Cam belt change

jeannieblue

That price worries me....... we all like a bargain - but, at what cost?

The_AA_company_representative_2

NickWarren wrote: »

While I admit that is a cracking price, I'm guessing it doesn't include pulleys / tensioners and the water pump, IMO replacing the belt is pointless if you don't replace the pulleys at the same time.

This is spot on. I see a lot of AA member letters following repairs which have only changed the cambelt. So often it's the tensioner which fails. Although changing tensioner and pump (assuming it's driven by the cambelt) increases the cost at the time, it saves lots of misery later. Generally cambelt change points don't give much tolerance.

surfsister

I have a peugeot 306 and thinkinbg of getting belt done assume this has tensioner/pulleys and will also ned changing? Also water pump? So most quotes wouldn't include these?

goldspanners

surfsister wrote: »

I have a peugeot 306 and thinkinbg of getting belt done assume this has tensioner/pulleys and will also ned changing? Also water pump? So most quotes wouldn't include these?

ask for them to be included when getting quotes. or simply ask if theres anything else that they recommed is done while the belt is being done. most quotes for a cambelt kit will be belt and tensioner though. water pump usually extra but not much,usually under £40 for most pumps.

dopester

money_savy wrote: »

What are the symptoms of Cam belt failure and what would happen if it fails!!

I suppose it could go without warning, but whine, or worse, a squealing sound, from a pulley is one early warning symptom. If mine started to whine.. I'd try to trace the pulley, replace, and leave the belt still in place.

If I listened to my garage I'd have to change the cambelt / tensioners / waterpump every 4 years... so now 8 years down the line... I'm £300 better off for not bothering.

That is only because I know my particular car very well, have the factory manual, and am pretty sure the cambelt will last to 10 years.. 100,000 miles+, although that isn't true of all makes and models of car of course - some really need belt change at recommended intervals. Other owners I know who drive similar cars to me have ignored 4 year change advisories and done high mileage and still original belt running fine on cars 12 years old.

Remember, the motor service trade, like any other service and repair business, exists to turn a profit by advising as much work to be done as the client will accept.

Also the stories I often read about cambelt going are from owners who've had them changed a few thousand miles back. If you're going to get it done, make sure the garage you choose knows how to do the job properly, and get the tensioners/pulleys changed.. and probably the waterpump too.

asbokid

it is another point to consider when buying a car... is it an "interference" engine? will the valves collide with the piston crowns if the timing belt does snap?

some engines, generally the better quality, larger engines, are "non-interference".. so there is no major heartache if the cambelt does snap... it's no more serious than the alternator belt snapping.

incidentally, i've yet to hear a rational explanation for why any engines are still made to an interference design... there must be minimal gains in terms of engine performance, compared to non-interference engine models.

if i was a conspiracy theorist, i would be wondering whether this is all by design.. whether the car makers have carefully designed their engines in this way.. so that they are written off, should the thin and pathetic rubber timing belt snap without warning..

what exactly is the performance gain from "going interference" ? the cylinder compression might be marginally higher, by dropping the head down a few thousands of an inch. but the risks from doing that are huge, in terms of the potential repair bill should the belt snap or even just jump a tooth and wreck the valvetrain...

"walking on thin ice.."

it's a crazy and greedy world we live in..

surfsister

helpful so how do you know if it is a non-interference? i have a peugeot 360 would this be or not? any ideas? ta

asbokid wrote: »

it is another point to consider when buying a car... is it an "interference" engine? will the valves collide with the piston crowns if the timing belt does snap?

some engines, generally the better quality, larger engines, are "non-interference".. so there is no major heartache if the cambelt does snap... it's no more serious than the alternator belt snapping.

incidentally, i've yet to hear a rational explanation for why any engines are still made to an interference design... there must be minimal gains in terms of engine performance, compared to non-interference engine models.

if i was a conspiracy theorist, i would be wondering whether this is all by design.. whether the car makers have carefully designed their engines in this way.. so that they are written off, should the thin and pathetic rubber timing belt snap without warning..

what exactly is the performance gain from "going interference" ? the cylinder compression might be marginally higher, by dropping the head down a few thousands of an inch. but the risks from doing that are huge, in terms of the potential repair bill should the belt snap or even just jump a tooth and wreck the valvetrain...

"walking on thin ice.."

it's a crazy and greedy world we live in..

Keith

The 306 has an interference engine, it's worth trying your local Peugeot dealer as I think they offer a fixed price for the cambelt change.

Geordie_Ahmed

I have a Honda Accord SE Executive, 2001 (Y reg)

How much would it roughly cost me to change the cambelt?

roddydogs

Youv got me worried--i had the CB changed on my Punto, they never mentioned the "Tensioners", surely it this had been necessary they would have said, and charged me more?(8 valve cost £148)