Well the 100HP will be 5 years old at the start of March and according to the owners manual it should be due a cambelt change.

The car has only done 35,500 miles so does it really need one?

Opinions please!

Yes get it done. It's not just down to mileage, but after time/age the belt will deteriorate. Better safe then sorry.

S-X-I said:

Well the 100HP will be 5 years old at the start of March and according to the owners manual it should be due a cambelt change.

The car has only done 35,500 miles so does it really need one?

Opinions please!

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If it were a 1.1/1.2, I'd be inclined to take the chance, as the worst that will happen is you'll be left stranded at the side of the road. On those cars, replace the belt & you're good to go. But on a 100HP, belt failure will likely wreck your engine.

So I'm going to play safe on this one and say yes, definitely. The material from which they're manufactured gradually deteriorates with age, even if it's stored perfectly. You'll need to replace it soon if you don't do it now, so why risk writing your engine off for the price of a belt change?

Yes, my Panda is 5 this year and is getting the belt (and water pump) done at the next service. Peace of mind.

Yes, these belts on the 1.4 16v super FIRE engines were revised, to 36k or 36month intervals between changing due to premature failures, by the belt manufactures, so a tad over due IMO and defiantly not worth leaving any longer

Let us know what prices you pay, agree with changing of the waterpump also. We plan to change our cambelt on it's 4th birthday regardless of mileage!

I paid £165 all inclusive back in June/July 09 for belt and bits change with the exception of the pump. Tbh I'd have though the pump should be fine with that mileage but for piece of mind it might be worth doing

1.8Stilo said:

Let us know what prices you pay, agree with changing of the waterpump also. We plan to change our cambelt on it's 4th birthday regardless of mileage!

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Most Easterly Pandas said:

Tbh I'd have though the pump should be fine with that mileage but for piece of mind it might be worth doing

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That one's a tough call.

On a 35k 1.4, I might risk leaving it, but only if I knew for certain that the coolant had been changed at the recommended intervals, and that there wasn't any evidence of either seepage or spindle wear when the car was stripped down. If I had any uncertainty whatsoever about the condition of either the pump or the coolant, I'd replace it.

Much less of an issue on a 1.2 - with that engine I'd be happy to leave the water pump unless there were signs of an impending problem.

My 100hp is 5 years old this year and is on 57k as we speak, so I'm planning to get the belt changed at 72k as it is part of that service, although it will be going in for its 60k service in a month or two's time along with a gearbox oil change and I'm toying with the idea of getting the belt done then

W23AJH 100HP said:

My 100hp is 5 years old this year and is on 57k as we speak, so I'm planning to get the belt changed at 72k as it is part of that service, although it will be going in for its 60k service in a month or two's time along with a gearbox oil change and I'm toying with the idea of getting the belt done then

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for the mininal cost for a cam belt kit and water pump fitted your only looking at around £250. I know my aunt recently had her waterpump seize and made the car only worth scrap valve. Though its a difference of opinion?

W23AJH 100HP said:

My 100hp is 5 years old this year and is on 57k as we speak, so I'm planning to get the belt changed at 72k as it is part of that service, although it will be going in for its 60k service in a month or two's time along with a gearbox oil change and I'm toying with the idea of getting the belt done then

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So when's it being done

Its due now on age, so it'd get it done ASAP.

My Panda reached it on kms rather than age. Had the belt changed at 80,000 kms (about 50K miles).

If you're over the 50K (or past the age) I'd certainly get it done.

miura74 said:

My Panda reached it on kms rather than age. Had the belt changed at 80,000 kms (about 50K miles).

If you're over the 50K (or past the age) I'd certainly get it done.

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Is your Panda a 100hp

My (trustworthy) garage recommended a Cam belt change at 5yrs for my old Seicento, even though no obvious signs of wear. They said they deteriate with age and then just snap. Better safe than sorry, I say.

Is the 1.2 motor the same? I mean will damage be done if a break occurs?

I questioned a fella on ebay who was selling a 7 year panda with no cam belt change. His answer was "no, I've never needed to change it, not on this car or any other Fiat I've owned"
I don't think he got that belts need changing before they break.

deeyup said:

Is the 1.2 motor the same? I mean will damage be done if a break occurs?

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No, the 1.2 is a non-interference design & the engine won't be damaged if the belt breaks - but you'll be left broken down at the side of the road and as these things usually pick the most inconvenient time possible, you still have to ask yourself "is it worth taking the risk". IMO definitely not if you spend a significant amount of time on the motorway; there's not much practical difference in spending hundreds of pounds on engine repairs or hundreds of pounds on towing charges.

But it's definitely a different level of risk on a 100HP; if the belt breaks it could, in the worst case, cost you more to fix than the car's worth.

i have the multijet, done 40.000km [25.327 miles] and is 6yrs old now,would you also change the water pump when i have the belt done ?had no problems, with my water works!

Blimey, it's cheap in England! I had my cambelt and water pump replaced at FIAT in France when my car was 4 and a half years old and it cost me 550 euros!!

Either way, better get it done, as everyone says, peace of mind and all that, especially if you rev the hell out of it!

Of course you can get lucky, my wife's MX5 lived on the original cambelt for 16 years under its first super-low mileage owner before we bought it and changed it...again for 500 euros...

500€ no pienso,[think not] friend has one done 3yrs back on citroen errrr,the one before the c4, cost 100€, spain, Tenerife, i will check. Yes i do rev it as it has a chip mod, quite quick,me thinks.

I'm getting the cambelt on the 100HP changed on Wednesday. Cost £70 for the parts (from shop4parts) and labour has been quoted at £120. All including VAT. Thought that was reasonable value.