Focus (1.8 Petrol) Timing Belt Interval

One Quick Query!

Ford Focus 1.8 LX (Zetec E engine) First registered in 1999, 37000 on the clock.

What's the interval for changing the timing belt?

Best wishes for 2005

Reply to
andy
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Haynesrecommends 30,000 miles for everything. Don't know your Ford book but 60,000 for most cars would be safe.(ish) DaveK.

Reply to
davek

ISTR it's around 60k miles, however, it's now over 5 years old, so I'd be looking at changing sooner rather than later.

Reply to
SteveH
70k according to the one I bought but it was a 2.0 so it might be different there was no record of it being changed but a mate of mine who works for ford said they should be done around every 30k or so hope that helps
Reply to
dojj

That's grand chaps, thanks. I shall get mine sorted come March. According to the Ford online quote they want £160 to do the job, anyone know what a independent would charge?

Thanks, Andy.

Reply to
andy

In message , andy writes

Ignore the Haynes manual and some of the other advice. The official interval for your car is 100k miles or 10 years. I haven't heard any tales of premature failure on the Zetecs but you might want to change it at 80k miles if you are the nervous type. You certainly don't need to be doing it at 37k or anywhere near it.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

8 yrs or 80k on the zetec E whichever comes first. Personnaly I'd do it at 60k, 70k max and replance the plastic idlers at the same time., as there have been one or two showing signs of bearings breaking up, although no cases of broken belts that i've herd of on this engine.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim (Remove NOSPAM.

Dunno whether my MKI Mondeo 1.8 Zetec has the same engine? That stated 80K miles or 5 years.

Mike

Reply to
Mike P

100,000 miles, had mine done on my Mondeo, bolts were so seized I needed a new pulley, bolts and water pump :( Although the full Ford belt kit was suprisingly cheap.
Reply to
Tony Bond (UncleFista)

In message , "Tim (Remove NOSPAM." writes

Not on the Focus. It was 80k/5 years on the old silver top (hyd lifter) Mondeo zetec E's but the later black top zetec E's like the Mk2 Mondeo and the Focus are all 100k/10 years.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

thats a good price, but make sure it includes parts as well as just the labour mine was going to cost the best part o £400 all in

Reply to
dojj

Correct Paul, sorry too much alkyfrol..hick...

100k is still a long time, I would be having mine done at 80k, but I'll have sold the car by then....

Tim..

Reply to
Tim (Remove NOSPAM.

Make sure as well that you get the tensioner and rollers swapped too

Reply to
Chris Street

In message , "Tim (Remove NOSPAM." writes

There's no such thing as too much alkyfrol :)

Mine is coming up to 70k and I may get it done then. The way I look at it is that I'm going to have it done only once during my ownership so if I have it done now I've got 80k-100k without worrying about it again, by which time I'll have sold it.

It's now my wife's car and she doesn't clock up many miles but I do like to make sure its in top condition mechanically. It only costs £150 at my Ford dealer. I dare say I could get it cheaper at an independent garage.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

got 3 diff books inc haynes and they all vary and non specific.

Belive its a double chain, never seen this spec of engine inside (touch wood)

Reply to
Julian 'Penny for the guy' Hales

as a rule, twin chain engines don't need to have them changed that often (there isn't an interval for the BOA 24V Granada engine, while on the other hand, the single chained BOB engine tends to eat through timing sprockets) they tend to stretch rather than wear but the wear out the guides and the tensioners from what I know

perhaps looking for information about merc engines might be useful? they used twin chained (duplex) timing gears etc

"Julian 'Penny for the guy' Hales" wrote in message news:oOWzd.61051$ snipped-for-privacy@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

Reply to
dojj

Just curious to know if anyone has any recommendations or experiences with the 1.8 TDCi 115 engine? The official interval seems to be the same, but as with the petrol there are various recommendations ranging from 37 to 80k. I was planning on asking about it at the 62,500K service.

Are there any external symptoms of worn belts/tensioners/etc?

Gary.

Reply to
Gary McClean

Paul,

Thanks for the Official Ford line Paul. I thought Ford might have had more of a online support section for their customers, in fact their website is very dissapointing.

All my previous cars have needed 6 monthly services and regular timing belt changes, the Focus is a revelation. Saving me a tidy sum each year in servicing, especially compared to my Previous Rover.

All the best for 2005

Andy.

Reply to
andy

The TDdi and TDci both use a duplex with upteen guides, rollers and hyd. tensioners from crank to injection pump/ HP pump, and a wide rubber toothed belt from pump to cam.

These are infinately better than the original-snap-every-5miles incarnation and for the most part are reliable- there have been very few (well considering what they were like) instances of breakage.

HOWEVER I do know of several dead Foci (all with dyfed powys and Gwedydd Police) which have suffered belt failure and thus either a snapped cam, broken fingers and or smashed valves which required new complete engines.

The interval is 100k for a belt change, but i'd strongly recommend at least an inspection at 60k and probably change it then too.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim (Remove NOSPAM.

Thanks Tim. I think I'll bring it in shortly before 60K for that and a general inspection, rather than wait for the 62.5K service, as the warranty expires at 60K, and I'd like to make sure everything is reasonably OK before it expires. I'd much rather spend the money on getting the belt changed than take any chances.

Do you know anything about the often reported starting problems with the TDCi? Where the engine cranks but doesn't fire, but fires up OK on the second attempt? This happens about 2 or 3 times a year with me since I got the car, but has increased to once or twice a month lately, and now sometimes a few times a week! It's been in and had the PCM firmware upgraded, and also a new crankshaft position sensor a few weeks ago, to no avail. I intend to contact the service dept again tomorrow to report this. I found a TSB referring to faulty fuel pump rollers or something, but the service manager said if that was the case the fuel pump would have failed long before 25K never mind the 56K I have on it at the moment. However given the increased frequency of non-starts, I am convinced that something is about to fail, and need this sorted before the 60K warranty expires....

If you're familiar with this issue, I'd be mighty grateful if you have any comments to make!

Gary.

Reply to
Gary McClean

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