How many teeth jump on the timing belt will cause an interference problem is one groove only a timing problem Or already causing damage
In my opinion, even a one-groove jump on the timing belt isn't to be taken lightly. It's not just about timing; it's about the precision that modern engines demand. A little jump might mess with the timing at first, but it could snowball into a whole mess of problems. From my experience, such deviations can lead to misfires, valve-to-piston interference, and, in the worst-case scenario, engine damage. I'd really suggest taking a good look to see how bad the jump is. Check for any signs of wear, misalignment, or tension problems. Also, dig into your car's manual to see what the manufacturer says about tolerance levels.
Isn't it more important that if if did jump a tooth (and luckily not grenade) might it not jump again into a worse condition?
Tolerance levels? Tolerance for what? There is no tolerance for maltimed cams. If you speak of timing tolerance before valve damage happens there are too many variables and in any event who cares? The valves are bent or not and it needs to be fixed right now regardless.
The issue is that you're saying "jump" which indicates you mean it was correct and then suddenly it's not. So the first thing is to figure out why it changed and get that fixed before you even start it again. If what you really meant was that it just wasn't set right from the beginning that's a different story.
