Owners manual says cambelt change at 72k miles, or 5 years if sooner, or 3 years in tough conditions.

My 05 model (37k road miles), by the engine number seems to take a 22mm belts (as opposed to some earlier models taking 15mm).

22mm seems like a pretty chunky belt I wonder if it really needs changing now or not?

I wondered similar, being used to older vehicles on which you changed things when necessary rather than as stated in the book of rules, but it makes sense due to the (some might say crap) short life span of the materials used these days. It's not the mileage or the wear which will kill the belt, rather it'll die from "old age", if you see what I mean.

Pandablues said:

I wondered similar, being used to older vehicles on which you changed things when necessary rather than as stated in the book of rules,

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using that view on things when it comes to timing belts becomes very costly at needing a engine rebuild when belt snaps (except with the 8v FIRE of course).

Likewise I have recently picked up a '55 registered 4x4 climbing with on 16k on the clock and I've been wondering about changing the belt. I might do a visual inspection shortly and start thinking about it. I just took it to Fiat for a Bronze service and they didn't mention it, I might ask them if they've any record of it being done in the service history (as it has 6 Fiat dealer annual stamps in the book but no specific mention of the timing belt, so I bet its not been done).

What do people feel are the best quality belts for these cars - Gates okay?

I went with a Continental belt in the end - for piece of mind for the next few years.

It must the season for it - all those 2005/2006 Pandas that changed hands this Autumn, with the new owners not being able find any record of this work having been done!

I'm one of them: Mine was changed today - £250.

4x4Panda said:

I'm one of them: Mine was changed today - £250.

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Your joking right??!!

Please tell me that as a very least that also included a full service

oh well, compared to servicing my old Land Rover, this seemed like good value... The garage in question is Westover Fiat, Salisbury. I hope they did not dream this price up just for me!

I 'nearly' attempted it myself, but local independent garage sourced and fitted me a belt Continental belt for around £180fitted (which included fitting all 4 of my new Mintex cross-drilled discs and pads, that I sourced, and waxoiling the entire underside of the car while it was clean and dry before the salt goes down on the roads). It certainly should be a straightforward job on the 1.2 Fire - I still miss having a good old Haynes manual for this car - but I'm planning to get the CD-manual that is kicking about on the forum.