Cam belt change at 12,000 miles? Surely not
Discussion
I have a five year old Motorhome, based on a 2.3 Diesel Fiat Ducato, which I have had from new. It has had all the correct servicing done and still drives like new.
I have read Fiat advise a cam belt change at five years and I know some other owners have had this done, but it has only done just over 12,000 miles.
Any mechanics in here that can advise?
It is a £300 job I understand.
I have read Fiat advise a cam belt change at five years and I know some other owners have had this done, but it has only done just over 12,000 miles.
Any mechanics in here that can advise?
It is a £300 job I understand.
Age kills stuff as surely as miles, that is a very short interval for anything modern though, 100k+ / 10 years is what you'd expect on a 2019 era vehicle from a non Fiat manufacturer 
Just imagine how much of a total and complete plum you'd feel standing on the hard shoulder next to your motorhome with a destroyed engine because you wanted to save £300.
Just imagine how much of a total and complete plum you'd feel standing on the hard shoulder next to your motorhome with a destroyed engine because you wanted to save £300.
Many many years ago I can recall having an argument with a customer, I say argument he was just shouting at me, anyway his car was 5 years old but very low mileage but due a timing belt change it absolutely refused to have it done stating that if it snapped he would be claiming on his extended warranty, when I tried to explain it wouldn't be covered he started shouting again so I left it, about 6 months or so later it turns up on a low loader with a snapped timing belt & guess what warranty wouldn't cover it as it was overdue changing, do don't cut corners it's not worth it.
GeniusOfLove said:
Just imagine how much of a total and complete plum you'd feel standing on the hard shoulder next to your motorhome with a destroyed engine because you wanted to save £300.
A hard shoulder in some distant foreign land, no less - or perhaps completely blocking a narrow, scenic lakeland pass.Don't mess with cam belts. They deteriorate over time and if Fiat say five years then it's five years irrespective of mileage.
Your motorhome is only five years old so still worth a ton of money. Don't skimp on such an expensive asset for the sake of £300 as a rebuild or replacement engine will simply make you cry and ruin the ownership experience for you and when it goes you just know that it will be when on holiday in some faraway place and you're left with the expense of getting home, hotel bills and whatnot. Trust me on that day, you'd pay 10x the £300 for it not to happen.
Get it done.
Your motorhome is only five years old so still worth a ton of money. Don't skimp on such an expensive asset for the sake of £300 as a rebuild or replacement engine will simply make you cry and ruin the ownership experience for you and when it goes you just know that it will be when on holiday in some faraway place and you're left with the expense of getting home, hotel bills and whatnot. Trust me on that day, you'd pay 10x the £300 for it not to happen.
Get it done.
Ron240 said:
The thread title is misleading, or at worst clickbait.
Vehicle is 5 years old and manufacturer advises cam belt change at 5 years old...the current mileage is irrelevant.
Well when most cars are 80 to 120,000 miles it seemed very short, 50,000 miles I can understand.Vehicle is 5 years old and manufacturer advises cam belt change at 5 years old...the current mileage is irrelevant.
I'll book it in as soon as possible.
I'm fairly handy, but I wouldn't want to chance it myself.
stevemcs said:
They certainly ain't a £1300 job. If you want the torque setings and instructions if you do fancy having a go let me know.
Cheers Steve, very kind.I'm pretty handy, can put a clutch in a Cortina/Capri, but don't feel confident about this tbh.
There is a very good Commercial garage in Bury that works on big trucks, I have been using them for fifty years, I'll ring them for a quote and report back, I will insist on genuine Fiat parts though
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