Got an idling issue. How do I check the timing belt marks?

I bought a 2007 Aveo5 with 91k miles. Previous owner says he had the timing belt, idler pulley, and water pump replaced recently. I was not able to get documentation that it was done, so I'd like to inspect the belt. In addition, I'm having an idle issue. It's not really rough, but the RPMs are oscillating around 700-800 at idle. It's smooth while driving. Power seems ok and it's getting about 29 mpg. I replaced the spark plugs, wires, and air intake hose. I checked for vacuum leaks with a can of carb cleaner and did not notice a change in rpms. It's not throwing any codes.

Unless somebody as another idea, and I'm certainly open to that, I thought verifying that the belt has been replaced and is lined up properly would be the next step, except I don't know how to do that. So some guidance would be much appreciated.

Just do a search, there are tons of posts on the timing marks, this one popped up on the first hit: http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/f94/t...rite-up-10284/

A hunting idle on startup is somewhat normal when cold. The belt, pulleys and idler should all look NEW when you get under the cover. If not then you will want to find out how old it is, or just change it.

Hi there, just want to know if you got you idling issue fixed! What was the problem?

Thanks for your concern! No, I haven't fixed the idle issue. In fact, haven't messed with it at all, mostly because it hasn't risen above numerous other things going on to demand my attention, but it's on my radar to take a look at.

The problem right now is that the clutch won't disengage. The pedal goes all the way to the floor, but the clutch doesn't release. I was able to nurse it over to my mechanic's in first gear, and he told me an hour ago that it's something internal to the trans, as the hydraulic clutch system is working well. His initial estimate was $950 for starters, and that included replacing the clutch and related components, mainly due to the quoted nine hours of labor required. From the forums here I'm guessing it's the fork or clutch release lever, but obviously can't be sure until it's opened up. I'm thinking of tackling this myself in my garage. It would be the most involved repair I've done to date, but pretty straight forward if time consuming.

Good luck with that. Once I heard that if the diaphragm spring breaks and one of those little finger plates gets trapped in between the pressure plate and the clutch disc, the clutch disc can not come back to its normal position. Just an idea. I think that it is a good idea to replace the disk, the bearing and the pressure plate since you have to take everything apart. Please keep us informed!!! By the way, what was the mileage on your car when the problem started?

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Originally Posted by jep23ing

Good luck with that. Once I heard that if the diaphragm spring breaks and one of those little finger plates gets trapped in between the pressure plate and the clutch disc, the clutch disc can not come back to its normal position. Just an idea. I think that it is a good idea to replace the disk, the bearing and the pressure plate since you have to take everything apart. Please keep us informed!!! By the way, what was the mileage on your car when the problem started?

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I have a 2004 Aveo but my issue was the Master Clutch Cylinder was sticking to the floor. The Clutch would disengage but the pedal was stuck on the floor until I lifted it back up manually. This happened at 123,000 miles. I replaced the Master Clutch Cylinder with a cheap ebay one and the part was faulty. It sucked in air from the loose fitting that was on the Master cylinder body. That resulted from a clutch pedal that would stick to the floor and not release the clutch plate. So I got one from O'Reilly auto parts store.

I heard the throw out bearing is really cheaply made for the Aveos and do fail which is what your fork on the clutch uses to disengage it.

To close the loop here...finally got around to the idle issue. Turns out both the intake and exhaust cam sprokets were off by one tooth, downward in both cases. Replaced belt, pulleys, water pump while everything was apart. Runs like a champ now. Thanks for playing along.