Timing Belt Replacement advice

Change them anyway as a matter of course. For the extra money, it's peace of mind. Also if you didn't get them changed and the belt went soon after, the dealer would only say "tough shit, we advise changing the belt and tensioner etc as a whole kit". Certainly cheaper than a new head or 16 valves/guides.

JB

With the Ecotec's track record of munching valves / wrecking heads when the belt invariably lets go, you should always replace the tensioner and rollers with the belt at every change. The interval is 36k too.

Tim..

Hi! The tensioner went on my 1.4 Astra after the timing belt had been changed. It seems that with some Vauxhall engines the tensioners are now recognised as weak points and it's prudent to replace the things. Given I've just been stung £550 for a service and timing belt (and tensioners and water pump) change on a 1.8 Vectra I think you're doing the right thing getting quotes beforehand. Regards Kevin

Nope, it's 40k. Maybe the older one's were 36k.

The owners guide actually say's 80k but the top of the last service receipt say's 40k. So I'll go with the vx supplied evidence rather than usenet if you don't mind.

If VX say 40 and it goes before 40 with a full vx service history then vx will be paying to fix it 100%.

LL

Right.

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

Yes, and make sure you take it to a reputable garage, my wifes car was taken to a VX dealer and they still cocked up the timing.

Fatsod.

Ouch I think hiway robbery is still very much alive. I think for my service on my girlfriends slightly elderly car (T plate), I paid less than the timing belt replacement VX figure to obtain water pump, head gasket set and thermostat plus the belt etc altogether for a DIY job on a fiat.

Mind you on my

Yes (and at R plate you'd classify it as elderly), but I wouldn't know where to start doing that work. As a matter of course I buy the Haynes manual, but it might as well be written in Serbo-Croat for most of the pages.

If you can find a good garage (see my other posts in this group over the past year) then the costs aren't as horrible ... I'm still looking. :-(

I think I've just remembered why I pay for fully comp insurance. :-)

Kev

You really think 1 in 5 are asylum seekers? I'd change my newspaper...

LOL, in your dreams mate!!!

Tim..

In my local Vauxhall dealer and bodyshop 4 years ago there was a wall board in the showroom, right next to the entrance from the car park. On it was the price for fixed cost services, annual, 2 year, clutch, exhaust and cam belt. Some of the cam belt prices were truly horrendous, especially the V6 models. I went in about 3 years ago and the cam belt prices had gone. Last year the board was moved out of sight of the showroom, into the service waiting area. So now you only get to see it when you are waiting to collect a car that's been serviced.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

There's nothing wrong with a DIY'er chickening out of an ECOTEC cam belt swap - I do. But then I saw a collegue get it wrong........ and we are both highly trained aircraft engineers

Ian