Hi guys,

For a few months my cam belt on start up of the car makes a hissing noise. It's something that doesn't bother me too much and eventually it dies down after 5-10 minutes of driving or stays longer on cold mornings. I've also noticed my steering is feeling slightly heavier then it should and I'm no mechanic but Google suggests that the cam belt would need replacing to fix both these issues. 

At the same time, whilst a mechanic is replacing that, I've asked a garage opposite my office to also change the water pump and timing belt too as my 2006 fiesta is coming up to 90k miles and I do about 100 miles in it for work a week. 

Originally the chaps have quoted about £550 but as i work opposite, they've brought it down to £366 (Not sure if the "you work nearby discount" was a ploy to lure me in)

Would anyone be able to advise if 366 is a good price or if there taking me for a clown? 

I did also ask to have it completed same day as I'll drive home in my car....so I'll drop the car of at 9am and pick it up at 5pm.

 

Thanks!

 

EDIT: should have mentioned its a 56 plate 3 door zetec 1.25 engine

cam belt and timing belt are the same thing.  They drive the camshaft(s) from the crankshaft (and on some cars the water pump- ).

The one which drives the power steering is not the cam belt.  Old people like me call if the fan belt (as it drove the fan amongst other things before we had electric fans), these days it can be called the auxillary drive belt or alternator drive belt.

i have no idea about cost

 

if i remember correctly the water pump is driven by the fan belt. if that is the case i would not change the water pump unless there are signs it is failing.

on some other engines people say change the water pump when doing the timing belt, that is due to the amount of extra dismantling that needs doing if changing the water pump seperately at a later date on cars where the timing belt drives the water pump.

Shop about, reckon you could get that done at a reputable joint for about £300, but £360 isn't outrageous if it includes the aux belt and water pump.

If they have went for a cheap aftermarket kit (maybe not a problem given your cars age) it will be around £130. Its about £180+vat from ford for the 1.6tdci belt and pump genuine kit.

So £360 doesn't seem wholly unreasonable overall.

1 hour ago, dave_k said:

If they have went for a cheap aftermarket kit (maybe not a problem given your cars age) it will be around £130. Its about £180+vat from ford for the 1.6tdci belt and pump genuine kit.

So £360 doesn't seem wholly unreasonable overall.

ive got to get one fitted to my 2013 1.6 tdci focus next tuesday water pump has gone. so for the gates cambelt kit with water pump plus drive belt and he said it takes about 3 hours mines costing £280 which i thought was pretty good.  as dave_k says above the kit alone from ford is nearly £220 when you include the vat.

3 hours ago, Typhoonf2 said:

ive got to get one fitted to my 2013 1.6 tdci focus next tuesday water pump has gone. so for the gates cambelt kit with water pump plus drive belt and he said it takes about 3 hours mines costing £280 which i thought was pretty good.  as dave_k says above the kit alone from ford is nearly £220 when you include the vat.

Hi, what mileage are you on? Is the car well loaded for most of travelling? And any idea on the waterpump failure?

27 minutes ago, dave_k said:

Hi, what mileage are you on? Is the car well loaded for most of travelling? And any idea on the waterpump failure?

hi dave.  my cars just gone onto 47000 miles and theres only me that goes in it as i use it for work. i do about 200 miles a week mainly motorway but its the bearings thats gone on the water pump. it sounds exactly like this below

 

so while the cambelt has to come off to fit the new pump its just easier to put a new one on now rather than have to change it again when i hit about 90k.

yeah, if all that dismantling has to be done to change the water pump I think the belt should also be done at same time. I have done the belt on one of these engines in a fiesta. the amount of extra work to change the belt if you are changing the water pump is very small. 

When you say the belt, I assume you mean the tensioner and idler wheel also.

46 minutes ago, isetta said:

yeah, if all that dismantling has to be done to change the water pump I think the belt should also be done at same time. I have done the belt on one of these engines in a fiesta. the amount of extra work to change the belt if you are changing the water pump is very small. 

When you say the belt, I assume you mean the tensioner and idler wheel also.

hi isetta. yes he is doing the whole lot. so its a new cambelt plus idler and tensioner the water pump and also a new drive belt. 

Right ... a bit of damage on my wallet...

ended up paying £450 (feel as if i got mugged of big time) to get changed:

- timing belt kit

- Two fan belts for the car

- Water Pump System

- apparently my head gasket for the engine was going bad? so that got changed

- fitted a new battery (i supplied it)

- luxury of getting told of by the mechanic due to the HID wiring....he ended up blowing the left headlamp and i think the ballast is gone so he'll have a look at it tomorrow