I've just enquired at my local Ford dealer about renewing the cambelt on my 2 litre ("black top" petrol engine) Focus which has done 63k miles. I was told by their Service Advisor that the recommended interval is 100k miles or 10 years. I don't know whether I have the nerve to let it go that long. Has anyone had any experience of a cambelt failure on this engine at less than the above recommended interval ?
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I'm sure HJ has touched on this subject before in the Saturday Letters some while ago. I think he said that the Focus belts were very reliable. If the car has not been subjected to harsh use and used regularly why not renew it a little earlier than the dealer said. Apparently timing belts deteriorate quicker on cars that are infequently driven and left in damp conditions.Just a suggestion.Mike
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If it were mine it would be 10k off its SECOND belt change.
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
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AM
Is this based on personal bad experience, or on having seen them fail?
Do you have any views on belt life on the 1.25 Zetec (Fiesta) engine?
pmh (was peter)
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L'escargot,
The recommended Ford interval is indeed 100,000 miles, mine is an ex-company car with F.S.H. and was due for it's first change at the next service. I had it done straight away though (93,000). Haynes recommend changing at 40,000 and if I was buying one from new I certainly wouldn't go beyond 60,000, it just doesn't seem worth the risk. I had the tensioning pulley(s) replaced at the same time.
Chris
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I'd agree that you should probably change the belt now.
I had my cambelt done when the belt was 5 years and 43k miles old, and I will recommend to my parents that they do it on their 1.6 at 50k as well.
That will be just before the car's third birthday; it is currently on 2k miles. When they picked it up, the dealer explained to the quiet, sixtysomething couple in front of him that, even though the service interval was 10k miles, they'd need to service it once a year to keep the warranty up.
The look on his face when my dad explained that 10k services meant twice a year anyway...
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Should point out that my car's not a Focus, but my parents' is. Also, I'd go for 5k Ford oil changes, using Motorcraft 5W30 (currently £14.95 at their local dealer) after the first 10k. It might mean that the oil only lasts three months at a time, but it's worth it for the peace of mind and making the engine last longer as I suspect they'll be keeping this car for longer than the usual 60k (which, in the case of my mother's last three cars, has been 11, 9 and 4.5 years respectively.)
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No personal experience with the Focus but I get twitchy with cambelts after 30K. I have however recently changed the belt on a 1.25 Zetec at a little under 1/2 distance (36k) and the belt in my opinion had little life left as the teeth were showing signs of cracking at the roots. Also the tensioner pulley was making that nice 'dry' sound when spun....
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
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Andrew:
Thanks for giving us all the benefit of your experience. I've got a 99 Mondeo 1.6 with 50k miles and have (had) decided to leave the cambelt change until 60k miles at soonest. This was based on HJ's comments in his car-by-car breakdown and the Ford service interval of 5yrs,100k miles.
Have you experience of larger Zetec cambelts looking ropey at low mileage? Any expereince of pre-recommended change interval breakages? How old was the 1.25 Zetec belt?
Thanks for your time
Andy
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As I said I just get twitchy with cam belts after 30k. Manufacturers just seem to alter belt change periods to suit the fleet buyers. Mondeos seem to have a good reputation for reliable belts so you may be ok running to 60k, me, I wouldn't risk it though.
The 1.25 Fiesta had 45k on it.
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
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...not 36k as in my previous post
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How accurate are these places that offer free cambelt inspections? Is it something easy to inspect, or do they go on the principle that if someone is worried enough to have it inspected then they will be connable in to getting it changed?
I had the belt on my Tipo changed at about 65k - the recommendation is 63k (100k km) - and the dealer reckoned it still had plenty of life left in it. Not sure if it had been changed earlier in the cars life though - I bought it at 59k and 7 years old.
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