Does my cambelt need replacing?

jbainbridge

Which engine is it?

I think the 16 valve petrol engines are 40,000/4yrs. £130 is a very good price. If you plan on keeping the car for a while it is worth it.

267

pinkteapot wrote: »

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!
.

There's nothing to suggest that the belt change that was done at 80k is the first. It is most likely the second change. Also, at £130 I'd get it done if I were you. Mine is £300 but that still isn't eye watering compared to some.

As an aside, if I go to look at a secondhand car, the cambelt is *always* the first thing I ask about. If it hasn't been done, any offer I made would always be less at least the cost of having it done.

grizzly1911

pinkteapot wrote: »

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 think the 40K mark is the usual time suggested. Did have a Citroen with a HDI engine that was 70K, whether it is prudent to go to the max is another thing.

vax2002

Its often not as terminal on Vauxhalls as some make out, they use a breakable follower arm on the lifters, it usually just breaks a few lifters.
Its a risk, but if you are selling then let someone else worry about it, it wont add a penny on the price.

Strider590

pinkteapot wrote: »

Does my cambelt need replacing?

If you have to ask, then the answer is yes.

Lum

Didn't Vauxhall downgrade the lifespans of their cambelts a few years back because a number of belts, as shipped from the factory, were breaking before they reached the specified age and mileage, causing people to demand Vauxhall pay for the repairs on their out of warranty car (as per the sale of goods act, SADFART rule)

mikey72

I do mine at 60K, first one lasted ok.

kingstreet

I have mine done every 40k, Saab (GM variant) belt with tensioners/pulleys (comes as a kit) plus precautionary water-pump change at the same time.

When I bought the car in 2007, the belt was showing as having been done, but I had a pulley/tensioner failure soon after. Fortunately, the belt continued to run true and there was no valve damage.

A Saab indy charged me best part of £1,200 though by the time we'd finished, so £300 for precautionary maintenance now seems like a great idea.

I'll be on 150,000 miles in the next few weeks, so not long 'til the next change.

chrisw

I had one go at 28k and wrecked the engine. However, I wouldn't bother with it on a £700 car. It won't add any value when selling and a buyer at that price is unlikely to be too worried, although a new cambelt would be a bonus. The first one lasted an extra 2 years and 45000 miles so I would have gambled you'd be ok for a good while yet.

Do you feel lucky?

pulliptears

Seem to recall reading about Astra's and Cambelts on the owners network, been a few people on there who have had some rather nasty failures with varying degrees of damage.

Our 1.9 CDTi SRi is coming up for 40k now and we decided it's probably better to pay £200 and get it changed than chance that it may be ok for a few thousand miles longer. It's one less thing to worry about really so its being done in the next month.