Hi my fiesta is currently approaching 9 years old should i get the wetbelt changed asap or wait until 10 year mark which ford recommends?

Car has just under 60000 on the clock

10 years is the MAXIMUM age recommended by Ford, it is not a target that must be achieved before changing the wet belts.

Many engines never make it to 10 years before suffering total failure of the wet belt. 

I'm leaving mine for 10 years recommended by Ford if the belt fails early then there is the Ford goodwill scheme that should replace the engine for free. need to meet the eligibility criteria for this to be an option though.

 

Just now, cjay1 said:

I'm leaving mine for 10 years recommended by Ford if the belt fails early then there is the Ford goodwill scheme that should replace the engine for free. need to meet the eligibility criteria for this to be an option though.

Presumably you feel you would be eligible? 

We don't know about the OP though, as there is no location in the profile and it may not apply in all markets.

Also earlier posts have mentioned knocking noises from the engine - it may be too late already.

4 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

 

Presumably you feel you would be eligible? 

We don't know about the OP though, as there is no location in the profile and it may not apply in all markets.

Also earlier posts have mentioned knocking noises from the engine - it may be too late already.

Idk if its knocking as in a piston slap it could be anything.

3 pot engines are noisier and do make more sounds. I have mentioned knocking before but it isnt like a loud tractor knocking sound its just a subtle tapping sound mainly.

4 hours ago, unofix said:

10 years is the MAXIMUM age recommended by Ford, it is not a target that must be achieved before changing the wet belts.

Many engines never make it to 10 years before suffering total failure of the wet belt. 

Isnt it due to lack of maintenance most of the time?

Like for example i checked oil in engine couple of days ago and its basically black so im going next week to get it changed out and to be fair ive done a fair bit of miles.

My engine feels smooth it isnt rough idling when warm no oil light and no engine light just the occasional odd noises but i think thats from my transmission.

Most of this is just me being cautious of what the consequences are because i dont feel like paying £7500 for a new engine from ford thats what they quoted me

Poor maintenance does cause a number of wet belt failures, but not all of them.

Low mileage, infrequent use, multiple short journeys are just a few of the other reasons that the wet belts fail early.

10 hours ago, unofix said:

Poor maintenance does cause a number of wet belt failures, but not all of them.

Low mileage, infrequent use, multiple short journeys are just a few of the other reasons that the wet belts fail early.

Thanks for your reply

So in simple words its better to get the belt replaced asap?

Do you know any places that do wet belts up in north west?

also what are the symptoms of an engine that is already fked up

21 minutes ago, unsaltedshoes said:

So in simple words its better to get the belt replaced asap?

YES...

Now we know we're talking UK, we can comment more fully.

Belt changes are ranging from £1000 at an independent up to double that and more at a Ford dealer.

New engines are available for much less than £7500, eg:

https://pumaspeed.co.uk/product-Brand-New-Ford-Service-10-EcoBoost-Engine_18898.jsp

https://approvedengines.com/products/1-litre-ecoboost-engine?variant=43935792627812

This outfit often get a favourable mention:

https://northwestengines.co.uk/

There seem to be independents springing up all the time now so have a Google for anyone local.

Failure is either due to the oil pump strainer becoming blocked with debris leading to low oil pressure and ultimate failure. Oil light/noise may indicate this but not always.

Or - it just breaks without warning. 

In either case the engine is usually toast.

So, you could:

- get it done now (probably the safest bet)

- wait and hope that if it goes before 10 years you qualify for the Ford scheme mentioned by Chris earlier (details below). We've not seen anyone report benefiting from the scheme yet, though.

We have seen cases of people waiting until 10 years, booking an appointment and then, sadly, having it break before they can get the job done. 

 

11 hours ago, unsaltedshoes said:

Like for example i checked oil in engine couple of days ago and its basically black so im going next week to get it changed out and to be fair ive done a fair bit of miles.

That's a major concern on this engine.  Diesel oil goes black quickly.  But petrol oil rarely goes past brown.  If it genuinely is jet black, then it's full of wetbelt fragments and means the belt is already heavily degraded.

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

That's a major concern on this engine.  Diesel oil goes black quickly.  But petrol oil rarely goes past brown.  If it genuinely is jet black, then it's full of wetbelt fragments and means the belt is already heavily degraded.

Back in october i checked oil then it was dark brown on the dipstick but now its just black

Is it even worth i pay for a belt change?
 

How do i know if my engine is already fked

14 minutes ago, unsaltedshoes said:

Is it even worth i pay for a belt change?
 

How do i know if my engine is already fked

If it's not knocking and you've never seen the oil pressure light come on then it should still be ok at the moment.  Of course the belt could fail any day though.

Whether it's worth it financially depends on your personal circumstances.

3 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

If it's not knocking and you've never seen the oil pressure light come on then it should still be ok at the moment.  Of course the belt could fail any day though.

Whether it's worth it financially depends on your personal circumstances.

Well car is on finance so ide rather not be paying for a broken down car and for a first car its pretty solid i cant complain about it that much.

When you say never seen oil pressure light do u mean while driving it? Ive never seen the oil or engine light come on while driving it

Sometimes when the battery been on for a while and start engine the oil light may stay for like a second

2 minutes ago, unsaltedshoes said:

Well car is on finance so ide rather not be paying for a broken down car and for a first car its pretty solid i cant complain about it that much.

When you say never seen oil pressure light do u mean while driving it? Ive never seen the oil or engine light come on while driving it

Sometimes when the battery been on for a while and start engine the oil light may stay for like a second

Any time the engine is running really.

The light staying on for a second or two after starting is often one of the early symptoms that people miss or ignore.

In your case I think that's just a dash delay because you've had the ignition on for a while though.

 

How much longer is on the finance?  Do you intend to keep the car at the end or sell for something else?  That's the sort of question I'd ask myself when looking at such an expensive maintenance item.

42 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Any time the engine is running really.

The light staying on for a second or two after starting is often one of the early symptoms that people miss or ignore.

In your case I think that's just a dash delay because you've had the ignition on for a while though.

 

How much longer is on the finance?  Do you intend to keep the car at the end or sell for something else?  That's the sort of question I'd ask myself when looking at such an expensive maintenance item.

Yeah if im getting in the car and start up the engine straight away then the oil light turns off instantly. It only stays on for a second when battery has been sitting on for a while. And as mentioned before never seen oil or engine light come on while driving.

about 3-4 years not too sure but definitely worth fixing in my opinion because i do like the car obviously and it isnt worth selling when not even half of finance has been paid off really im sure you'd agree on that too