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car stuff - cam belts!

BillieTheBotBillieTheBot Posts: 8,721 Bot
in General Chat
my fella keeps saying i should get the cam belt, tensioner and water pump changed on my car because of the mileage its done.

i got a quote today though and they quoted me £335? is that right? seems like alot considering my brother paid £100 and my workmate paid £150!

i only have a baby car!

i really don't fancy spending lots of money on what will seem like nothing, lol.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How much is on the clock?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    just over 60,000.

    the manual says change it at 60,000 although my boyfriend says this has actually been changed to 40,000 for more recent models...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    blah blah blah wrote: »
    just over 60,000.

    the manual says change it at 60,000 although my boyfriend says this has actually been changed to 40,000 for more recent models...

    Then yes, get it done. If the belt goes then you're basically looking at a new engine, which would cost even more.

    Cam belt changes are normally expensive because it means removing the engine. Can't really comment on the specific price though. Obviously if someone was charged half as much for the exact same thing...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    mmm, thats what he keeps saying to me...

    i phoned up a VW garage (because although i have a seat arosa, its actually a VW lupo with a seat badge on so its them that provide the parts) so maybe thats why the price was so expensive...

    might get my fella to get me a few quotes from garages he knows to be alright.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I once had a cam belt go. £4k for the repairs.

    Fortunately it went before it was due to be replaced according to service instructions so Vauxhall did it for free!

    Seriously, it's not worth quibbling over but you might want to go somewhere other than a VW dealer who are notoriuosly expensive.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aye... if the water pump is inaccessible without removing the timing belt, just change it out with the rest of the kit. Always do the full kit, as the tensioner tends to be more prone to failure with a taut new belt on. Same goes for the water pump... :)

    Shop around. Parts will probably be ~£150, maybe a bit either way. Rest is labour...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, I think my cam belt was about £150 odd, and as already said there is labour on top of that so you're looking at £200-£250 I should say.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah my sister had her cam belt go back in 2003 and it was basically a new car for her.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Monserrat wrote: »
    Yeah my sister had her cam belt go back in 2003 and it was basically a new car for her.

    Same here on my old car. I needed a new engine.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well, my car is booked in to have the cam belt, tensioner and water pump changed on the 29th.

    my boyfriend phoned the garage he's been using for years (so therefore trusts - he said he would trust them over a vw garage anyday) and they've quoted £190 so thats MUCH better, lol.

    still, i'd much rather spend it on something fun :grump: bloody cars, soooo expensive!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Find out if the standard kit also includes pulleys. If so, then it's wise to do those too...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    blah blah blah wrote: »
    well, my car is booked in to have the cam belt, tensioner and water pump changed on the 29th.
    blah blah blah wrote:
    ...and they've quoted £190

    It might be £190 for the parts, but don't bank on that being the final price once they've found out what the cam belt has potentially done to the engine.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thats the price they've quoted us for the parts and the fitting. i very much doubt the cam belt has done any damage to the engine although i know nothing about cars??? i only bought the car a few months ago though...i doubt i've done that much damage, haha.

    when i bought the car, it had a full service and mot carried out on it. the cam belt was checked as we asked it to be. the garage informed us that the condition of the cam belt was fine but as a precaution should be changed after doing a few thousand more miles (when i hit 60,000 miles - it says in the manual to change it then!) as i now have done.

    if i have to pay a bit more then *shrugs*, so be it. will be alot cheaper than buying a new car which i'd have to if it went!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Monserrat wrote: »
    It might be £190 for the parts, but don't bank on that being the final price once they've found out what the cam belt has potentially done to the engine.

    Shouldn't have hurt anything. The belt hasn't failed, the poster isn't complaining of a burning smell couples with a screeching noise, which would indicate the belt could be rubbing on the plastic guide.

    Seems like preventative maintenance, rather than dealing with the repercussions of skipping the schedule. Should just be a timing kit and pump. :)
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