Matt
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Cambelt Question.The Astra has been with us since the 62k mark and I've had it go past 82k since I got it in March.
Is it likely it would have been changed at any point in its full service history before my dad got it at 62k or on one of his services (it's had two) and if so, is it likely to have been recorded in the service history (it's peeing down outside, so I can't be arsed to get it!)?
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SpecB
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Most garages put a sticker on the belt cover. If in doubt, get it done.
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Blarno
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Should have been done by 80k, I reckon. Get it done if not, you saw the remnants of that Astra I had the other week.
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Humphrey The Pug
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The thing with the cam belt is that for most maufacturers it is down as an advisory thing to do and will not be part of any service schedule, therefore many people, in my experience, don't get it done.
Renault for example recommend, and that is recommend not say it has to be done, that a cambelt is changed at 5 years or 72,000m, a good high proportion of Renault trades ins that I see haven't had the neccessary cambelt change.
It should be in the service book or there will be a receipt or invoice somewhere for it, if you have the previous service invoices.
I would guess that as you picked the car up at 62k then it probably hasn't been changed.
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Matt
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The car has started ticking at idle in the last couple of months so I'm getting concerned.
It'll be going in next weekend, methinks.
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TimR
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The ticking at idle will be something else as your cambelt is either working fine or spread across the road like a flat snake.
If the recommended interval is 72k (most likely) then it won't have been done, even with fsh, before that point.
If it has then you will find something in the records to let you know it's been done.
However, even if it has been done I've seen plenty of recommendations on fora that cambelt no.2 (and any more subsequent to that) should be changed at half the recommended interval for time and/or mileage so you would be approaching that anyway.
Christ, listen to me giving cambelt change advice. Mine was done in February at 10 years and 88k miles  
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Boxer6
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/smug grin mode on
Simple answer is, buy a car that doesn't have a cambelt....
/smug grin mode off
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gonnabuildabuggy
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If you bought it at 62K I can guarantee it hasn't been done - a lot of people trade their cars before this big (perceived) bill - despite the fact it pales into insignificance against the depreciation on a newer car.
Get it done and sharpish. If your in doubt call Vauxhall as it should be on their records.
Or just buy something with a chain!
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Matt
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If I hadn't put it on its side, I probably would still have a car with a chain!
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Blarno
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Having seen the damage when a camchain lets go, I can tell you they're not all that!
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SpecB
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| Blarno wrote: | | Having seen the damage when a camchain lets go, I can tell you they're not all that! |
Don't say that.
For sale - one mildly abused Subaru. 
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Blarno
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The camchain on my mate's Mk5 RS2000 let go at 70 odd MPH. It tore a hole right through the metal cam cover as it 'whipped' off. Bent every valve, too. Needed a complete new head!
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Boxer6
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| Blarno wrote: | | The camchain on my mate's Mk5 RS2000 let go at 70 odd MPH. It tore a hole right through the metal cam cover as it 'whipped' off. Bent every valve, too. Needed a complete new head! |
Ah, so it was an old Ford, was it? That's alright then!!
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Blarno
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1992, and it was only 8 years old at the time, so not that old.
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Apex clipper
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Ford recommened 100k for the focus! I'm on 68k now.....
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DradusContact
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They reduced the interval on mine to every 5 years or 70k iirc. Used to be 7 years but they have a bit of a reputation for going.
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Racing
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| SpecB wrote: | | Most garages put a sticker on the belt cover. If in doubt, get it done. |
Mmm but you can't rely on this. I suddenly had a panic about the cambelt on the Z1 last week and the garage said to check for the sticker - if it had been done when I bought the car from them, there would definitely be a sticker there. Well there wasn't but fortunately a check through the paperwork revealed that in fact it had been done when I bought the car - the sticker had either been forgotten about or had fallen off.
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Blarno
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I have a pikey sticker on mine: White marker pen on the cambelt cover saying 'cambelt change 17/11/08'.
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Boxer6
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| Blarno wrote: | | I have a pikey sticker on mine: White marker pen on the cambelt cover saying 'cambelt change 17/11/08'. |
Subtle, that. Goes with the pink romper suit, in a bizarre sort of way!!
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TimR
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The tensioner on my Punto HGT let go at 44k miles (cambelt was intact) and mangled all the valves, etc.
The garage reckoned it'd probably been slightly overtightened at the factory.
Anyway it cost about £1,300 (to Fiat) to fix it.
When it went I was doing 40mph in 5th gear having been out for a spirited run just beforehand
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Boxer6
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| TimR wrote: | The tensioner on my Punto HGT let go at 44k miles (cambelt was intact) and mangled all the valves, etc.
The garage reckoned it'd probably been slightly overtightened at the factory.
Anyway it cost about £1,300 (to Fiat) to fix it.
When it went I was doing 40mph in 5th gear having been out for a spirited run just beforehand |
That laid-back exterior of yours hides a wee hooligan on the inside quite well, doesn't it?
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TimR
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| Boxer6 wrote: | | TimR wrote: | The tensioner on my Punto HGT let go at 44k miles (cambelt was intact) and mangled all the valves, etc.
The garage reckoned it'd probably been slightly overtightened at the factory.
Anyway it cost about £1,300 (to Fiat) to fix it.
When it went I was doing 40mph in 5th gear having been out for a spirited run just beforehand |
That laid-back exterior of yours hides a wee hooligan on the inside quite well, doesn't it? |
I never went above 60 in me life, honest, guv.
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DaveGibson
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Chain drives are only as good as the lubrication they get. I know it's a good few years ago but the chain in my mother's HB Viva became noisy at 40K miles, though being a chain the noise did give some warning of impending failure.
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ALF
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It's not unknown for some chain-drive engines to suffer blockages of the oil system outlets designed to lube them, then the chain fails.
As with cambelts, good quality oil, kept topped up, is the best way to avoid a drama. Alfa twin sparks are notorious for cambelt breakages but there was a very senior mechanic in Alfaowner mag once who said he had not seen a single one fail where there were not also telltale signs of the engine having run low on oil at some point.
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gonnabuildabuggy
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| ALF wrote: | | Alfa twin sparks are notorious for cambelt breakages but there was a very senior mechanic in Alfaowner mag once who said he had not seen a single one fail where there were not also telltale signs of the engine having run low on oil at some point. |
I'd heard same - the ones I know went were company cars which probably didn't get a top up between services.
Some people don't deserve Alfas
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