I just Paid £1200,did they changed the cambelt really? video attached

cherry2017

As they promised to change the cambelt,but the engine doesn't look any sign touched?
also my radio settings especially the bluetooth phone stored without lost memory, battery not disconnected ever.
Paid over £1200. originally they said it is £520, but later they called me said there are two belts inside of the engine.
they promised to swap the front tyres to the rear, but only done one tyre. that's one of the reason I started to doubt their job.
Please have a look the video I took when I just got my key back, they promised change the driving belt/resislent belt which is outside of the engine as well, and the tensioner, but the tensioner seemed still the old one?
https://youtu.be/Fvkj_GtOuiE

cherry2017

thanks thanks for looking, any questions please ask

tacpot12

The Aux drive belt looks new, but your video doesn't focus on the inside of this belt so you can't see if there are any cracks in the belt. If the belt has lots of cracks in it, then it is not new. The tensioner should be new and shiny. It's difficult to see the tensioner in the video; it doesn't look new, but it's very difficult to tell from a video. You really need to look at it through the wheel arch.  

I think it very unlikely that you have been charged for work that was not done, and you will have a hard time proving they haven't changed the cambelt.  How do you know that they haven't switched one of the tyres from front to rear? 

I'm surprised that they got the price so wrong. They should know the time that the job will take from your registration number, so the difference in cost should have been about £100 at most. 

cherry2017

tacpot12 said:

The Aux drive belt looks new, but your video doesn't focus on the inside of this belt so you can't see if there are any cracks in the belt. If the belt has lots of cracks in it, then it is not new. The tensioner should be new and shiny. It's difficult to see the tensioner in the video; it doesn't look new, but it's very difficult to tell from a video. You really need to look at it through the wheel arch.  

I think it very unlikely that you have been charged for work that was not done, and you will have a hard time proving they haven't changed the cambelt.  How do you know that they haven't switched one of the tyres from front to rear? 

I'm surprised that they got the price so wrong. They should know the time that the job will take from your registration number, so the difference in cost should have been about £100 at most. 

Thanks.
My radio all settings still there, they have to disconnect the radio, and they need my code, but they don't know my code, also my Bluetooth phone settings still there, even they can unlock the code , but my setting should be gone. this is a strong evidence.
The tyres on the wheel is easy enough to tell, as they are two different makes.
I knew it's hard to prove, this is why the worker dare to do so.
The right side one parts should be wet , but it is not, I will upload pictures later.

tedted

you dont need to disconnect the battery and if car is aftre 2008 it is possible it has the wet belt and these are a right sod to do with all the gaskets etc

[Deleted User]

I've never had the battery disconnected for a timing belt change and I've owned Ford's since 1990's so I wouldn't take anything from that.

I've watched the 7 min video and looked at all your photos but not a single one of them shows the timing belt so it proves nothing so whip the timing belt cover off and have a look for yourself.

It is a bit late moaning about £1200 after you agreed to it, should have stopped there and then. You haven't said exactly what engine it is but guessing the PSA 1.8 with a wet belt, but that shouldn't cost £1200. 

Long term advice is getting in with a nice family run local independent garage that you can trust. I've been taking my cars to the same garage now for nearly 20 years, everyone that work there is family and knows me and I never have any doubts that they do exactly what I ask them to do.

forgotmyname

Unless the battery is in the way of the belt then why would they disconnect that? If i changed your battery you would not lose any radio settings either
because I use a sma;; pack to keep power to the system.  No need to remove the battery for a belt change.

As mentioned if you think the belt has not been changed just take the cover off.

A part should be wet? What part?    Once you have done a few belts on the same cars you get to know little shortcuts like
just moving the fuel pipes upwards instead of unplugging them.  I was doing one for a friend of a friend and by the time
he had looked for the locking wheel key and made a cuppa I had the wheel off and the belt covers.

[Deleted User]

forgotmyname said:

A part should be wet? What part?   

Some of the Ford PSA engines have a lower timing belt within the crank case - hence 'wet' because it is immersed in engine oil as well as a separate external "dry" timing belt.

Very strange though, always avoided those engines.

tedted

its not a psa engine

[Deleted User]

tedted said:

its not a psa engine

Sorry, I am mistaken, but some of the Ford engines of that era do have the wet belt as the lower timing belt.

fred246

I have always wondered how many timing belts don't actually get changed. There are lots of reports of immediate failures. Others complain of timing belts failing at various times. Some of these may not have been changed. The only thing I can tell from mine is that the writing disappears over it's lifetime. They don't seem to have a date stamp so if a belt wasn't changed and the owner didn't immediately pick up on it then I don't think it would be easy to prove it hadn't been done.