Hi,

Oil light came on, oil level is ok, garage has quoted me £1620 (incl VAT) to replace.

I'm on Warrington (Cheshire). Is this a fair price?

 

Thanks

Hi Debbie,

If it's a Ford dealer, that's about par for the course, but independents are cheaper. Thread already running on this with more info:

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/152087-cost-of-focus-10-ecoboost-wet-belt-replacement/

 

Does that include the oil pump belt and cleaning the strainer?

If the oil light has been on then that means the pressure has dropped due to blockages. It may have already caused damage.

This quote is from an independent garage

13 minutes ago, DebB said:

This quote is from an independent garage

Then that is about £1000 too much !!!

There are many independent garages doing the wet belt change for less than £900.

As Alex has said above, since the oil pressure light has been on then there is an extremely good chance that your engine is already scrap. I would suspect that changing the wet belt now is too little too late.

As I was driving home from the garage (1.5 miles) the pil light had gone put & didn't come back on.

2 hours ago, unofix said:

There are many independent garages doing the wet belt change for less than £900.

But probably not in Cheshire.  I don't think I could get it done for less than a grand in my area.

I would want an itemized list to see exactly what is being changed for £1600 though.

I saved this from a recent post which I now can't find LOL

2 hours ago, StephenFord said:

which I now can't find LOL

This is what you're looking for:

On 10/23/2024 at 6:15 PM, cjay1 said:

wet belt servicing costs are coming down thanks to independents. i wouldn't sell a good car to avoid the replacement cost  

 

I've had 3 quotes now from Independents & the price range is £1400-£1600 and all fit a new wet belt, including a new water pump and oil pump drive belt & clean out the oil pump

 

1 hour ago, DebB said:

I've had 3 quotes now from Independents & the price range is £1400-£1600 and all fit a new wet belt, including a new water pump and oil pump drive belt & clean out the oil pump

That is the higher end of the UK average.  But I would say it probably is fair in your area. 

The only alternative would be to pay for the car to be transported by trailer to one of the cheaper garages further away.  It looks like the Spear Cars garage linked above is around 50 miles from you.  I suspect that would be approximately £200 each way in transport fees now.  So that would end up being £1200.  I'm not sure it's worth the hassle to save just £200 from your lower quote.

6 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

..  I suspect that would be approximately £200 each way in transport fees now....

Must confess I'd be far too tight for that £400 spend. I'd quite happily drive the 50miles and make a day of it! 😁

5 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Must confess I'd be far too tight for that £400 spend. I'd quite happily drive the 50miles and make a day of it! 😁

The oil light has already come on on the OP's car.  It would be reckless to drive it 50 miles in that condition.

I think we should also reiterate to the OP, they shouldn't be driving the car at all at the moment.

2 hours ago, alexp999 said:

I think we should also reiterate to the OP, they shouldn't be driving the car at all at the moment.

I'm not driving it. It's on the drive 🙂

I'm going to bite the bullet & book the £1600 garage + pay £70 for a recovery to take my car to the garage.

Thanks for all your help, but I can't get it any cheaper here + I need it sorting asap as I use my car every day for work, as I'm a dog walker

11 minutes ago, DebB said:

I'm going to bite the bullet & book the £1600 garage + pay £70 for a recovery to take my car to the garage.

Hope it goes well.

Do let us know how you go on.

I've just had a reply back from a garage I was waiting on, who does a few wet belt replacements (on your drive) saying that they have had this fault before and it always leads to the same place with an engine replacement once it has reached the oil light flashing it’s too late 😯

Yeah that's what we were trying to say earlier.

28 minutes ago, DebB said:

... with an engine replacement once it has reached the oil light flashing it’s too late 😯

I just found this, only released a few months back, no idea if the content is applicable to you - though likely worth a watch with so much money at stake...

 

Likewise Ford's latest revision to out of warranty "goodwill" support:

49 minutes ago, DebB said:

saying that they have had this fault before and it always leads to the same place with an engine replacement once it has reached the oil light flashing it’s too late

Yes, I personally would not be wasting £1600 to try and save an engine that is very likely to fail completely in the near future. For £3300 you can have a brand new engine supplied and fitted.

I just finished watching that YouTube. Up to 10 years old, 150,000 miles, and full service history, apparently Ford UK will repair/replace engine!! Wow... I would therefore advise the OP to contact their local main Ford dealer, and I don't often say that!

3 hours ago, StephenFord said:

I just finished watching that YouTube. Up to 10 years old, 150,000 miles, and full service history, apparently Ford UK will repair/replace engine!! Wow... I would therefore advise the OP to contact their local main Ford dealer, and I don't often say that!

I believe you have to of had the car serviced at a Ford recognised garage. I have always had mine done at an independent 

5 minutes ago, DebB said:

I believe you have to of had the car serviced at a Ford recognised garage. I have always had mine done at an independent 

Re-watch that YouTube. From memory, it doesn't have to be serviced at a Ford dealer. One of the very very few things the EU did for us was destroy the monopoly of main dealer  servicing to maintain any warranty.