Chrysler Repair: 2000 Caravan, missing teeth, plastic covers

Question
Hi Roland,
 I was wondering if the 3.0L Mitsubishi in the 2000 is still the same? I have 73,000 on mine and have been getting concerned about the timing belt. Some sites say it is non-interference and some say it isn't. Dealer won't say one way or the other.

Thanks,
Roy


Answer
Hi Roy,
It sure looks the same as all the years before so I would think that it is non-interference. If you would like to inspect the condition of the belt, it is easy to do. You will notice round plastic covers on the top front side of each bank of cylinders. These are hiding the camshaft pulleys with the timing belt going around them. So just remove the three bolts on each cover and you can see a good deal of the belt, then put a paint mark on the belt and tweek the ignition key starter position to move the belt slightly, inspect again, etc. till you feel pretty confident that you have seen all of it. Look for any cracks, debris damage, missing teeth, separations of cords, etc. on both sides of the belt. Absent any of those you can keep running it.
Roland