cam belts...do they really go ping

[andy100]

My main dealer says cam belts should be changed on the 400's at 6 years or 60k miles whichever comes first. mine has been on for 5 and done 37k so im not worried yet.
my mate has just had a 2.0 mondeo one done, its first, at 88k. the mechanic said there was nothing wrong with the belt but the two metal cogs it sits on were falling apart. rubber tougher than metal?
Any cam belt horror stories? feel free to tell all...

[PNuT]

only a fool leaves his cambelt untill it snaps!

[pcdoc]

About 15 years ago my mates Sierra cam belt snapped, that left us with about 3 days work and ended up costing him 265 quid in total having new valves fitted head skimmed new gasket set etc.

The only way to be is, you buy a car 1, put fuel in take it home 2, if no proof, change cam belt.

It's also a helluva lot cheaper, 80 to 150 quid to fit a cam belt or 400 quid plus for all the damage put right. I know which way I would always go.

[Alec Dawe]

I had cambelt go on a series 2 Astra (Company Car) accelerating to join a dual carriageway.
Belt let go at 6000rpm (it was only 30,000 miles old, Vauxhalls interval was 60,ooo I think).
Result New Engine. Old engine not even worth rebuild. Valves bent, camshaft bent, head cracked, conrods bent, crankshaft out of line.

Got new engine under warranty, but was a hel of a mess, and I think we only got the engine cos it was a company car, and vauxhalls didn't want to loose the contract for about 500 cars a year, might have been different if it had been a private sale. Even then Vauxhall tried to say I had over revved it, hard to do with a rev limiting ignition cut out as standard on the car!!

My feeling now, if in any doubt, change the belt!

[alsner]

Yes they do go ping and you should always replace before the stated interval period if you work out how much £ fuel you put in and compare that to a cambelt its a small price to pay compared with if it does go PING CRUNCH MUNCH ouch!! £££££££££££££.

ALi

[4 forty]

the belt should be renewed before the recommended time if the car is doing short stop/start trips, as this puts more strain on the belt, unlike motorway miles.
paul

[Rainbird]

I replaced mine recently just over the service interval. It had frayed about half-way through! I keep a fairly good eye on it now after helping a mate with his Audi which popped the belt - too expensive not to replace the belt!

[Crispy-d]

My belt went on my 460 after just 22k - which was a bit of a surprise as I was expecting it last a lot longer. Only found out later the garage had forgotten to replace the pulleys/idlers. The belt itself will perish with time, so I'd say 6 years between changes is pretty risky! Then there's the driving style - as said, lots of cold starts and town driving puts the belt under added strain, so changing intervals should be reduced. And what I've found most important is change all the pulleys/idlers/tensioners when you change the belt. Just had it done on my S90, and asked for the water pump to be changed too as a precaution - it fell apart when the mechanic took it off!! So that saved a prevented a potential disaster!
Bottom line, as everyone else says, they DO go ping and ARE important! For £150, it's the first thing I have done when I get a new car.

Regards,

Crispin

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Your engine relies upon a thin bit of belt to run, stay alive, keep going...

The manufacturers have over the years extended the life of these belts.
Better made, better materials etc.
So they'll tell you the belt will last for 96000 miles...
Won't guarantee it though for that mileage!!! I wonder why...

So my recommendation is always to change the belt before it's due service change. Maybe 60k miles for the above. 2/3 of the life.

There have been many stories of peoples belts snapping well before their time, not just for Volvo's but all makes...
It happens, alll you can do is minimise the chance for that to happen by reducing the time the belt is in service.

Des. . .

[Paul240480]

I had a Montego Est (yes, sad but true). The belt snapped when I was doing about 30mph one day. The garage who collected it said that the engine will be 'knackered mate'. Got them to take it to my home. A mate put a new belt on, we fired it up & it was fine. I WAS VERY LUCKY to have been going so slowly I reckon.

My 480s belt was done on purchase 5 years ago. It has only covered 37k since. Should it be changed due to its age now (water pump was done 18 months ago due to a leak)?
cheers