Cambelt - change it or risk it?

System

Fireflyaway wrote: »

but tyres and cam belt seems a lot of expense.

Eh? They're normal service costs of running a vehicle.

Just think, if you'd not left the tyres til they're almost illegal and not left the cambelt until it was past when it should have been done you could have staggered the costs so you weren't paying out so much. At 15 miles a day you could have got the tyres done months ago.

LandyAndy

motorguy wrote: »

Dont underestimate what the cars worth. 2005 Astras with MOT and around 120,000 miles are up for around £800

https://www.gumtree.com/search?search_category=cars&q=2005+vauxhall+astra&tq=%7B%22i%22%3A%222005+vauxhall+astra%22%2C%22s%22%3A%222005+vauxhall+astra%22%2C%22p%22%3A2%2C%22t%22%3A14%7D&search_location=

I liked this one


https://www.gumtree.com/p/vauxhall/astra-estate-1.7d-2005-£900-ono/1269084008


'Low mileage for a diesel'. 1.2million miles. :eek:

LandyAndy

sevenhills wrote: »

Its a renault Megane, it needs a timing belt and dephaser pully; I have been quoted £500-£800
I am still looking for cheaper quotes, or I may do it myself.

I just had the belt, water pump and pulley done on my son's 1.6 petrol Megane at my local indie. Together with a full service it came to £848 so I'd say the quotes you've had are in the right ball park.

AdrianC

LandyAndy wrote: »

I liked this one

https://www.gumtree.com/p/vauxhall/astra-estate-1.7d-2005-£900-ono/1269084008

'Low mileage for a diesel'. 1.2million miles. :eek:

MOT history suggests the double 1 is where the inevitable typo sits, unsurprisingly.

Pity the "1 years MOT" was actually a fail yesterday, albeit nothing serious - cloudy headlights and iffy handbrake.

Nobbie1967

Fireflyaway wrote: »

I've got breakdown cover. I will only be travelling around 15 miles a day. I'm tempted to risk it for the short time. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get an extra £250 for the car because it has a new belt. It needs tryes too..... I will do them for safety / case I get pulled over but tyres and cam belt seems a lot of expense.

Sounds like you've got most of the downsides covered. It just comes down to your attitude to risk. If a cambelt is due for replacement at 6 years/60k, they don't all suddenly let go after this point, this is just the point where the manufacturer reckons the the risk of failure increases enough to make it worth changing to save the engine.

The chances of it failing in the six months after the change interval has passed are little different to the chance of it failing in the six months before changing it.

I wouldn't bother changing it as I doubt many people buying a 12 year old Astra will be checking for the cam belt change, they'll just run it until it breaks, so not really much benefit to you apart from a minor reduction in the risk of something going bang in the next six months.

AdrianC

Nobbie1967 wrote: »

I wouldn't bother changing it as I doubt many people buying a 12 year old Astra will be checking for the cam belt change, they'll just run it until it breaks

I'd go for the opposite logic, tbh. Many people in the market for a cheap shed will want to see some evidence of a belt that isn't overdue, precisely because it means they're playing russian roulette. It's probably the single most important bit of history at this end of the market.

motorguy

sevenhills wrote: »

Its a renault Megane, it needs a timing belt and dephaser pully; I have been quoted £500-£800
I am still looking for cheaper quotes, or I may do it myself.

A 2006 petrol megane with a years MOT is probably still £800+(assuming it doesnt have a major fault )

The dephaser pulley is a PITA but its not overly expensive if you buy it yourself and as part of a kit. Heres one for £137 delivered.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DEPHASER-PULLEY-TIMING-BELT-KIT-RENAULT-MEGANE-II-III-1-6-16V-GENUINE-/161640594300?epid=651438005&hash=item25a287bb7c:g:d4cAAOSwn5RZjGWz

I cant see it costing more than £200-300 to fit that. Its less than half a day out / half a day in - but you do need specific tools.

As i've said, lots of places charge a higher rate and full whack for the parts because they dont want to do it.

Nobbie1967

AdrianC wrote: »

I'd go for the opposite logic, tbh. Many people in the market for a cheap shed will want to see some evidence of a belt that isn't overdue, precisely because it means they're playing russian roulette. It's probably the single most important bit of history at this end of the market.

Certainly true for the likes of you and me who have a decent understanding of car mechanics. I'd suggest this doesn't apply to the majority of buyers in this segment, and there are plenty of buyers who will be completely unaware that it is needed until the mechanic at the next service tells them. Sounds like it came as a surprise to the OP.

bigadaj

AdrianC wrote: »

I'd go for the opposite logic, tbh. Many people in the market for a cheap shed will want to see some evidence of a belt that isn't overdue, precisely because it means they're playing russian roulette. It's probably the single most important bit of history at this end of the market.

Depends how you sell it.

I changed a ten year old focus for a one year old car from a main dealer, main dealer just looked over the car and come up with a trade in, presumably based in we buy any car or similar.

When I picked up the new car and dropped the old one off they seemed a bit shocked that I'd turned up with some of the service history, including the receipt for the timing belt completed the year before.

Stoke

Trade in is totally different.

If I'm buying a car from Gumtree, a banger..... I want to know the belt was done, otherwise that 'bargain' isn't a bargain at all.