Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage?

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Tue 21 Apr 2015 11:04
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - mscott

1999, V reg 206 had a new cambelt at 60,000 miles 8 years ago. Now done 110,000 miles. I think the recommendation is 8 years or 80,000miles Would you chance another year or replace the belt?

Edited by mscott on 21/04/2015 at 11:07

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Tue 21 Apr 2015 11:17
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - skidpan

You need to find out the exact recomendations for your specific engine. "I think" is not good enough.

So tell us what engine it is.

But if you don't want to change it according to the manufacturers recomendations you need to weigh up the consequences of a breakage which will be very expensive, probably mean scrapping the car.

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Tue 21 Apr 2015 13:24
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Andrew-T

Would you chance another year or replace the belt?

As they say, the choice is yours. 8 years may be pushing it a bit, but chances are it will survive if you don't thrash the engine. On the other hand, a new belt will cost (say) £250-300 done correctly, and a failure will mean the end of the car, or just possibly an engine transplant if you think the car is worth keeping.

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Tue 21 Apr 2015 15:03
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Wackyracer

Assuming it is not a HDi. The interval is 80,000miles or 10 years for normal conditions and 48,000miles and 5 years for adverse conditions.

You need to take into account the type of use, If you spend 3 hours a day cruising on the motorway the belt will suffer far less than if your around town in stop start traffic.

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Wed 22 Apr 2015 11:41
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Railroad.
Forget mileage and time intervals. This is a 16 year old car. It's far from new. You have no way of knowing how much wear and stress have been exerted on the engine and components over that time, or the security and serviceability of them. And how clean is the inside of the timing cover? Have you got any minor oil leaks? These will all reduce the life expectancy of the belt rendering the original replacement intervals meaningless. Service and maintenance intervals only apply to cars that are relatively new. A common sense approach is what your car needs. Weigh up the cost of the cambelt replacement against the value of the car and the likelihood of other expensive work required, and make your decision from there.

Edited by Railroad. on 22/04/2015 at 11:46

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Wed 22 Apr 2015 15:22
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Andrew-T
This is a 16 year old car. It's far from new. You have no way of knowing how much wear and stress have been exerted on the engine and components over that time ...

But you have no way of knowing how long the OP has owned the car - he may know its entire history. I have a 1991-built car which I bought two years ago from the husband of the original owner, who gave me an 80% complete service history with all bills. So it is just possible to know a good deal.

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Wed 22 Apr 2015 15:33
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Railroad.
What difference does that make? Even if the OP had owned the car from new he still would not know the state of wear and the serviceability of the engine components. No one would. All this time and mileage stuff is sales pitch and does not apply to cars of more than about three years old, due to the fact the manufacturer's association with it was broken shortly after the car left the factory. Old cars need service and maintenance based on common sense, not the manufacturer's original specifications. Garages of course would disagree, but then again they would wouldn't they. It's what keeps them in business.
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Wed 22 Apr 2015 20:19
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Wackyracer

Car manufacturers work closely with manufacturers of belts to get the right type specified and to have them tested for durability and life span. I think Dayco and Gates know how to calculate the life span of a belt, They have both been doing it for long enough.

Edited by Wackyracer on 22/04/2015 at 20:20

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 13:10
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Andrew-T
What difference does that make? Even if the OP had owned the car from new he still would not know the state of wear and the serviceability of the engine components.

The whole argument about when to change a cambelt says that if you want to examine a used belt (which will really only tell you if it is likely to fall apart quite soon) you may as well change it anyway after removing enough parts to see it properly.

When Pug switched from chains to belts about 1987 (from the X series to the T series) they had no real idea how long a belt would last, and recommended no change interval. After a few years dealers were advised to change belts at the 48K service; my daughter had that service from a Pug dealer and the belt failed soon after - they hadn't advised her to change. Replacement engine - £550.

In the end the recommendation evolves from the frequency of failures, how much disgruntlement the makers can tolerate, and the willingness of owners to cough up to avoid trouble.

As for the commonsense bit, where do you buy that?

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Wed 22 Apr 2015 20:19
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - John F

I would take the cover off and have a look/feel/listen. If it looks/feels/sounds OK I would leave it well alone, apart from giving it a squirt of belt dressing. I am known on this site for discouraging unnecessary 'servicing' and have incurred considerable opprobrium. If it works, don't mend it. And I practise what I preach- 1994 Passat GL cambelt to 240,000, a 1983 Passat GL5 to 192,000, current 2000 Focus 106,000 - all with original belts, all looking/feeling/sounding as good as new when last inspected before disposal.

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Wed 22 Apr 2015 20:21
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - skidpan

all looking/feeling/sounding as good as new when last inspected before disposal.

Then some poor sod buys the car and a few weeks later the inevitable happens.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 08:18
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - John F

Then some poor sod buys the car and a few weeks later the inevitable happens.

Unlikely. What I think would be more likely is the scenario of replacement with a cheap belt from a dubious source, possibly not using the correct tool properly so the cam(s) one or more teeth out of time, (especially V engines), possibly not replacing a driven pulley (tensioner, water pump), which, unaccustomed to perhaps different tension and stresses, then fails. Result is belt failure after a mere 10-20k after replacement. I have seen a few such stories on this site over the years, particularly on French cars.

If it works, don't mend it.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 09:40
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - skidpan

If it works, don't mend it.

If that has worked for you carry on.

But for the remainder of us good maintenance and replacement of parts at the manufacturers specified intervals is the only sensible way.

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Thu 23 Apr 2015 13:16
Peugeot 206 - Cambelt; time or mileage? - Andrew-T

If it works, don't mend it.

= fix it when it fails. That is one approach, and presumably very economical as long as nothing does. Unfortunately that can be both expensive and inconvenient. But in bangernomics terms, it's right on.

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