Technical Cost of Cambelt service?

[Dolly500]

I have a 2009 1.2 500. I do high mileage and have hit 72000 miles. The service light came on this week so I called Fiat Slough for a quote. It needs a Cambelt and water pump and the service and the quote was £845!! I nearly fell off my chair.

Does this sound right ? Have other people had to pay this much? I love my car but at that price I am seriously thinking of getting rid and putting the money towards another one.

Any advise great fully received.

Sorry if this is in the wrong place I am new.

Thank you x

 

[Stu DemonD]

What do you expect from a main dealer? Can't you try a recommended local independent?

I have a 1.4 [albeit in a Panda, not a 500] and I recently had the cambelt and water pump done at 60k, alongside a full service [plugs, oil & filter, coolant change, brake fluid change, clutch fluid change] and replacement wheel bearing that was dodgy - and paid £444+VAT - even that may have been a bit dear but I was happy.

 

[babbo_umbro]

Sounds right - I suggested "My guess would be something over 500 pounds inc VAT for the service using pattern parts" for similar service in the Panda forum.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Sounds right - I suggested "My guess would be something over 500 pounds inc VAT for the service using pattern parts" for similar service in the Panda forum.

Using patern parts? The timing belt on a 1.2 FIRE is 2-3 hours max tbh, service on top another hour. Parts about £150 max all in I'd have said, and 4 hours labour = one Diat dealer milking it nicely!

Go to a fiat specialist and you'd see under £400 I'd have said all in.

 

[306maxi]

what MEP said

 

[poggy]

Wow, a main dealer cambelt change and service on my Discovery 3 was £750.00

And that has two belts with tensioners plus aux belt !!!!

 

[snes]

The water pump is probably fine and won't need replacing. But it is always included in a quote for this type of work because it becomes accessible when the cambelt area is exposed.

So it makes good sense to replace it just in case.

That therefore will add a bit to your expenses, but agree with the others that you really should be in the hands of a good local independant for this work.

And bear in mind, most cars now need cambelts changing - it gets expensive forever "running away" from the problem, unless you lease your car for a couple of years only, then change for new.

 

[306maxi]

The 1.2 is a safe engine, if the belt goes then the engine won't be damaged.

 

[frupi]

The price quoted in the OP's original post seems 'over the top', even with a 'service' attached. I realise it is a different engine, but a friend of mine recently had the cambelt and waterpump replaced on his 2008 Saab 9-3 1.9 TiD at an Alfa independent (the Saab uses the same Fiat/GM diesel engine as a lot of the Alfa's and Vauxhall's) and it cost him £300 inc vat using original Alfa/Fiat parts. Timing belt was about 90 quid, water pump about 40 quid and the rest was labour/vat.

Me thinks as do others on here, that a good Fiat or Alfa independent can do the job much cheaper.

 

[T14086]

£845

seriously get that quote in writing!

 

[ahmett]

£845

seriously get that quote in writing!

Please ask thames slough to post it for your friends on the fiat forum with full details of the pricing on the invoice!

 

[RUI]

Good old Thames fiat if I wanted to be messed around by incompetent idiots they would be my number 1 choice every time.

 

[T14086]

Please ask thames slough to post it for your friends on the fiat forum with full details of the pricing on the invoice!

I think the price would miraculously drop somewhat!

Good old Thames fiat if I wanted to be messed around by incompetent idiots they would be my number 1 choice every time.

Are they near the fiat hq?

 

[8valver]

The water pump is probably fine and won't need replacing. But it is always included in a quote for this type of work because it becomes accessible when the cambelt area is exposed.

So it makes good sense to replace it just in case.

That therefore will add a BIT to your expenses, but agree with the others that you really should be in the hands of a good local independant for this work.

And bear in mind, most cars now need cambelts changing - it gets expensive forever "running away" from the problem, unless you lease your car for a couple of years only, then change for new.

water pumps are about £20 to £30 for decent makes from motor factors
i get them under £20 trade price
so its silly not to change this.

id try getting a home mechanic to do a homer

if i was close id do it for £200 to help someone out rather than to make money from them
ok its tax free labour ahem and working out a van so no great overheads. but vat is included in parts
fyi a breakdown of prices so you know how much dealers are ripping you off.
get an indipendant fiat specialist or even ford as its a reskinned KA . aint they?

dayco belt and tensioner about £35
miratec water pump or similar say £25
bosch oil filter £5
4 x ngk plugs £10
hengst or similar fuel filter if needed £8
pattern air filter under £10

oil and consumables i get supplied but say a decent oil £25
long life anti freeze again i get but say £12

parts add up £130
coffee supplied and a swift £70 in my back pocket for a good saturday shift 4-5 hours doing a proper job and service advising on anything i see along the way.

hope you get a cheaper quote lol


it really boils my pi$$ when i hear of someone i know being ripped off from a garage doing a service and charging a fortune by adding on topping up windscreen washer bottle and fitting a phantom blown bulb etc costing crazy mark up prices.
or
having to take a car for steering alignment after i have just fitted new track rod ends along with various other things to see the car going on the ramp and the have a go tyre fitter sparking up the oxy acetylene to get the nut undone and give me a bull story how it was siezed.then the friggin heat from the heat soak through the close proximity to the new track rod end dry out the grease and plastic and rubber parts grrr.
or
nah thats enough lol

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The 500 is a re-skinned Panda, and the KA a reskinned 500. The KA is a lot more Fiat than the 500 will be Ford thankfully.

 

[T14086]

id try getting a home mechanic to do a homer

as its a reskinned KA

How dare you! Ford:yuck:

p.s. should use timing tools on this engine

 

[KaZetec]

My Ka has long been confused about its' identity without you guys taking the p*** lmfao. Feel sorry for it please

 

[Jonothan]

Just had a full service on my MkV VW Golf, including cam belt change and MOT at the main VW agent, with new front pads and discs as well. Cost £550.

Fiat should be cheaper than VW, surely?

 

[306maxi]

Just had a full service on my MkV VW Golf, including cam belt change and MOT at the main VW agent, with new front pads and discs as well. Cost £550.

Fiat should be cheaper than VW, surely?

You probably didn't blindly book your car in for work without enquiring about the price. This is the mistake most 500 owners make.

 

[ahmett]

You probably didn't blindly book your car in for work without enquiring about the price. This is the mistake most 500 owners make.

Good one maxi but the way I see it, Fiat dealers charge similar to VW dealers. The thing that saves Fiats are the more easily accessible spare parts (They are cheaper on the open market), but of course Fiat dealers, trying to be at the same level of VW dealers, mark up the price to match.

Knowing the way some dealers are, I would swear that if I go in asking them to match the price, they would probably sabotage the car on purpose during the service just to make a point! Maybe in the Uk they are more fair than that, I'd hope to think so.