We're not in Kansas anymore; cambelt replacement at the recommended interval is now your only protection against a wrecked engine.
It's called progress
.
Technical When is the timing belt due for replacement on a 1.2 engine?
- Thread starter Panda2013
- Start date
Currently reading:
Technical When is the timing belt due for replacement on a 1.2 engine?
We're not in Kansas anymore; cambelt replacement at the recommended interval is now your only protection against a wrecked engine.
It's called progress
.Good discussion.
Does anybody know, however, why has Fiat changed the service plans? The change concerns additional parts, it's a significant restructuring of the entire service life of the car.
This begs the question, which service plan should I stick to considering I was not aware of the change until now?
Does anybody know, however, why has Fiat changed the service plans? The change concerns additional parts, it's a significant restructuring of the entire service life of the car.
This begs the question, which service plan should I stick to considering I was not aware of the change until now?
I dont fully understand your question..
Often the 'service intervals' are pretty optimistic.. helps to sell.. or lease.. the car.. then a group of premature falutes see the servicing brought back to sensible limits.
Belt chsnges at 72k.. being trimmed to 36k.. as a prime example.
Personally, any car that I've owned apart from my very early bangers, I always at least changed the oil & filter twice yearly & as for timing belts always changed in advance of the manufacturers recommendation. Keeping an eye on consumables such as brake pads/discs/shoes & other things that wear was part of owning a car as far as I'm concerned.
As been discussed before, too many car owners these days seem to get things only checked out when things go wrong, mainly due to lack of servicing or just not checking things from time to time. Not having a go here, but owning a car these days is not what it used to be, for different reasons.
As been discussed before, too many car owners these days seem to get things only checked out when things go wrong, mainly due to lack of servicing or just not checking things from time to time. Not having a go here, but owning a car these days is not what it used to be, for different reasons.
Back to the old
'Pschitt' in the carb
Joke
'Pschitt' in the carb
Joke
Last edited:
Bluetruck
New member
I recommended changing the belt at 4 years. Flame suit on time. If you want to be cheap you can just change the belt without changing the tentioner and the water pump. Yeah i know maybe a bad idea. I just did the belt on mine in February last year. Its fine, the sky didn't fall in, the world didn't end etc etc. I've yet to see a tentioner on the 4 cylinder engine go bad and out of the 3 or 4 water pumps I've changed on warranty the leak was down to poor sealant application at factory. Only one pump failed on leaking seals. These engines are well built and tough as old boots, that's why i binned my 500 TA for a 1.2 Panda?
How much of a gambler are you has to be the question? I think the current recommended interval, here in UK, is 4 years or 48'000 miles. Your car is 2012 1.2 8 valve you say? So it has the hydraulic variator pulley on the camshaft? (look to the left of the oil filler cap. Is there a solenoid valve screwed into the cam cover? Yes? Then its the later type engine which is definitely the interference type so you don't want a broken belt - expensive!)
My boy's 2012 Punto has the 1.4 8 valve version of this engine and with 45'000 miles on it we changed the belt, water pump and tensioner earlier this year. It didn't look that bad, but they often don't show any sign of distress and then suddenly - bang! We did the same on my own 2010 1.2 8 valve Panda with 65'000 miles on it and found the water pump bearing worn and the belt a bit "iffy" As that engine is (I think) Non Interference no damage would have been done if the belt broke but I didn't want to risk being stranded somewhere inconvenient.
So, on this limited showing, 4 years/48'000 miles is probably erring on the "safe" side - but if that's what they're recommending it comes down to the question I asked at the top of this post. As Dirty Harry would ask - Are you feeling lucky? well are you?
My boy's 2012 Punto has the 1.4 8 valve version of this engine and with 45'000 miles on it we changed the belt, water pump and tensioner earlier this year. It didn't look that bad, but they often don't show any sign of distress and then suddenly - bang! We did the same on my own 2010 1.2 8 valve Panda with 65'000 miles on it and found the water pump bearing worn and the belt a bit "iffy" As that engine is (I think) Non Interference no damage would have been done if the belt broke but I didn't want to risk being stranded somewhere inconvenient.
So, on this limited showing, 4 years/48'000 miles is probably erring on the "safe" side - but if that's what they're recommending it comes down to the question I asked at the top of this post. As Dirty Harry would ask - Are you feeling lucky? well are you?
If I took my belt cover off and saw my belt looking like that, after I'd stopped shaking, I wouldn't even think of going near the ignition key, let alone actually starting it up! Good advice from someone else here about looking for the lettering. It was still readable on my boy's Punto at around 45'000 miles but almost impossible to read on my Panda at 65'000 miles. Neither belt looked anything like as poor as this one.
Interesting, and highly relevant, comments too about the quoted change intervals. As mentioned very "optimistic" recommendations are often made for a new model which quickly get revised downwards after a few have "bitten the dust". My "new" car 2016 SEAT Ibiza 1.0 3 cylinder turbo is just about to get it's last service at the main dealer before the warranty expires (1st MOT too). I asked about the cambelt change interval and was told 100'000 miles!!! They then qualified it by saying that, although they haven't done one yet, they are thinking of recommending 60'000 miles as being probably "safer"! Watch this space eh?
Last edited:
Yep.Lucky you.
Ive seen a fair few belt and pulley troubles .. just luck of the draw.
Still ran, but strange "ting" noise was belt flinging escaping ball bearings around the cam belt cover.
(Was a non interference engine, belt looked fine except where tensioner failure shredded it)
