interference or not?

it needs a new belt every 63k, it will do significant damage if it breaks or slips. changing it only takes about an hour.

Cheers. Access looked pretty good so if I can't track the last owner I'll get it changed.

As a follow-up, the heater fan only works on the highest setting so I'm guessing it's probably a resistor pack that's gone. Any recommended sources for said part (if that's what it's likely to be)?

Tim

very likely to be the resistor pack. Often they can be repaired, but a new one is probably not too ridiculous, but will need to be genuine, I doubt there is that much demand to make pattern manufacture realistic. I suppose you might be able to cobble in a Ford one off a mondeo or something.

Can you get that sort of thing from a breaker? Or is it too obscure?

The model is a bit obscure, but not impossible, there is one of these resistor things on ebay at the moment.

Is there? I can only find ones for relatively recent models. Of course maybe it hasn't changed for a long time.

What search terms are you using? I've been trying fiat ducato heater resistor.

Tim

it was something like that, not sure about year variability, this was the one I spotted:

If it's the same (or similar) to that one, it's likely that the thermal fuse has opened. (It's the component sticking out from the green encapsulated resistors.) You could check by *temporarily* shorting across it.

If it then works, the thermal fuse can be replaced if you are able to find a rating for it, or are prepared to hazard a guess.

If it has gone open circuit, you need to check there is good airflow through the heater system, or it will fail again. (Pollen filter if fitted, inlet blocked by leaves, etc.)

Chris

Thanks for the tip. Not sure I have the tools for replacing a thermal fuse (assuming they're crimped in somehow).

Tim

I have used the guts of a chocolate block connector or the screw terminals out of a 13amp plug. maplins sell thermal fuses.

There's no such thing as a diesel engine that isn't interference. You can't design an engine with a compression ratio close to 20:1 where the valves aren't so close to the pistons at TDC that they won't hit if the belt breaks.

That did cross my mind, particularly as it's an IDI engine and presumably cylinder volume needs to be kept as low as possible at TDC.

Tim

I am surprised that someone would consider leaving the belt overdue even on a non interference engine. Belts always break at the least convenient time or place, whereas deciding to have the belt changed on schedule as part of a service is not inconvenient at all.

I thought that- thanks for confirming.

It's the distress purchase mentality- the kind of people that don't service a car, just fix it if (when) it breaks, or scrap it.

I suppose there's a certain justification: if you have a £500 car that's a pile of s*it anyway, then you're not going to spend half that (or more) on a cambelt change- or at least, plenty won't.

What they look like never worries me, but reliability does. I suppose it makes sense if you buy a cheapie shed for local use and drive it till it breaks, then scrap it. But anything you want to keep or actually travel any distance in needs at least basic maintenance.

It's not as if this is a £500 car, though.

Unless it's a positive health hazard inside, ANY camper van is worth fairly serious money - several grand, as a minimum. Even if it does look like it's been ram-raided through MFI inside.

Hav you been spying on my van?