(T) Timing Belt on Punto 2004 registered

Hi all,

My car wouldn't start during the icy stint and the AA man discovered the battery was gone.

He said I also may want to get the timing belt changed as he wasn't sure whether the engines in the Punto were "fail-safe".

I took it into Kwik Fit to get the battery changed and asked them, in my naeivity, to check the timing belt. They said they couldn't check it, only change it.

My questions are:
- How could the AA man tell that there could be a problem with the timing belt when the mechanics at Kwik Fit can't (I can't hear any problems by the way)

- Is the engine in a 2004 registered Punto a "fail-safe" engine, or if the timing belt goes, is the car a goner?

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.
Carl

its 2004, so it is over due the change, hence aa saying to change it.

a garage wont check a cambelt, i would on my personal cars, but never a customers, belts can look ok but still snap.

it depends on your model, if its a 1.2 8v it is a safe engine, all other engines are not.

Hi, if its a 8v engine no damaged will occur if belt breaks but if a 16v serious damage will occur. I believe Fiat recommend 5yrs or 72000mls but inspection is best by removing the cambelt covers. As for the AA mans comments, unless he removed said covers or looked at the milleage of the car he would not be able to see the condition. If you decide to change belt make sure the tensioner is also replaced at the same time.

Alot of people get the water pump replaced at the same time as they are known to be a common problem causer

and never ever go to Kwik Fit

Even on the 8v engines, it's worth doing at the specified interval since it would be very inconvenient to break down, but it's not catastrophic like the 16v. As bredsticz says, as well as the belt and tensioner, the water pump is well worth doing too. They live about the same lifetime as the cambelt, and so you save having to do the cambelt again just to fix the pump.

Thanks everyone,

Luckily it is the 1.2 8v version so by the sounds of things I should be OK.

It will need a change though due to the mileage. I'll make sure I ask about the tensioner and water pump getting replaced too.

Very helpful!

I need to get a new timing belt (and water pump as a precaution). To be honest I wouldn't dare tackle that myself (know your limitations!).Has anybody any idea about what an independent garage would charge for that?
It's an 8v Mk2.

pump- £20, kit- £25 (can get them cheaper)

labour- £60.

Thanks for that mate. I wish I still lived in Chelmsford - I'd bring it straight round!

you better off doing it yourself, garages dont leave the sealer on the pump 24 hrs to dry before adding new coolant, if you diy you can do that. fitting the belt wrong on an 8v is nothing to worry about either, its a safe engine, if you fit belt wrong you just try again until you get it right

yer its very easy on a 8v engine theres so much room, cost me £20 for pump, belt, and tensioner

Use a LocTite brand anaerobic gasket sealant from an engineering/bearings factors. It sets when air is excluded so by the time all the covers are back on you can fill the coolant. Another big advantage is when its used on an engine part any excess material wont set and potentially fall off to clog anything up. The old silicone RTV gaskets were really bad for this. The only snag – it’s not cheap, but a tube will last a DIYer for many years and well worth having in the tool box.