Astra Timing Belt replacement

learningaboutinsurance

fivetide wrote: »

no, usually they are on the front of the engine. It really does vary from car to car though. You'll have a fan belt on most and you'll also have a thicker timing belt with 'teeth' or grooves in.

Not easy to explain. Here's an american telling you about it, the principles are the same. I dare say if you search YouTube for your car there will be a guide up there somewhere

http://youtu.be/JmtiYheNBWc

Many thanks, looks like you tube weekend for me, awsome DIY car maintence vids :T

DollyDee_2

Thanks everyone for your replies. I had to go out this afternoon so I haven't had time to digest all the info yet. It was an independent garage we have used a few times over the last 12 months (tyres, service, MOT) & they seemed very reasonable (mended my husband's puncture for nothing, wouldn't even have a fiver for a drink & put 3 litres of oil in my son's car when he had to have a new tyre a few weeks ago after he had to use his Tesco/RAC breakdown cover for a puncture. My son couldn't find his locking wheel nut key after that escaspade & that cost him £21 to replace that!)

I am going to phone Vauxhall dealer & find out for sure whether it is a belt or chain & then phone a few independent garages in the area

I know my son should be doing this but hey-ho cars go forever - don't they? Service once a year, never check anything in between.

Appreciate everything posters have said.

SLITHER99

To be honest, with that mileage and simply as I've come across a few of those cars, 70k definitely means a belt replacement and if you're smart the water pump at the same time!

With regards your garage, if they seem to be doing you a solid then I wouldn't question. There's not much in your post that makes me wonder and people always wonder when there's a big bill involved.

You can guarantee that the Vauxhall main dealer will tell you that a whole lot more needs changing and charge appropriately.

lesalanos

Vauxhalls fixed price servicing shows £199 for the cambelt change. Water pump would be extra but certainly nothing like £450

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/owners_services/parts_servicing/fixed-price-repairs.html

DollyDee_2

Thanks for that - due to my not accepting everything at face value, my husband must have googled the same as you and got the same result - We (I) will be on it in the morning - the son is at work so can't blame him for that.

He's on about changing it now instead of getting the timing belt/chain done - don't you just love'em?

DollyDee_2

Told him to get it done anyway because it could go anytime & if he does part exchange that will probably be one of the first things he will be be asked and then they will knock the price down if he hasn't had it done - am I right?

kirsty12_2

I had a 54 reg 1.6 SXI we couldn't work out by the service book when it needed a cambelt change so we thought we would play safe and get it changed. Mechanic took the engine number to get the right part and the service interval was 8 years or XXX amount of miles (can't remember now). So we didn't bother changing it and now we no longer have the car.

Mankysteve

fivetide wrote: »

no, usually they are on the front of the engine. It really does vary from car to car though. You'll have a fan belt on most and you'll also have a thicker timing belt with 'teeth' or grooves in.

Not easy to explain. Here's an american telling you about it, the principles are the same. I dare say if you search YouTube for your car there will be a guide up there somewhere

http://youtu.be/JmtiYheNBWc

You cant see a timeing belt or chain. It will under a cover of some description what you can see is the aux belt.

Its an 2006 astra H on 55 plate it'll be a chain if its a Astra G it'll be a chain drive


Astra G

Astra H

Timing chain recommended changes is 10years or 100,000 miles but most do it around 70,000. A timing belt won't rattle, but does need doing early usally about 40,000-60,000 or 6 years but I'm not sure for that exact car again its wise to do early.

TrickyWicky

learningaboutinsurance wrote: »

Can i ask just so i learn something today, if it doesn't rattle what should one look or hear out for when one has Timing belt issues.

You can't normally tell. They're are changed by age and/or mileage. Many manufacturers will say every 5 years OR 70,000 miles - which ever comes first. That varies from car to car. For some cars it may be 100k miles.

Some cars (though not many) will let you inspect the belt without dismantling half the engine bay. Most cars though will require at least an hour of work to get down to the belt and inspect it thus most people will tell you "if in doubt, switch it out". The reason for this is purely that cambelts are hidden under a plastic cover that usually has other parts in the way to make it harder to get to. Very few cam-covers actually allow you to inspect the belt (there are a few that have spy holes but they are rare for some stupid reason).

@EdGasket the Corsas do rattle. It's not the timing belt but the tappets i think. Those engines are known for being rattly but I think they also have cam chains on some of them - my neighbours corsa has one.

Word of warning though, if you do go ahead, get the waterpump and tensioners / rollers done too. If you don't and one of those fails then your new cambelt was a waste of time because your engine is dead anyway. Likewise to replace them, you have to take off the cambelt and you're not supposed to recycle them once removed.

DollyDee_2

MankySteve - it's an Astra H, first registered May 2006. Just phoned the local Vauxhall Dealer, gave him Reg No & he confirmed it's a chain. Asked if it was covered by the £199 fixed price offer & he said no - that's for cambelts.

I then asked if he could give me an estimate for a timing chain & he said "about £700 off the top of my head":eek:.

Back to getting a few more estimates methinks but £450 sounds a lot more reasonable now.

Just thought I would point out, so you don't all think son is totally useless, when he called Tesco/RAC breakdown out, it was because nobody could get the locking wheel nut off. RAC changed the wheel & put the "get you home" spare on & also told him there was no oil in the engine:eek::eek:.

Son then took it to garage to get new tyre & discovered no locking wheel nut key. Got new tyre fitted & wheels changed over & the mechanic put 3 litres of oil in and didn't charge him for the oil (he had been to garage previous year for 2 new tyres on the front I think). RAC would have charged £13.99/litre. Then had to buy new locking wheel nut key @ £21 - the breakdown cover only cost £26. Don't know who "lost" the key.

Thanks everyone for your help.