Ford Focus: where in owner's manual does it tell me when to replace the timing belt?

DocQuincy

I have 2013 Ford Focus diesel and can't find anywhere in the owner's manual or service book when to change the timing belt.

What would it be under? I've read a lot of differing opinions online and can't find anything on the Ford UK site. Where can I find it in the manual — or get an objective figure from Ford in years and miles of when to change it?

I have looked in the index and under maintenance and there is nothing there about the belt.

Thanks.

gallygirl

Look at the actual service record part where the garage stamp to say it's been done. That usually has a list of what should be done for each service.

missile

At six years old, I would be getting it done soon. As you probably know if the belt fails it will be very expensive to repair, possibly more than your car is worth.

DocQuincy

Ah, there's a place for service stamps and then another section for maintenance and I thought they were the same. The timing belt appears on the sixth one so I'll get it done at the forthcoming service.

Thanks for that!

missile

No worries, don't be like this poster > https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5992652/cambelt-snapped-within-7-days-from-purchase

DocQuincy

missile wrote: »

At six years old, I would be getting it done soon. As you probably know if the belt fails it will be very expensive to repair, possibly more than your car is worth.

Thanks. The service is due 1 May so I'll get it done then. Is it likely to go if I leave it another year (out of interest)? I am assuming the six years is conservative and it is unlikely to go right now. It has done 49k miles. It is 6 years and 1 month old. I was just wondering what sort of buffers manufacturers might allow. Obviously they don't all snap once they go a day over the advised replacement date.

Am I right in saying a timing belt going doesn't break all engines? How do you know what type your engine is?

System

missile wrote: »

At six years old, I would be getting it done soon.

Why? For petrols it is 10 years/100,000 miles and for diesels it is 10 years/125,000 miles. They have no history of premature failure and Ford have had those cambelt intervals since at least the MK1 Mondeo in 2003.

Am I right in saying a timing belt going doesn't break all engines? How do you know what type your engine is?

Correct. If it is a non-interference engine then the cambelt going just results in you coming to a stop and it not running until it is replaced. If it isn't a non-interference then the cambelt going usually results in the valves smashing into the top of the piston on one or more cylinders.

Richard53

DocQuincy wrote: »

Am I right in saying a timing belt going doesn't break all engines? How do you know what type your engine is?

As Tarambor said above regarding interference and non-interference engines. How to find out which type yours is? Good luck! As far as I can gather, there is no central resource which holds this information. Google it, go round the owners' club forums, ask in your local dealership. You would have thought that finding this out about a relatively common sports car like an MX-5 would have been easy, but it took me ages and I never got a 100% cast-iron answer. Forum members said "yeah, think it's non-interference" but no one could be absolutely sure.


There is no way of telling 100% without taking the CH off and measuring things, and it's not something that the manufacturers think we plebs have any right to know about.

DocQuincy

Thanks everyone, super helpful.

As far as getting it done at six years, my previous car was a Ford Focus and that was 10 years / 100k miles but this one definitely has timing belt on the sixth annual maintenance record so I'll be getting it done in the next month.

missile

DocQuincy wrote: »

Thanks everyone, super helpful.

As far as getting it done at six years, my previous car was a Ford Focus and that was 10 years / 100k miles but this one definitely has timing belt on the sixth annual maintenance record so I'll be getting it done in the next month.

Better safe than sorry. My son had timing belt go on his Focus. It cost a lot to have it repaired and never ran properly thereafter.

DocQuincy

missile wrote: »

Better safe than sorry. My son had timing belt go on his Focus. It cost a lot to have it repaired and never ran properly thereafter.

Definitely.

Did he change it within the recommended window or was it because he left it?