Looking at a second-hand Jazz for our eldest's first car. Does the engine have a timing belt or chain?

The subject of a Honda Jazz timing belt or chain comes up pretty frequently, as would-be owners try to gauge how reliable these hard-working little engines are. For those who prefer solid, low-maintenance motoring, the news is good, because all three Australian-delivered generations of the Honda Jazz have used the company’s L series engines which feature a timing chain rather than a rubber timing belt.

The task of the timing chain or timing belt is exactly the same: They take drive from the engine’s crankshaft to the camshaft and, in the process, keep all the moving parts in harmony. Many car makers moved away from a timing chain to the rubber, toothed drive belt as a way of simplifying engine design and driving down the cost of each engine. The rubber timing belt is also quieter in its operation and is also less prone to stretching (as a timing chain can) so the camshaft (commonly referred to as the cam) stays in perfect synch with the rest of the engine’s rotating parts. The timing belt is a simpler design because it doesn’t need to be tensioned via oil pressure from the engine as many timing chain systems are.

The timing chain, meanwhile, is preferred by some manufacturers (and their customers) because it should last the lifetime of the engine and never need replacement. This isn’t always the case, however, and some engines designs from a variety of manufacturers suffer problems in this regard. But, in a properly maintained engine of sound design, the timing chain should never need attention, while the rubber timing belt generally requires periodic replacement, usually between 60,000 and 120,000km depending on the make and model.