Good job I was sitting down!

[manners]

Just had a quote from the garage that does my bigger jobs £1320.60 That's for timing belt, auxiliary belts, water pump, tensioners & pulleys, fuel filter and coolant. All genuine Fiat parts as they will not use pattern parts they also wont do the belt without changing the water pump. I know the fuel filter is going to be a pig of a job, access is normally improved by removing the headlight which isn't possible being an A class.

 

[Guigsy]

Just had a quote from the garage that does my bigger jobs £1320.60 That's for timing belt, auxiliary belts, water pump, tensioners & pulleys, fuel filter and coolant. All genuine Fiat parts as they will not use pattern parts they also wont do the belt without changing the water pump. I know the fuel filter is going to be a pig of a job, access is normally improved by removing the headlight which isn't possible being an A class.

I paid £1200 a few weeks ago for an a-class MOT, full service and full timing kit swap with Fiat parts. When I asked last year, it was only £900... Prices are nuts.

 

[CazPaul]

Prices are crazy yet manufacturers still design engines with bits of rubber with strict instructions to change this bit of rubber every 5 years, instead of putting a thick chain on, it’s got to be done on purpose to swell the coffers of their main dealers.

 

[ChrisL]

Prices are crazy yet manufacturers still design engines with bits of rubber with strict instructions to change this bit of rubber every 5 years, instead of putting a thick chain on, it’s got to be done on purpose to swell the coffers of their main dealers.

I'm not a fan of cam belts either, but a manufacturer might say it gives them a quieter running engine with less reciprocating mass, thereby achieving better fuel consumption.

 

[CazPaul]

I'm not a fan of cam belts either, but a manufacturer might say it gives them a quieter running engine with less reciprocating mass, thereby achieving better fuel consumption.

I know what I’d sooner have though it’s certainly not a bit of rubber

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[Guigsy]

Prices are crazy yet manufacturers still design engines with bits of rubber with strict instructions to change this bit of rubber every 5 years, instead of putting a thick chain on, it’s got to be done on purpose to swell the coffers of their main dealers.

Ask BMW owners about timing chains...

Belts are cheaper, more efficient and quieter. And when chains or guides do need replacing, it's far more expensive. Yeah, I'd prefer a design that didn't need replacing every 5 years. But we're effectively using vehicles that aren't designed to be used the way we're using them. A delivery van or work van is probably flogged to death after 5 years.

 

[AladinsaneUK]

Prices are crazy yet manufacturers still design engines with bits of rubber with strict instructions to change this bit of rubber every 5 years, instead of putting a thick chain on, it’s got to be done on purpose to swell the coffers of their main dealers.

The biggest scam i have come across was from Ducati - back in the days of bevel head engines that had rubber belts

ALLEGEDLY the belts were actually from a Renault twin go - and were about a tenner a pop. The Boys from Bologna bout them in numbers, removed them from Renault bags, put them into Ducati bags and sold them at 50 quid a pop….

 

[Gellyneck]

Timing belt, auxiliary belts, water pump, tensioners & pulleys, oil filter, oil and coolant replaced a couple of months back at our storage location by exFIAT Master Technician using genuine Fiat parts as he will not use pattern parts also for £700.

Seems a heck of an "additional cost" for your fuel filter!

 

[Guigsy]

Timing belt, auxiliary belts, water pump, tensioners & pulleys, oil filter, oil and coolant replaced a couple of months back at our storage location by exFIAT Master Technician using genuine Fiat parts as he will not use pattern parts also for £700.

Seems a heck of an "additional cost" for your fuel filter!

a-class tax

 

[Richard n Ann]

I'm not a fan of cam belts either, but a manufacturer might say it gives them a quieter running engine with less reciprocating mass, thereby achieving better fuel consumption.

The fuel consumption difference must be absolutely tiny I'll stick with my chain

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[Gellyneck]

a-class tax

Yip, nae class tax in my case!

 

[manners]

Timing belt, auxiliary belts, water pump, tensioners & pulleys, oil filter, oil and coolant replaced a couple of months back at our storage location by exFIAT Master Technician using genuine Fiat parts as he will not use pattern parts also for £700.

Seems a heck of an "additional cost" for your fuel filter!

You're just trying to upset me even more I've used them a lot in the past and never felt ripped off and they have a lot more overheads than a mobile mechanic.

 

[CazPaul]

Ask BMW owners about timing chains...

Belts are cheaper, more efficient and quieter. And when chains or guides do need replacing, it's far more expensive. Yeah, I'd prefer a design that didn't need replacing every 5 years. But we're effectively using vehicles that aren't designed to be used the way we're using them. A delivery van or work van is probably flogged to death after 5 years.

Well ours has been on over 20 years with zero maintenance so that will do me, that’s 4 rubber belt changes costing thousands

 

[Gellyneck]

You're just trying to upset me even more I've used them a lot in the past and never felt ripped off and they have a lot more overheads than a mobile mechanic.

I'm not gonna make it any better!

