Ford Fiesta 08 1.6 petrol Ghia

...and don't forget to change the dual mass flywheel at the same time. Or, often, before the clutch is due.

So you'll be fitting a belt life warning system - despite there being no easy way to sense it - which is "secondary", so you still need to change the belt by age/mileage as a precaution?

But it seems from this tread that there are visible signs that can be manually checked: Frayed edges, rounded teeth, flexible teeth, slack.

Yes. If you dismantle half the engine to get the cover off. And, of course, that won't tell you whether the tensioners and/or idlers are on their way out - to get to them requires even more dismantling. By that stage, you're 2/3 of the way to changing the damn thing.

Meanwhile, a low coolant level sensor is two prongs into the header tank.

The most common failure mode I have seen is cracking up of plastic tensioner roller covers. But you would have to be very lucky to see one at the start of the cracking, and I bet it is only a very short while till the cover flies apart and the belt goes loose. The second most common failure mode is water pump failure, which tends to sometimes give warning by leaking, but can just go. One of the ones I repaired was a

16valve corsa engine, the car had only covered 26,000 from new and was 5 years old. The belt and water pump should be changed at 4 years (just 17,000 miles in this case) There was not a sign of water leakage, yet the pump bearings had failed. The head needed most of the valves and several valve guides, a very expensive failure on a very low mileage car.

I've no idea of the cost to change any cam belt, as I've never owned a car with one.

So substitute the figure for a maximum time.

How about there was a lifetime guarantee , changes by the makers agents at the recommended intervals are free, failures in between are repaired free. I can see the manufacturers flocking to support that idea.

100,000 miles likely is a lifetime in terms of maker's warranties.

My idea was to stop them making them so difficult to change in some cases. Perhaps the same should apply to bulbs too. And the easy way for this is to hit them in the pocket. Unless you're saying it's impossible to design an easy to change cambelt?

It certainly is for Vauxhall...

SteveH wrote (apparently) in uk.rec.cars.maintenance on Sat 26 Sep 2015

00:01:09:

With my older M-reg one it needed it apparently, unless I was misled. Mind you, things move on so not surprised that it can probably be done in situ. As Chris says, Fords do have 100k change intervals if not more, so I am in no panic for the next 28 miles until it hits the big number.

Mrcheerful wrote (apparently) in uk.rec.cars.maintenance on Sat 26 Sep

2015 00:50:26:

Thanks MrC. I am aware that the cheap Hong Kong Bluetooth receiver I have connected is probably worth more than the car at this stage, I need to keep it going until April next year when the money fairy might make a newer car a better prospect.

Chris Whelan wrote (apparently) in uk.rec.cars.maintenance on Sat 26 Sep

2015 07:48:45:

Fair comment. Next April is when I will ideally look for something newer. Might not be a Ford this time and probably be a 1.4 engine.

Mrcheerful wrote (apparently) in uk.rec.cars.maintenance on Sat 26 Sep

2015 14:41:56:

I've waited until now to decide what to do as there was a chance my financial situation would be slightly better than it is. It's MoT test time in any case so the car also needs a service, which I had set aside money for.

then if sudden loss of the car is unimportant, keep driving it.

Etaoin Shrdlu wrote (apparently) in uk.rec.cars.maintenance on Sat 26 Sep

2015 15:53:19:

Tyres, screenwash and occasionally oil are my limits. DIY is also not a hobby due to the chances of making a slightly broken item irretrievably broken due to my intervention.

The chances of me finding a dry, level bit of ground and the necessary tuits are low as well.

But if it's necessary to get to work and earn your living, what would you do?

Is moving house to within walking/cycling/public-transport distance a possibility?

Or changing job?

If not, some serious work researching a low-maintenance vehicle would be worthwhile.

[...]

I would consider an '08 Fiesta a low maintenance vehicle.

It's not a no maintenance one however...

Chris

K11 Micra. They just don't die. And have a camchain.

Pre 1988 Wartburg Knight, no cam chain, no cambelt, no camshaft/s