I have an X reg Ford Modeo 1.8L petrol with 55K miles. Three weeks ago it had a 10K service and the cam belt changed. After 2 days I noticed a tinkling noise from the engine and took it back to the garage.
They repaired it and I have now been told me it was the lifters (whatever they are) and that it?s going to cost me an extra £147 (apparently I didn't need all to be changed) on top of what I've paid for the cam belt and service.
Should I have to pay for this as there was no noise before I took it in?
Could it have been something they did when changing the cam belt or is it just coincidence?
Should I find another garage? I've been using this one for about 2.5 years without a problem.
Grateful for all advise.
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Lifters are the bits that sit between the valve and the cam lobes. They perform two functions - one is to take up the excess clearance between the cam and valves (either using oil pressure or replaceable shims to set the required clearance), and the other is to provide a smooth, even surface for the cam lobe to press on to open (lift) the valve.
Unless the engine has been neglected, I wouldn't expect these to need changing at 55,000 miles. Hydraulic tappets can suffer if oil changes have been missed, but normally these last the life of the engine.
The lifters are not disturbed as part of cambelt change. Non-hydraulic types need periodic checking and adjustment, but this is usually somewhere around the 100,000 mile mark on modern engines.
If they've gone, it's coincidence. A very unusual failure though.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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A colleague at work thinks that the cam belt was out by 1 tooth and this caused the problem due to putting stress on the lifters. Could this be possible and where would I stand if I refused to pay the bill?
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If the cambelt was out one tooth, the car would have run like a bag of nails (if at all).
How did it run/drive when you collected it after the belt change?
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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It ran OK and it was only on the second day after getting it back that I heard the noise.
When I took it back to the garage later that day he said he didn't want me driving it any more so I left it with him.
Another colleague thinks that when the belt was changed the valve timing was either not reset or was reset incorrectly and I shouldn't pay him.
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Wed 27 Jun took car to garage (no rattle)
Fri 29 Jun picked up car
Mon 2 Jul - Fri 6 drove car to London
Mon 9 Jul - Tue 10 drove car to London (on holiday rest of week)
Mon 16 Jul - Tue 17 drove car to London and noticed rattle
total miles driven from service about 700-750.
Having spoken to an engine fitter he thinks that when they did the oil change as part of the service dirt has gotten into the engine and from there to the lifters.
Any thoughts on this?
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you have a different definition of two days than I have....
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The valve timing doesn't need to be reset as such. The engine is set to a known reference point (cyl 1 at TDC usually) and pins are inserted into the crankcase and the tail of the cams to "lock" the engine in this position. The belt and tensioners are replaced without moving the engine.
If the garage had screwed up with regard to timing, it would have been obvious when you picked it up. It would have been lumpy and down on power to an extent that you would have definitely known it wasn't right.
I just can't see that anything the garage did would have caused lifter wear. Unless of course the belt jumped a tooth through incorrect tensioning and the garage is trying it on, but it would be extremely hard to prove. It is always worth asking what the problem was with the lifters, and whether they still have the old parts.
I really think you'll have a hard time proving any negligence on the part of the garage. They did the right thing telling you not to drive it any further, and there's no real evidence they've done anything wrong. It's guesswork basically.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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What do your colleagues,who appear to be experts on Ford,say???
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