Porsches have always been a premium brand, and most owners consider themselves "premium" buyers. That hasn't always been the case though; following the 914, and then the 924, the 944 was the third and some say the best of the company's everyman's sports cars. While the 944 has been widely derided by "real" Porsche -- read: 911 -- owners over the years, there's no denying the fact that it made Car and Driver's 10 Best list three times in the 1980s, and was once declared the "Best Handling Car in America" -- which can't be said of any other Porsche, ever. Including then 911 Turbo.
The 944, developed jointly with Volkswagen, was originally slated to run with an Audi engine. However, Porsche decided to opt for something a bit more bespoke, effectively cutting the 928's 5.0-liter V-8 in half to create a 2.5-liter four cylinder. This approach, while effective, also made for an engine that was inherently unbalanced; or, at least, not smooth enough for Porsche. For this reason, the company installed a set of belt-driven, counterrotating balance shafts to cancel out the engine's vibrations.
While Porsche doesn't have a set maintenance schedule for either the timing or balance shaft belts, it does recommend checking the timing timing belt tension and condition every 30,000 miles. Many Porsche mechanics generally find the belt's lifespan a bit shorter though, opting to inspect it every 15,000 miles, and changing both belts every 45,000 miles. It's also a good idea to change the tensioner and roller at the same time. The water pumps on these engines are good for about 90,000 miles, so it's good practice to change the water pump every other belt change.
