Timing belt maintenance

[Davecrawf]

My Autosleeper Broadway is approaching 10 years old now, however it has only done 29000 miles. I read a magazine article about timing belts which prompted me to seek advice from my Fiat main dealer, where I always get my servicing done, and they strongly recommend getting the timing belt changed, so I asked for an estimate. The estimate was for 10 hours work @ 100/hour and lots of parts, which came to a grand total of £2,300. At first I thought, well this is essential maintenance so I better get this done. However I noticed that the estimate did not state a timing belt! The estimate was for replacement of x2 timing chains, as the 3 litre, 160 engine does not have the typical timing belt. I called another Fiat dealership who recommended that timing chains should only be replaced if there is something wrong with them. My local dealership still recommended replacing the chains, however after further research I decided not to go ahead with this work. Even my service manual does not recommend replacing timing chains...........after 29000 miles!

 

[SteveJ]

As far as I am aware all the 3Lt Fiat engines have 2 timing chains, not belts. I know a couple of people with these engines and they have never had the chains replaced and one of them has almost 250,000 miles on the clock.
A quick look on the Fiat Forum shows that unless they are noisy then there is no reason to replace. I believe Fiat describe the chain as "for life".

 

[Clivefog]

When chains or more likely the chain guides wear you will hear it long before they will need changing. Perhaps the better question would have been do I need the timing chains changed?

 

[Garfields]

As above
Leave well alone
I do use a main dealer for some work and I am happy with them.
The one your are using is taking the pi*s and I would be looking for somewhere else for servicing
Even if you asked them to quote for changing the timing chains they should have been advising you that its not required unless they were very noisy

 

[Davecrawf]

Thanks for your responses. Very interesting, but I am not really surprised that you all agree with the principle of leave well alone.
Fortunately there is another Fiat dealership not to far away that I can use in the future.
I may even seek advice from the guy who looks after my MX5, he is brilliant!

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[PP Bear]

Leave well alone. Money better spent on a top quality oil such as Mobil 1 and regular filter and oil services.

Do it yourself and save a fortune.

 

[Davecrawf]

Good point.
Cheers

 

[Augusta08]

Leave well alone. Money better spent on a top quality oil such as Mobil 1 and regular filter and oil services.

Do it yourself and save a fortune.

Absolutely correct, I use Castrol Edge 5-40 Turbo D oil and change every 8,000 miles oil and filter. 110,000miles and still purrs along. I use Mobil 1 10-60 Motorsport on my cars and they are similarly in good order.

 

[simsy56]

Leave it alone!

Craig

 

[Phill D]

and stay well away from the dealer who advised to change them.......

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[busby]

My Autosleeper Broadway is approaching 10 years old now, however it has only done 29000 miles. I read a magazine article about timing belts which prompted me to seek advice from my Fiat main dealer, where I always get my servicing done, and they strongly recommend getting the timing belt changed, so I asked for an estimate. The estimate was for 10 hours work @ 100/hour and lots of parts, which came to a grand total of £2,300. At first I thought, well this is essential maintenance so I better get this done. However I noticed that the estimate did not state a timing belt! The estimate was for replacement of x2 timing chains, as the 3 litre, 160 engine does not have the typical timing belt. I called another Fiat dealership who recommended that timing chains should only be replaced if there is something wrong with them. My local dealership still recommended replacing the chains, however after further research I decided not to go ahead with this work. Even my service manual does not recommend replacing timing chains...........after 29000 miles!

Find a decent garage..BUSBY.

 

[CamperManLez]

Your being robbed, the van will wear out before the chain

 

[68c]

Perhaps this post should be retitled as it has nothing to do with cam belts.

 

[Chris51]

Like has been said -find a decent "affordable" garage charging about a third of that manual rate ! Don't be mislead by the main dealers posh surroundings-its a mechanic who does the work and plenty of good local ones around at a fraction of that price .The one I use is fraction of that and knows his stuff .

 

[68c]

And the mechanic probably gets paid the same, dealer or back street. Just the dude in the suit gets more at a dealer.

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[AndyVW]

Timming belts are like tyres ..... change with age and milage consideration .... Chain,s are what you put the wife in. ... occasionally !!

 

[JJ]

For £100 per hour I would want an attractive young lady to give me a massage whilst the work was being done together with a complimentary supply of pork pies...

JJ

 

[SueLH]

Please can anyone advise of the frequency of changing cam belts in a 2017 2.3 multi jet?? Thanks

 

[Bill and Tracey]

A belt change will be a 3 or 4 hundred quid at the very most. Ours was £290. As for when you change it.....I had ours done when we bought the van 6 years ago and again in May. 28000 miles between the two. This may be overkill but £290 is much easier on the pocket than a rebuild when it goes wrong. When you can, not when you need to. And let's face it, not many of us are using our vans at the moment. Stay safe all.

 

[Clivefog]

5 to 10 years or 50 to 100 thousand miles as a guide line. Visual check every service. The range covers short start stop town vehicle to long distance motorway runner. MH should slot in midway although I would change at 5 years regardless of miles as the belts degrade with time and even quicker if contaminated by engine fluids. If belt driven it is best to change water pump at the same time.

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[Just smiffy]

Dealer stealer.....

Legalised muggers....

 

[SueLH]

A belt change will be a 3 or 4 hundred quid at the very most. Ours was £290. As for when you change it.....I had ours done when we bought the van 6 years ago and again in May. 28000 miles between the two. This may be overkill but £290 is much easier on the pocket than a rebuild when it goes wrong. When you can, not when you need to. And let's face it, not many of us are using our vans at the moment. Stay safe all.

Thank you so much

 

[SueLH]

5 to 10 years or 50 to 100 thousand miles as a guide line. Visual check every service. The range covers short start stop town vehicle to long distance motorway runner. MH should slot in midway although I would change at 5 years regardless of miles as the belts degrade with time and even quicker if contaminated by engine fluids. If belt driven it is best to change water pump at the same time.

Thank you, that’s really helpful.

 

[fiferjim]

5 to 10 years or 50 to 100 thousand miles as a guide line. Visual check every service. The range covers short start stop town vehicle to long distance motorway runner. MH should slot in midway although I would change at 5 years regardless of miles as the belts degrade with time and even quicker if contaminated by engine fluids. If belt driven it is best to change water pump at the same time.

Good advice. That probably explains why a fiat garage said 7 years to me. At the time mine was 6 years old from registration but maybe been in the engine for another year?

 

[Davecrawf]

I agree, but my engine has timing chains, which do not need to be periodically replaced.

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