Does my cambelt need replacing?

pinkteapot

52-plate Mk4 Astra. Last had a cambelt change in 2008 at 80k miles.

It's now four years later and the car has done another 35k miles.

Had the service/MOT this week and they said the cambelt is due every 4 years or 40k miles. Quote to replace is £130 (inc VAT).

However, (1) no problems with the car whatsoever - no indications of any problem with the existing cam belt, (2) it's looking like I'll have to sell the car this year and as it's only worth about £700 I'm pretty loathe to spend £130 on it.

The garage said that if the cambelt goes it'll write off the car. I knew that anyway, but how often do they go without warning? I thought you got that squealing sound when your cambelt was on its way out?

Given that the car is running absolutely fine, would you bother changing the belt?

p.s. Please don't tell me I can buy one for £3.50 on eBay and change it myself.

TadleyBaggie

Cam belts usually fail without warning. It's the "auxilary" belt (the external one that often drives the alternator and water pump) that will make a squealing noise prior to failure.

MX5huggy

There is no warning of a Cambelt failure, the squealing sound is from a fan belt which is not critical if it snaps just a bit of bother.

The 4 years 40k miles is quite a short life expentency ie I would expect it to last longer.

If you get it done then sell you should get a better price. Why are you considering selling?

grizzly1911

Catch 22 + 1.

You will not have any warning if it is going to fail and when it does you know the consequences.

If you fix it £130 seems cheap.

If you don't fix it and try and sell it privately it will probably affect it's saleability/price if it hasn't been done.

pinkteapot

I don't want to sell. I love Oscar. MrTeapot is probably going to get a company car in the next couple of months so would need to sell him. *sniff* He seems to think I'm being weird wanting to keep an old Astra rather than have a brand new Audi/BMW. At least Oscar works in the snow (yes, I'm looking at you, stupid rear wheel drive BMWs).

Re the 4 years / 40k - garage just said that was the recommended interval for replacing them. Since they can go without warning (I hadn't realised that), I'll think about getting it done.

I haven't sold a car before - only ever traded them in. I assume I'd have to sell privately as I can't imagine a trader wanting to pay me any money for it if I'm not buying from them! Will probably be back in a few months asking about the best way to sell a car privately.

fred7777

Apparently Vauxhall used to say 60 or 80,000 for a cam belt on their documents but have been telling dealers to recommend 40K. Whether this is to increase dealer profits or because cam belts have been breaking I can't say.

If I were you I would change it next service if you are going to keep the car or not change it if you were going to sell it in a few months.

Cam belts do fail without warning but it is highly unlikely that a belt will fail at 35k in the next few months.

pinkteapot

This was an independent garage (rather than a Vauxhall dealer). Interesting to know the interval used to be longer though. I'll have to double check the car's paperwork but I seem to remember that the change at 80k (which was before I owned the car) was the first change that there's a record of. If the first belt lasted 80k then I'm a bit less concerned!

Since last summer it's our second car and literally is just used around town (plus a monthly blast up the dual carriageway so I don't completely ruin it). We're only doing a few thousand miles a year now.

pendulum

Without being specific to any particular make of car, a cambelt change for £130 will be just that, a cambelt change, it will not be a full kit, and many times it is not the cambelt that fails, but a tensioner or other pulley. If you don't know when the last time the car had a kit fitted was, you should think about paying extra to get a proper job done, £130 might just be wasted otherwise.

bazster

Ask yourself how much it will cost if you get stranded in the middle of nowhere with a wrecked engine. Even if you have a recovery policy costs can mount rapidly in such circumstances, not to mention the time and hassle.

And then you need a new car.

£130 well-spent in my opinion, but do check the pukka servicing schedule first to make sure it really is due.

bazster

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

Cam belts usually fail without warning. It's the "auxilary" belt (the external one that often drives the alternator and water pump) that will make a squealing noise prior to failure.

Or if it merely needs tensioning.

s_b

you must have the 8 valve 1600 petrol for the quote to be so low
seeing as it gets its hat and coat soon i suggest you leave it as they dont normally go on this engine
if its the eco tac with the big cover on the engine then thats a different story but i cant imagine anyone wanting to do this for £130 all in