Vauxhall Zafira cambelt change advice needed

pruney

Hi all
I've just bought an x reg Vauxhall Zafira. It's done 65000 miles and never had the cambelt changed so I want to get it done along with the water pump, as I read that you might as well get it changed at the same time.
I'm going to ring round local garages on Monday as we can't do it ourselves but I don't want to get screwed over on prices. I've looked at how much the parts cost but I'm really at a loss on the cam belt kit. I've looked on ebay and here http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/timing-belt-kit/vauxhall-zafira-1-8-16v-125ch_v15334_g307.html and there seems to be lots of different prices. On ebay for example, they have 2 cambelt kits and in the description they are exactly the same but one is £15 more expensive. The mister auto website is even more confusing, there are loads of different options.
And then, on ebay I looked for a water pump and it brought up a kit with the cambelt stuff and water pump but it was £100 more expensive than the cambelt kit on its own; but on the mister-auto website, the water pumps seem to be about £30.
I'd like to know roughly what these parts should cost so I don't end up paying over the odds for them. Am I better buying kits or the parts separately?
Also, is there anything else I should get changed apart from the cambelt and water pump?
Any advice anyone can give me would be appreciated.
TIA

Weird_Nev

With cambelts, I really would get the garage to supply the parts too. That way they come with a 1 year guarantee, so if they do fail you are much more likely to get some goodwill/contribution towards subsequent repairs.

If you buy the parts yourself and the cambelt fails after 3 months, the garage will (rightly) wash their hands of you and say "you bought the cheapest cambelt you could find". If you buy the WRONG parts, then you're left high and dry and the work will take longer and cost you more.

Book it in, let them make a bit of mark up on their parts and do the job - just get 3 quotes first and make sure you have previous experience/good word of mouth on the garage you use.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

what you do not whant to do here is buy your own kit especially if you get a faulty one and ruins the engine youl have to pay labour twice for fitting then removal to make a warranty claim.

buy through your truated independant garage with something like this.

GATES KIT ALLTHE WAY, the warranty with them is as specified for the manufacturers changes.

mikey72

Full kit, (belt, tensioners, pulleys) and water pump, depending on the engine, the thermostat as well (1.6).
I've a 1.8, Vauxhall kit, supplied by the garage, and pump was £200 fited, about 50/50 parts/labour

TrickyWicky

Do a check with your local dealer first as many Zafiras engines have chains not cambelts. IF yours has a chain you've no need to worry about changing it. My ex colleague had one and booked it in, they got it into the workshop and called him back to collect it within half an hour due to it being a chain engine.

vickssinex

Vauxhall is quoting £199 for a cambelt change on Zafiras over three years old according to their website. This should give you an idea of prices to expect.

red_eye

vickssinex wrote: »

Vauxhall is quoting £199 for a cambelt change on Zafiras over three years old according to their website. This should give you an idea of prices to expect.

that's not a bad price from a dealer

TrickyWicky

vickssinex wrote: »

Vauxhall is quoting £199 for a cambelt change on Zafiras over three years old according to their website. This should give you an idea of prices to expect.

Thats a stunningly low price!

It's also not typical of all dealers. My dealer quoted me £900 for a cambelt change so prices do vary wildly.

mikey72

The belt kit is about £100 from a dealer. (£70 trade)

Water pump would be another £65 to £70 on that, plus labour, and antifreeze.

Still not a bad dealer price at all though.

s_b

if this is a petrol with the eco engine keep your ear open for a noisy exhaust as the cats split where they are cast and are not cheap
only other tip is you must check the oil weekly
always buy quality parts and sometimes the dealers are very competitive even to non trade if you badger them down even without a trade card

atrixblue.-MFR-.

be carefull with dealers saying belt change only £199 this can only be the belt and the catch is you have to pay extra dollar for the kit and water pump.

as it stands most zafira's have chain driven engines, but i have come accross some that have the belts. easy way to tell is to call VX and give them your reg they will confirm it has or hasnt got a belt engine.

what works for me is that i know how to change a veriety of cambelts myself, i get a cost plus 10% with my BIL who's manager of a motor factor so parts tend to be cheap for me unless its special order items.

being unwell i rarely do my own work these days, but i hover over my prodege learning him the ropes on his own or my car when it needs doing.