Timing Belt/Chain renewal at local garage.

Old Vinyl · Post by **Old Vinyl** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:05 pm

I had a new one fitted at local garage in August.
Fiat Ducato 2.5 Deisel non turbo Hymer 1990 campervan.
When I collected the Camper from the garage I thought the engine sounded loud.
On it's first trip this weekend, it struggled on inclines, and I felt it was not right.
After 180 miles it began to really chug and emit black smoke from exhaust.
Next morning it didn't want to start. I called Breakdown cover and was escorted to a Fiat garage. Diagnosis was problem wiith new timing belt. £380 bill!
Are timing belts supposed to be tweaked after running them in?
Do I have a claim against first garage?

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:14 pm

If you have a receipt then I'd certainly try and get compensation from them.

Old Vinyl · Post by **Old Vinyl** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:27 pm

Thanks UH.
Yes I have receipt from Fiat garage + proof of calls and Ref number to Breakdown service.
Just wanted to check on here that I'm rightly livid.

rio. · Post by **rio.** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:41 pm

im no mechanic, but i know that timing belts have to be set exactly on the cam wheels.

I wonder if the diesel pump orientation on the new cambelt was slightly out of adjustment after they fitted the new belt.

Old Vinyl · Post by **Old Vinyl** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:50 pm

Rio, you're more of a mechanic than me, I don't even know what cam wheels are.
My problem in all of this is, the first garage is French and the second is Italian.
Internet translations of text are not much good with technical terms.
I'm going to get an Italian freind to translate the repair bill.

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:55 pm

Sounds like it may have jumped a tooth, messing up the injector pump timing. New belt kit required/

I think a half decent garage would probably do a quick road test after a belt...

I gather it hasnt gone back to the garage that fitted the belt? Ideal if it hasn't. No chance they can sabotage and say something else caused it.

Mileage, was it recorded at first garage? Dont tell them you did 150 miles if they dont ask, just say it was its first outing since they had it.

I dont know about the Fiats, but i would imagine they are fit the kit and forget for 60k. Alot of stuff has spring tensioners that keep it at a set tension. No need to adjust. Most mfrs will do kits, bolts, tensioner and belt. If its a kit, always fit the lot.

Id be asking your fiat dealer for a letter, stating the problem that occured.... send a copy to the first garage, and mention recovery. See what they say.
Trading standars would be a good call if they fob you off ;)

Old Vinyl · Post by **Old Vinyl** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:54 pm

Thanks Rio.
Your 'jumped a tooth' sounds reasonable. I was going up a small hill after 180 miles and heard/felt something go. Although, performance was not what it should've been from start of the journey.

Good point about quick road test, I'll ask em' if that was done. I know the Italian garage did one after the repair, I understood that much on the receipt

.

No it had just been parked in driveway for 6 weeks after new belt.

Mileage - yeah they actually painted it on engine after the work. Also had this on a 2nd hand Laguna I bought, must be the norm here. However, it was it's first outing.

I've got an Italian mate who can translate the repair bill details into French, then I'll go down and confront them.

Agile · Post by **Agile** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:19 am

Do I take it that the first belt replacewment was in France and the second was in Italy?

I think in the UP most cam belt replacements are about £200.

A friend did it on his Peugeot 405 and said it took him about 1.5 hours mainly because it was the first time and access was very limited.

Tony

hamish72 · Post by **hamish72** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:33 pm

If the job was done correctly and that means correct tension then the belt could not "jump a tooth" so either it was not tensioned and secured correctly or a tooth stripped from a faulty belt

Have you got the belt as fitted by the first bodger or did the second garage use it ?

Slugs · Post by **Slugs** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:15 pm

Were the tensioners changed at the same time as they can/do wear?

It's recommended to do Cambelt + Tensioners + Water pump at the same time.

ambriel · Post by **ambriel** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:51 pm

After fitting a new cambelt the tension needs setting correctly.

It sounds like the first garage didn't do this properly leading to it jumping a tooth, as someone else has suggested, probably only on one cam.

You were lucky it didn't slip so badly as to bring one or more of the valves into contact with the pistons.

nesty · Post by **nesty** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:17 pm

sounds a classic job of someone not realigning something properly! I had the same happen to be on my ford a few years ago.