Timing belt

I took my car in for regular maintenance and had it check up for the squeaking noise coming from the left side of the vehicle.

Now I got a call from the shop about the cause of the squeaking noise. The driving belt is cracked. The timing belt hidden inside would probably be in the same state. Replacing the driving belt costs less than $100 labor included. But replacing the timing belt (which also gets the driving belt replaced in one go) cost over $700! But there is no way to tell the condition of the timing belt without digging deep into the inside. Unlike the driving belt, the timing belt won't make a sound until it breaks. And when it does, there will be a 85% chance that it would damage the engine. Typically the timing belt needs replacement every six years or so. And I didn't remember whether I had it replaced in recent years. I really didn't expecting any major repair to my car as I probably won't be keeping it for long. But in the meanwhile, I can't just let go of it either.

At last, I made the decision to fix it up so I can keep it running until the day I am going to sell it. =~~( It wasn't a decision made without pain. I really hope that this would be the last time my car would dig this big a hole into my wallet.