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

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DocQuincy
DocQuincy Posts: 244 Forumite
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edited 20 April 2019 at 4:25PM in Motoring
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.
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  • gallygirl
    gallygirl Posts: 17,228 Forumite
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    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.
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  • missile
    missile Posts: 11,689 Forumite
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    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.
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  • DocQuincy
    DocQuincy Posts: 244 Forumite
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    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
    missile Posts: 11,689 Forumite
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    No worries, don't be like this poster > https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5992652
    "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
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  • DocQuincy
    DocQuincy Posts: 244 Forumite
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    edited 20 April 2019 at 5:01PM
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    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
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    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
    Richard53 Posts: 3,173 Forumite
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    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.
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  • DocQuincy
    DocQuincy Posts: 244 Forumite
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    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
    missile Posts: 11,689 Forumite
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    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.
    "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
    Ride hard or stay home :iloveyou:
  • DocQuincy
    DocQuincy Posts: 244 Forumite
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    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?
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