Issues After Cambelt Change

[crouchingpigeon]

I bought an 04 plate Focus ST170 a couple of weeks ago from a garage and all was well. We agreed they'd get the car service as part of the purchase price and since then they agreed to get the cambelt done at 'trade price' ie. £230 rather than the £300+ I'd been quoted everywhere else. They are not the ones doing the work but they have a garage that they use.

So last week I dropped it off in the morning, picked it up in the evening and drove it home. On driving it home i noticed a distinct lack of power in the lower gears, normal revs but nowhere near the pull it had before.

So, I managed to get the car looked at again yesterday, by the same 'ex-ford' mobile mech who did the cambelt the first time. He says he timed it all up the same as before but it feels much better this time in terms of power in the lower gears.

However, it now seems to be idling strangely, ticking over at nearly 2000 RPM at times and allowing me to drive it like an auto in 2nd gear without touching the throttle. I'm not prepared to take the car anywhere near them again as it's a 40 mile round trip and I'm pretty far from confident in the work that's been done. I'm thinking I'll take it somewhere else but don't know whether to mention the cambelt change as I don't want to automatically open myself up to another £300 bill already if it's something airflow related or otherwise. Any ideas?

The joy of buying and owning my first car in 5 years has very quickly worn off!!

[artscot79]

Okay im assuming he did a full kit tensioner etc how did he time it up as it uses a locking tool to ensure the timings correct the fact he retimed it says he didnt use a tool so it may be wrong. The idle could be a burst vacume hose so youll need to ensure they are all okay it could be an idle control valve thats faulty or he may to cover up a mistake have tampered with the butterfly valve it may be youll need to take it to a decent garage and have it checked

[crouchingpigeon]

Thanks for the inout. No idea how he timed it up, I presume he was a tooth out the first time round. He spoke about the variable valve timing as if he new what we was talking about. The parts from BMS were a belt, tensioner and fuel filter although not sure if the filter was to do with the service that was also done at the same time. I'll check all the pipes later. I'm thinking I'm going to have t get someone else to look at it, just gutted as I wish I just paid to get it done somewhere reputable in the first place. Everything drove fine engine wise before the !Removed! cambelt change!

[kevzs960]

You can do the cambelt without messing with the variable vale timing. But its a pain is the backside. He could of done something that has altered the vvt hench why you would have lack of power.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Ford OC mobile app

[artscot79]

Yeah it needs a special cam and vvt locking tool which most garages dont have