Educating Customers On Timing Belt Tensioner Replacement

The timing belt tensioner is a part only a few customers know about. So when customers find out that their timing belt tensioner needs replacing, they may get confused or skeptical. Some may even refuse a timing belt tensioner replacement. It’s simply because they don’t know enough about it. That kind of negligence will be quite detrimental to the engine.

It’s always worth taking the time to explain to your customers how important it is to replace their timing belt tensioner. It’s just as important as replacing your timing belt. It can be a little tricky to explain timing belt tensioners in layman’s terms. Yet, your customers need to understand why they need to replace their timing belt tensioner ASAP.

Explain What A Timing Belt Tensioner Is And What Happens When It Fails

You want to start by explaining what a timing belt is. Your customers need to know how important the timing belt is to the operation of the engine. Once they have a basic understanding of the part, you can move on to the timing belt tensioner. The good news is the timing belt tensioner is pretty easy to explain. The timing belt tensioner seems like a small and insignificant part. Yet, it’s actually very crucial to the proper operation of the engine. Make sure your customers know that.

Next, explain what happens when a timing belt tensioner fails. Don’t forget to cover the symptoms of timing belt tensioner failure. Also, explain how these symptoms can lead to either:

• An engine that won’t run, for a few older engines.
• Catastrophic engine failure, for most modern engines

The main goal here is to get your customers to understand how much a failed timing belt tensioner can damage their engine.

If The Customer Has An Interference Engine

Timing belt tensioner failure is a bad situation in any type of engine. Yet, it’s especially bad in interference engines. What if you’re explaining timing belt tensioner failure to a customer with an interference engine? Be sure to stress how damaged their engine can get if they refuse a replacement.

When the timing belt tensioner fails, the timing belt becomes too loose. It may lose enough tension to stop turning the camshaft, or it may slip off. In either case, the camshaft stops turning (or doesn’t turn as much as it should). In an interference engine, this is very bad news.

When the camshaft in an interference engine stops turning, the engine valves stop moving. The pistons will keep moving, though. With the valves stationary, the pistons will hit some of the valves. This creates severe damage, such as:

• Bent or broken valves
• Damaged pistons and cylinder heads

An engine that has suffered this type of damage will either need to be repaired or replaced. That means thousands of dollars down the drain. Your customers will save so much money by having their timing belt tensioners replaced now rather than deal with engine damage later. Any reasonable customer who understands this will not hesitate to agree to a timing belt tensioner replacement.

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