Technical Timing Belt Failure: Anyone Had One?

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Technical Timing Belt Failure: Anyone Had One?

Tigertone2000

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Hi all
My 1.2 Panda is way overdue a timing belt change based on time (10 years old) but not on mileage (only 30,000 miles!) and being a skinflint plus of the 'if it ain't broke...' persuasion, I've ignored it until now. Also, mine being the non-interference motor, I've taken comfort from the fact that if it did go I'd merely coast to a halt with no tangled valves etc (needless to say, if mine was the later 'interference' motor, It'd have been changed by now - I'm not completely stupid!)

Anyway, as it's just celebrated it's 10th birthday by passing it's MoT yet again, I thought I might actually reward it with a new timing belt kit this winter but this has set me thinking: has anyone actually had, or know of, a timing belt failure? (a quick perusal of the forum boards only produced one - and that seems to have been caused by a previous owner cocking up the 'belt change (ironic, really and more ammunition for my 'if it ain't broke...' philosophy!). So, anyone had one actually fail??

Regards
Tigertone
 
At 10 years old, I would be wanting a new water pump. Coolant leaks on these engines usually take the head gasket with them.

There have been a few reports of timing belts stopping the car at inconvenient times. I do a lot of motorway and dual driving so really would not want that to happen. It could also take out other stuff if there are fibres flapping about.

I had the timing belt fail on a new to me Punto Mk2 HGT at 50K miles. Yes I was stupid to risk it but thankfully it was only valve damage.
 
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I have had the experience many years ago. Not on a Fiat, it was on my wife's Citroen AX with the 1.4 engine. I believe that this is the 'TU' series engine which is pretty indestructable - I have just disposed of a C2 with a 1.1 engine that had 107,000 miles and it still ran fine.

Anyway it was in the days when I let my wife arrange maintenance - which meant that it was never done. The belt did give way, which trashed the motor - at least three very bent valves from memory. I can't remember the mileage or the age unfortunately. What I can remember is being shown the belt afterwards, and it was practically shredded. There were clear signs of distress, some of the teeth had sheared off and the inside of the belt was quite smooth in places. I don't know if this was cause or effect. It was not pretty.

If it were my car I wouldn't be risking it.

I have just acquired a 100hp that had the belt changed 36,000 miles ago, but it was 5 years ago too. So the car will be off for a full belt & water pump change as well as a comprehensive service and check over, as I always do with any newly acquired car regardless of history.
 
The 1.8 and 2.0 Alfa TS shows cam belts every 40,000 or four years. The Fiat 1750 twin cam single spark is the same. Renault will tell you the interval is 70K miles but in the small print it's just 40K for cars doing short journeys and town driving.

On a Fiat 1.2 I would be wanting the water pump done in less than 10 years. Coolant loss can do serious damage.
 
Hi all
My 1.2 Panda is way overdue a timing belt change based on time (10 years old) but not on mileage (only 30,000 miles!) and being a skinflint plus of the 'if it ain't broke...' persuasion, I've ignored it until now. Also, mine being the non-interference motor, I've taken comfort from the fact that if it did go I'd merely coast to a halt with no tangled valves etc (needless to say, if mine was the later 'interference' motor, It'd have been changed by now - I'm not completely stupid!)

Anyway, as it's just celebrated it's 10th birthday by passing it's MoT yet again, I thought I might actually reward it with a new timing belt kit this winter but this has set me thinking: has anyone actually had, or know of, a timing belt failure? (a quick perusal of the forum boards only produced one - and that seems to have been caused by a previous owner cocking up the 'belt change (ironic, really and more ammunition for my 'if it ain't broke...' philosophy!). So, anyone had one actually fail??

Regards
Tigertone

Belts deteriorate with age, forget the mileage. Ten years is a long time, as pointed out you'll need a new water pump,tensioner & bearing etc.
 
Thanks for the replies - it was really curiosity to see if anyone had actually experienced the issue with a 1.2 Panda (and so far, it seems no-one has!). I realise it'll need the whole kit: water pump, tensioner etc as well as the belt and I've been keeping a close eye on the coolant level and temperature as I'm aware of the potential water pump issues. I've done well(or rather, the car has) but I don't want to push my luck too far!
Anyone have any recommendations re. which kit to buy?
 
Thanks for the replies - it was really curiosity to see if anyone had actually experienced the issue with a 1.2 Panda (and so far, it seems no-one has!). I realise it'll need the whole kit: water pump, tensioner etc as well as the belt and I've been keeping a close eye on the coolant level and temperature as I'm aware of the potential water pump issues. I've done well(or rather, the car has) but I don't want to push my luck too far!
Anyone have any recommendations re. which kit to buy?

Not on a Panda, but we did on a 1.2 8V Mk1 Punto with the same engine. No particular reason for it to go either, but suddenly just stopped dead (the belt was only a couple of years old at the time). A new belt on, and the car was perfectly fine.

I know newer Pandas aren’t failsafe (after Euro 5 is it?) but older ones are. I never change the belts on my mk2 999cc 4x4 Sisley, or the mk3 4x4 Pandas (1242cc 8v). That’s not necessarily a recommendation (see notes about the water pump), but there are many Fire engined Pandas which have been happily running around for more than 10 years without belt changes. (y)
 
Agree at 10 years it is time.

Its the bearings failing that will be more likely to trash the belt.. :(

Good brands:
Anything from Europarts chain should be fine.

We had a genuine FIAT failure after 54 weeks..

So nothing is guaranteed.

Gates seems to have a fair reputation.

Charlie
 
Thanks for the replies - it was really curiosity to see if anyone had actually experienced the issue with a 1.2 Panda (and so far, it seems no-one has!).

The 1.2 60bhp engine is safe so while nobody has wrecked their engine, a great many have had their car stop at inconvenient or even dangerous places.


The best place for quality parts is Shop4Parts.
 
Had a tensioner bearing break up and shred the belt last year on an 04 Panda in my driveway.
Ball bearings everywhere.
Belt looked fine, where it hadn't been shredded.
No obvious symptoms before the bearing failed.
New tensioner, belt, water pump and some old-school timing work sorted it, so it wasn't a big deal, but would have been a much bigger problem if it happened somewhere awkward such as fast moving traffic or lane in the middle of nowhere (much more likely as I'm in Norfolk).
 
Thanks again for all the replies and recommendations - as I said earlier, I've pushed my luck far enough and if the belt doesn't get me, the water pump or tensioner might....!
It'll be booked in for the work in the very near future.
Regards
Tigertone2000
 
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