Seat Ibiza 1.2 09 reg timing belt query

cottyh24

I have an 09 reg Seat Ibiza 1.2 12V which is coming up to its four year service. The dealers have advised that I need to get my cam belt changed after 4 years or 40, 000 miles (at a cost of £299 :eek:) but having a quick google it would appear that 1.2 engine Seats have chains not belts. Does anyone have a clue whether this is right? My manual says 60, 000 miles so I'm more than a little confused.

Obviously if it needs doing I'm happy to get it done, better that than it ruining my engine, and I will shop around for a better quote, but I'd like to know it needs doing first.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate your help.

gkerr4

a quick search would indeed seem to indicate that the 1.2 has a timing chain - which dont' need replacing for the life of the engine. if you know what you are looking for, you could check as a cam belt is on the external end of the engine and has a cover - the cam chain is hidden as it runs in the block and is lubricated - but it is hard to describe on a forum.

seat themselves quote a fixed price of £279 by the way - it's quite a lot of work to ensure that engine timing is retained etc - you will save some going to an independent, but it's still not a cheap job i'm afraid - maybe save £50-60 quid - you might find that the seat dealer will price match this and that will keep your service history up to date with a main dealer (if thats important to you)

gkerr4

this would indicate it's a chain:

http://www.seat-forum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=710&t=68391

cottyh24

Thank you for your reply. I'd seen the £279 on the main Seat site and would have got my dealer to match that at the very least. I've seen quite a few people saying that the 1.2 is chain driven but none as new as mine, they all seem to be 04 or earlier so wondered if they'd changed over to cam belts with the new models. Maybe the dealer just does a mass mailshot for all owners coming up to their 4 year service irrespective of whether you need the work or not.

I'll speak to the dealer tomorrow and see what they say.

Tigerprint

The Seat Ibiza 2008 1.2 Reference Sport that I have is definitely a chain

atrixblue.-MFR-.

actually the plastic tensioners tend to give out on these chain driven engines they either skip a tooth or the wrattle their nuts off just like corsa chain driven engines. skipping a tooth or two can result in bottom end and top end damage of the engine.

the kit themselfs are around £100-175.00 (latter being main dealer).

if your engine is nice and quiet and not sounding like a bag of spanners then all i can think of is the auxilliary belt needs changing and that shouldnt cost you what they are offering.

keep to spec oil from VAG group and the tensioners will be fine, its when people go off and do things on their own head like top up with non spec oil do the oil feeds in the cams get blocked and restrict oil to the chain causing chain tensioner failure because they effectivy go dry, a dry metal chain on a platic tensioner is recipie for disaster.

call seat and see if there is an upgrade (not a recall as it would be listed and you notified) or superceeded tensioners to the ones fitted, that will give you an idea that they have seen a problem and have secretly altered its reliability even then i wouldnt go all out to change what isnt showing as a problem.

cottyh24

Thank you both for your replies. I've spoken to the dealer this morning who has confirmed that it is a chain so I wont need changing.