Hi guys come back from holiday last night and fan belt went I had bin told a few days before I went on holiday I needed a new belt but I thaught it could wait till I cane back but I was wrong, the reason it snapped is because my power steering was leaking for 2 weeks and the oil contamination my question is how much should I expect to pay to get this done in a garage ?

Shouldn't be that much would be less than £100 if your power steering is no longer leaking. It looks quite simple to do to a matter of turning the tensioner and the belt slips off plenty guides on the net would work out cheaper.

http://m.focushacks.com/mod/Replacing_Accessory_Belt_(Zetec)

 

I was at Gatwick airport with my kids and had to think fast ended up getting it recovered to a local garage see what they say.

£10 for the belt and half an hours labour.  No more than £50 all in imo.

It’s down a garage in Crawley aa would only take it to near garage so see what they come back with there gona ring me this afternoon 

I know it's easy to say after the event, but the basic breakdown cover is not all that good because if I am 100 miles from home and at night and all they do is take it to a local garage which is closed then I am a bit stuck. This is why I have relay cover where they will take the car home for me (which is what happened when my fan belt tensioner melted and broke (due to seized bearing) when I was 100 miles from home.

Also in the good old days, AA etc would have sorted out your new fan belt at the roadside to get you on your way.

Yes I know it costs more but as I see it the basic cover is hardly worth having these days as there is so much less that they can/will fix at the roadside. And you don't want your car to be at a garage miles from where you live and at that garage's mercy as opposed to the broken car being at home where you can explore more options at your leisure.

I know this comment won't help you but others might read it and rethink their breakdown cover.

I completely agree with you the basic cover I have isn’t worth having I with I would have had relay I can upgrade for £30 for the year I know I can’t use it in this situation but I want to be prepared for next time, also like you said my car is in a garage miles away they are more expensive than local garages around me and I still haven’t got the car back.