Alright Peeps

I have a quick question about the cam belt/timing belt that I am little bit confused about that I am hoping you guys can answer...

I took my car in yesterday for a MOT at Ford and it passed but they mentioned that the cam belt and water pump will need to be replaced soon..  They mentioned the same thing two years ago on the full service, but then last year they didn't mentioned anything....  My Car is a 2011 model and has only got 26,000 miles on the clock..  So I am little bit surprised due to the low mileage of that car that I need it changing al all.. Oh I forgot to mention that their is a slight little leak in the water pump..

Also I am thinking of going to London next Saturday which will be 120 miles one way and then of course the same on the way back...  Will the cam belt be ok??  Because they did say if it snaps then the car is a scrap job....  I just don't know how long I have got left

 

 

Rubber deteriorates over time so the time recommendation is just as important as the mileage one, more so on low mileage cars.

Which engine is it?  I don't think any Fiesta's of that age have a 6 year interval but 8 years is possible so it might be due now.

No-one can tell you how long the cambelt will last as there are so many variables, some belts snap before the recommended interval, some last well past the interval, unfortunately it's a bit of a lottery...

 

Also, Ford only make you aware of the belt interval at service/MOT in the hope that you'll take it take it back there and hand them another lump of money...no other reason lol.

will I need to get it done before I go to London or not??

2 hours ago, byronwells said:

will I need to get it done before I go to London or not??

None of us can tell you how long a belt will last.  If you tell us which engine it is we can advise what the recommended belt interval is, they're different for different engines.  The interval isn't a definitive thing though, belts don't just get to 8 years and snap the next day...  

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

None of us can tell you how long a belt will last.  If you tell us which engine it is we can advise what the recommended belt interval is, they're different for different engines.  The interval isn't a definitive thing though, belts don't just get to 8 years and snap the next day...  

I'm not an expert when it comes down to all the mechanical stuff on a car.. The Engine as far as I know is an 1.4litre

10 minutes ago, byronwells said:

I'm not an expert when it comes down to all the mechanical stuff on a car.. The Engine as far as I know is an 1.4litre

Ok, so for the 1.4 petrol engine the recommended interval is 8 years or 100,000 miles.  Being a 2011 model the belt is recommended to be changed in 2019.  But as I say it's not a definite thing, so if you're not able to get the belt changed before your trip to London don't worry about it too much!