Mitsubishi Repair: timing belt - 1994 eagle summit wagon, maximum mileage, eagle summit

Question
I have a 1994 eagle summit wagon, 1.8L engine, 2 wheel drive, with 195,000 mileage.
MY QUESTION:  When should a timing belt be replaced?   And, what would be a MAXIMUM MILEAGE that an owner MIGHT be able to put on the car's timing belt, before HAVING TO replace the timing belt?   What would be the symptoms of a faulty timing belt?   Couldn't I just wait for the symptoms to appear and then replace the belt?   This car already has so many miles (195K), I'm wondering if it is worth a timing belt (which is costly to have done).
Mason in Louisville, Kentucky,


Answer
Mason,
Your owners manual will tell you the scheduled maintenance times for your timing belt.  But they should be replaced every 5 years or 60,000 miles.  You MIGHT be able to put over 100,000 miles or more without replacing the belt, but you put your engine a very high risk.  The average cost for replacing the timing belt is around $400, though the price can increase if your mechanic recommends replacing the water pump and other associated components.  But if your belt breaks, you'll need to replace the entire engine.

There are no symptoms for a failing timing belt.  Sometimes an old belt my slip a tooth and your idle and engine performance will be very poor.  But typically a timing belt failure can result in catastrophic damage to your engine.  If the rest of your car performs well and you'd like to keep this car indefinitely, I would recommend replacing the belt.  Keep in mind that to maintain the over all health of the car, you need to follow all scheduled maintenance plans as outlined by your owners manual.
Good luck!