how long should a cam belt last????

northern_munky

Raksha wrote:

The reason Vauxhall changed their schedule was down to the runners disintergrating, not the belts IIRC.....

'If it ain't broke......' if you don't change it, then something even more expensive will break...

You are right, but it's same thing though mate, you wouldnt change the tensioners and pulleys and not change the belt.

Wig

Bossyboots wrote:

Thank you Wig, that is really helpful information. We weren't told it needed changing imminently. The car is due for MOT in a couple of weeks which will be done at a different garage so we will speak to the guy there who we trust (although we trusted the dealer too so we will be having words with the owner of the dealership tomorrow) to check it again and if necessary give a quote.

If he says it is okay then we can do as suggested and keep a regular eye on it.

So you're aurora borealis?

The Hyundai service schedule might have it down for a change @ 50K (I dunno) and maybe it was done, sometimes the mechanic writes on the stamp "timing belt" when it was done. So look in the service history booklet.

You can ask a Hyundai dealer at what year and mileage they schedule TB change, if it has a full SH then it should have been done at that time, you can then work out when it is due to be done again. If it has never been done or there is no SHistory saying when it was done then it is a must, and you could have made that a part of your deal for buying the car.

re: the words in bold..I mean if it is meant to be done @ 50K or 4 years and there is a 50K stamp in the book (from Hyundai) then that should mean it was done. and won't need doing again until "Mileage service was done" plus 50K. But if there is no SH for the time it should have been done then you'd have to do it now.

*50K figure just guess work, Hyundai will tell you the actual figure.

chrisw

My wife's 1997 Hyundai Accent was every 36k.
I had a Peugeot 406 belt snap at 28k. The engine was wrecked and the Peugeot dealer reckoned it would have cost nearly 3 grand to repair (at their prices admittedly) if Peugeot hadn't agreed to pay for it.

Since then, I've become somewhat paranoid about changing belts on time.

Wig

chrisw wrote:

My wife's 1997 Hyundai Accent was every 36k.

Note to bossyboots/aurora

This doesn't mean for an 87k car it isn't due until 108K

If the 72K service was done early or late you take 36K from the mileage at which the 72K service was done or if there is a note in the service book "timing belt" take 36K from there.

Also note just because a 1997 Hyundai wants a 36K belt change doesn't mean a 2002 Hyundai has a 36K belt change.

tomstickland

kaya wrote:

"if it aint broke then dont fix it"

The favourite phrase of the lazy. Preventative maintenance would never exist if this phrase was true.
A cam belt will wear with use and also degenerate with age. When they break it's not pretty.

aurora_borealis_2

Wig wrote:

So you're aurora borealis?

Umm, no. I don't have an AE. I think they're odd

Thanks for the info Wig. We're going to get some quotes today.

exel1966

I'd reccomend a change every 50-60k as an average for most cars, but it's best to refer to the manufacturers guidance on this, even though they will build in a safety net, so as not to get inundated with claims for wrongful advice.
It could cost you anything between £140-300, to get it replaced, but a new set of pistons will set you back up to five times that if the belt fails when you're travelling at speed.
Always best to err on the side of caution me thinks ! (unless of course you have an old banger - sometimes it cheaper to throw them away and get another one rather than pay hefty maintenance bills)

ooo000ooo

So far i have broken the timing belt on a diesel fiesta - Snapped a valve into 3 bits & lifted a chunk out of a piston which cost £120 to fix in parts alone labour courtesy of me and my dad, broke the timing belt on a diesel toledo, £120 to fix because the dealer only charged me the cost of replacing the belt and not all the other bits that broke and broke the timing belt on a Celica (a week before it was booked in to be changed). The celica cost me £400 quid as it bent 2 valves even though it it a non-interference engine. Financially you're better off getting it replaced before it breaks and if it does break you can guarantee it'll be when you really need to get somewhere and it's raining or snowing and pitch black outside.

Bob63

Bottom line - don't mess about with cambelts. If the manufacturer makes a recommendation stick to it. The consequences can be very expensive.

In the mid 90's I owned a new 405 1.9 turbo diesel. Its cambelt broke just 1000 miles before it was due for replacement and made a big big mess. The warranty bill was more than £2000. When I took the car in for its service a month later the spotty kid behind the desk told me that the cambelt would need replacing at this service. My reply is not printable here...

I also had a cambelt go on a fairly new Cavalier in the late 80's. Again it was an expensive warranty repair.

Mike

carl310166

I have a 2001 TDI Golf with 43000 miles on it, i was due to have a lube job at the dealer this year, but when i rang to book it in, i was told i would need to have the cam belt replaced now as VW had changed the schedule from 60k to 4 years. I have had it done,plus the water pump and tensioners etc as i have had one fail on a Micra 10 years ago, not an experience i want to repeat £££

Unless it's a banger, and might not get through the next MOT, i would change it