the possibility of finding more trouble.
I'm not talking about infant failure, I am talking about end of life failure specifically of timing belts. (This kind of belt is quite well-understood as it's been in general use for probably 75 years and in use to drive automotive camshafts at least since 1968 when the Pontiac OHC 6 was released.)
End of life/wear-out failure of a timing belt generally does not provide any warning. Either the belt parts, or the teeth strip off. The engine stops, instantly, and you start walking (Unless you keep a spare engine and an engine hoist in the back of the car).
In your Murano, you are describing a failure of a rolling element bearing in the timing belt tensioner. These generally give lots of warning by making bad noises for a long time before finally seizing up (usually) or disintegrating (less common).
I am not familiar with the Murano specifically but "$2000 to pull the engine and check" sounds totally unlike a timing belt tensioner. There should be no reason to pull the engine. If the tensioner is making bad noises, the usual thing to do would be to replace the tensioner (most cars you pull a bunch of accessory drive stuff off the front and there it is, nowhere near $2k in labor), and while you're in there you (of course) replace the timing belt, and you also replace the water pump (which is usually driven by the timing belt) - not because there's anything wrong with it, necessarily, but at 150k it's going to go out pretty soon, and while you're in there it's almost zero additional labor to replace it, and the part itself is pretty cheap.
Whether the engine is transverse mount or longitudinal, usually all the stuff you need to get to is right there on the "front" of the engine, quite accessible. Certainly there would be no reason to take the engine out of the vehicle.
Of course there may have been a whole bunch of other stuff wrong that you didn't mention. I'm not criticizing your decision to replace the car, just saying that if that $2000 estimate was for a timing belt tensioner, it's likely BS.
We were quoted $2000 just to pull the engine and check it with the possibility of finding more trouble.
Pulling the engine to repair timing belt sounds a bit familiar to me. Recently, a computer repair technician told me that he has to pull the whole computer apart to repair the computer fan!
I pay attention to what people recommend for timing belt replacements - not the manufacturer. Because in my case, the actual recommended interval is much less than the manufacturer. (discovered by people who had them break with serious damage to their engines)
Both of my Fords recommend every 70K. The owner of the one I just bought went strictly by the book. He did a great job maintaining the car, but the book says 120K. Owner knowledge says 70K.
We bought the car at 118K. You better believe that belt was on the first pass of things to be fixed. Good thing, as once we got it out it was noticeably worn. And that's an expensive repair if it snaps. Before someone brings up age, it's a 2004 - so old with enough miles to matter.
Shocks? Geez, I do bushings too. But I'm weird like that. I figure a little preventative maintenance goes a long way in saving me a huge repair job when stuff breaks.
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