Graham has just opened his own service place and stopping mobile except for the commercial work he still does for FIAT Pro!

Allegedly, pricing will remain same / very similar as it removes his "down time" when travelling.

Anyway, I'll bug**r off now!

 

[JockandRita]

Well ours has been on over 20 years with zero maintenance so that will do me, that’s 4 rubber belt changes costing thousands

Ditto paul.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[Landy Andy]

It’s nearly £400 just for Fiat belt, pump, and tensioner

 

[Richard n Ann]

I'm doing UPsie this summer when we get back, I think the belts are about a tenner it's 10 years old and 42,000 miles

 

[Gellyneck]

It’s nearly £400 just for Fiat belt, pump, and tensioner

Plus VAT?

 

[oldiesontour]

It’s nearly £400 just for Fiat belt, pump, and tensioner

Or nearer £100 for the same kit made in the same factory in a box with a different name on it !!!

 

[Landy Andy]

Plus VAT?

£363.87 inc vat from Coastal Motorhomes, who are cheaper than main dealer. Then need the seals for the water pump.

Ive just done mine, but I used the dayco kit which is £190 inc.

Unfortunately it turned into a very expensive job, that just kept escalating

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[Landy Andy]

Or nearer £100 for the same kit made in the same factory in a box with a different name on it !!!

So who makes the belt for Fiat? Who makes the pump for Fiat? Who makes the tensioner for Fiat?

From what I’ve been told not the same company.

But some garages will only fit the Fiat kit, not pattern, or aftermarket parts. With good reason

£130 was the cheapest I could find. But who is willing to fit the cheapest?? Not me.

As said above I fitted Dayco kit, who is the manufacturer of the timing belts for Fiat.

On top of that you’ve got a A/C stretch belt, an alternator drive belt, and coolant to buy.

 

[Gellyneck]

£363.87 inc vat from Coastal Motorhomes, who are cheaper than main dealer. Then need the seals for the water pump.

Ive just done mine, but I used the dayco kit which is £190 inc.

Unfortunately it turned into a very expensive job, that just kept escalating

FIAT Pro charge around that plus VAT. The seals are around another £20.

 

[the1andonly]

The problem with not Buying a Fiat Box of bits is counterfeit parts. A few years ago Gates were the most counterfeited belts and a for a while people were refusing Gates product because of the counterfeits failing. The problem comes with counterfeits entering the supply chain at a believable/ trusted level.

 

[Daffy64]

The issue with pattern parts is that you don’t know where they’ve come from, believe me there are some very good pattern parts that even come in the manufacturers packaging that even the OEM suppliers would struggle to tell from the real thing.

The other benefit of an Original part is a European warranty, if it fails the OEM will sort the failure, labour and any consequential damage/costs. Whereas. your parts factor might give you another belt if it’s failed.

That’s why a lot of independents will only use OEM parts as any parts issues will be covered in full, this means they’re only on the hook for poor workmanship and they’ll be insured for that.

Personally if I was changing a belt on my own van I’d be happy to use a Gates or Continental belt from a reputable supplier, if it was a customers van I’d only use OEM.

 

[Guigsy]

I worked for a car manufacturer. They had issues with counterfeit parts coming into the factory! Somewhere in the supply chain, someone had been inserting boxes of fakes. I know a load of cars were held and rectified. I'm assuming it was spotted fairly early.

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[Mzracer]

The biggest scam i have come across was from Ducati - back in the days of bevel head engines that had rubber belts

ALLEGEDLY the belts were actually from a Renault twin go - and were about a tenner a pop. The Boys from Bologna bout them in numbers, removed them from Renault bags, put them into Ducati bags and sold them at 50 quid a pop….

Do you mean desmo engines with belts? The bevel drive was an alternative way of driving the cams without belts, chains or gears like a VFR has.

Anyhow I agree about the belts being a rip off, they were just some Gates belt.

The whole cam belt thing is a rip off, people talk about belt changes, my Mrs has got a Golf Mk 5 with 160,000 miles on it, we had it from 25,000 miles so it would never have had a cam belt change, and we have never changed it, if the belt snaps it is going to scrap heap. We dont even change the oil never mind the cam belt !!

 

[AladinsaneUK]

Yep
You are right - my shit memory

 

[gus-lopez]

It’s nearly £400 just for Fiat belt, pump, and tensioner

But most garages/ suppliers would be getting a 60+% discount on the parts & jst want extra profit

 

[jockaneezer]

The chains they fit on Beemers and Range Rovers these days look like they have come off a kids push bike, not like the old multi link HyVo chains and the guides are made from the finest polycrackathene that doesn't seem up to the job at all ?

 

[Guigsy]

The chains they fit on Beemers and Range Rovers these days look like they have come off a kids push bike, not like the old multi link HyVo chains and the guides are made from the finest polycrackathene that doesn't seem up to the job at all ?

Given that it's doing the same job as a belt, do the chains need to be big? It's only taking a small amount of the engine power to drive the valves.

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