MG Service Records question

[jasbo38]

Hi all,

I am looking to buy an MGF. The one I am looking at currently has a service record with 8 stamps. The 5th stamp says it is a 60,000 mile service, although it only had 30,000 on the clock at that time.

Would this service have been a cam belt change service?

I know it is standard once a car gets to 60,000 but had heard a cam belt change can happen at the 5th service as well.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

The car has now done 60,000. Do you think it needs another one doing?

Thanks in advance for your replies

[Yugguy]

Have you tried calling the dealer on the stamp? Or a previous owner? There's not really any other way to tell.

[MGJohn]

Timing belt changes are not only about mileage ~ on any car ~ some limits are age related. So a low mileage car would need a new belt if it became within the manufacturers age related guidelines even if only a few thousand miles on the clock since new.

It's an easy DIY job on most K-series 4 cylinder engines but rather more involved on the MGF or MGTF because of access on the mid-engine location.

I once bought a timing belt meaning to change it and completely forgot. Only when getting a puncture and needing the spare wheel did I see the belt still in its box...DOH! By that time the car was nine years old with 100,000 miles on the clock. Not recommended but the old belt looked in good serviceable shape when I renewed it. Most manufacturers err on the safe side where belt renewal is involved. Indeed many have reduced or even halved their original mileage/age related service renewal guidelines with that in mind ... and their warranty claim costs...

In the absence of any certain evidence, if in any doubt CHANGE IT. ... and remember ... a FSH and lots of stamps in a book is no guarantee of the job being done. Here I speak from experience.
..

[phat_phil1987]

i work in an MG garage and i'm pretty sure the K series has a belt replacement every 30,000 miles or 3 years. also manufactures sometimes have differerent parts for differenet services so its called a 60,000 mile service even if the car hasn't done that many miles

[MGSteve]

phat_phil1987 said:

i work in an MG garage and i'm pretty sure the K series has a belt replacement every 30,000 miles or 3 years. also manufactures sometimes have differerent parts for differenet services so its called a 60,000 mile service even if the car hasn't done that many miles

glad I don’t use your garage for my MG servicing.

The service intervals on Mk1 MGF's (pre 2000) are every 12 months or 12K miles, whichever arrives sooner.
The 'catagory C' service, which is the one that includes a cambelt change, should be carried out every 60K miles (which equates to every 5 years).
So your car should have had the belt done at its 5th service, even though it had only done 30K. No guarantee it did though.

On later K-series equipped MGR's, including the TF, the service interval was increased to 15K miles, which means the cambelt change is due every 4 years/60K miles.

Edited by MGSteve on Thursday 22 January 12:54