according to the manual my 2007 ducato m/home will need a new cam belt change at 5 years. my local garage wants £650 including a new water pump + antifreeze as well, £650 --is this reasonable?
have also seen a company that does cam belt insurance- 12 months for £30 gives cover for about £2,000 worth of damage in the event of failure- anyone heard of this?

"Insured parts mean the engine block and cylinder head, or any mechanical or electrical part contained within the engine block or
cylinder head that needs replacing as a direct result of the unexpected failure of the vehicle timing belt or timing chain."
"We will pay towards the cost of repairing or replacing the insured parts on the vehicle, up to the maximum claim limit, following the
sudden and unexpected failure of the timing belt or timing chain."

So ironically it looks to me like you will foot the cost of the timing belt kit and fitting.

"You must look after the vehicle and have your timing belt checked and / or replaced as recommended by the manufacturer's
servicing handbook. To prove this, you should make sure the garage fills in and stamps the handbook. You should also keep the
invoices from services as you must provide proof of the timing belt being checked and / or changed if you make a claim."

They could be awkward here 'as recommended by the manufacturers servicing handbook' reads to me as main dealer which could be twice the price of an indie garage. They could easily be sticky on this and not pay out. I can't find a single reference on any forum I know to someone actually making a claim.

Interestingly the AA says cam belt failure – average claim = £130 which sounds like total bull or they just dont cover anything.

Hi basa99,
Just read your thread and wondered if you have had your cambelt done yet.
I had mine done about 14 months ago by my local garage and they charged me £310 all in including the water pump. So £650 seems way too much.

mrpip50.

Hi,
sorry i have not been back to you earlier.

Not had the belt changed yet, had another quote at £390 excluding the water pump, looks like you certainly had a good deal where you went.
thanks for the info though.
Basa

Hi Basa.
Have you had any more quotes? It looks like £390 plus the water pump is the best you're going to get. Perhaps you should bite the bullet and go for it. It's still a lot cheaper than a new engine!!. Incidentally my garage told me that the belts themselves are not normally the problem, but it's the springs guides and rollers (ie. the "kit") which fail and then the belt gets chewed up.

mrpip50.

Just had mine done yesterday inc new waterpump, 2.8JTD 2003 M/Home.
I got the parts Quinton Hazel kit & top Waterpump. £124 delivered, charged £150 labour. With only 10.500k on clock but not being used is an issue as when taken out ball bearings all over place
He said this model is a bugger to do the waterpump (a few cuts I noticed.)
This was by a top MOT workshop also, so happy chappie.