Technical 500 Multijet Timing Chain

[RGChampkin]

Hello fellow Fiat fanatics!

I've recently bought a 2008 500 Sport Multijet as a cheap daily mile muncher.

It has come toy attention that the timing chain is alittle noisy...

How much do we reckon it'll cost, ball park, to get it and it's ancillaries replaced?

Thanks in advance!

Rhys

 

[steveras57]

Well maybe 6 to 8 hours labour at an independant garage who knows what they are doing so getting close to £800 in labour alone!- plus the chain and tensioner kit at around130.00 for one that includes a new oil pump!.

Whilst its all apart though increasing the costs further id put a new clutch in as well!- seams daft not to while its stripped down!- £80, plus of course a new water pump at about £50!- so I reckon you need to budget at about a grand or so all in .
So the question is !- is the rest of the car good enough and do you like it enough and want to keep it enough to justify such an outlay? if not change the oil regularly and turn the radio up so you cant hear the tinkling until it goes bang(could be years) then put the grand odd you saved towards something new!

 

[bugsymike]

Hello fellow Fiat fanatics!

I've recently bought a 2008 500 Sport Multijet as a cheap daily mile muncher.

It has come toy attention that the timing chain is alittle noisy...

How much do we reckon it'll cost, ball park, to get it and it's ancillaries replaced?

Thanks in advance!

Rhys

Unless you are able to do the job yourself, then probably at Fiat garages prices getting on for the value of the car in my opinion.
Some years ago I did the one on my daughters 06 Grande Punto 1.3MJ, bought the timing tool kit and the timing chain kit etc. several hours work and a good selection of tools. The later ones seem to be an improved design and lasted longer, but poor servicing and dirty oil accelerates the wear.

 

[RGChampkin]

Well maybe 6 to 8 hours labour at an independant garage who knows what they are doing so getting close to £800 in labour alone!- plus the chain and tensioner kit at around130.00 for one that includes a new oil pump!.

Whilst its all apart though increasing the costs further id put a new clutch in as well!- seams daft not to while its stripped down!- £80, plus of course a new water pump at about £50!- so I reckon you need to budget at about a grand or so all in .
So the question is !- is the rest of the car good enough and do you like it enough and want to keep it enough to justify such an outlay? if not change the oil regularly and turn the radio up so you cant hear the tinkling until it goes bang(could be years) then put the grand odd you saved towards something new!

Oh blimey! That makes me really question if buying this car worth it or not!

It's not ridiculously noisy, but now I can hear it, I can't unhear it

 

[RGChampkin]

Unless you are able to do the job yourself, then probably at Fiat garages prices getting on for the value of the car in my opinion.
Some years ago I did the one on my daughters 06 Grande Punto 1.3MJ, bought the timing tool kit and the timing chain kit etc. several hours work and a good selection of tools. The later ones seem to be an improved design and lasted longer, but poor servicing and dirty oil accelerates the wear.

Thanks for your reply. I'm quite handy with the spanners, but I'm not sure how confident I'd be doing it myself

 

[bugsymike]

Thanks for your reply. I'm quite handy with the spanners, but I'm not sure how confident I'd be doing it myself

Depending on how bad it is, keep the revs down as much as possible and make sure good clean oil in engine to extend it's life a little.
The one on daughters car the chain had started to eat it's way out of the cover. It had many faults but luckily we had bought it for only £300 as a non runner.

 

[RGChampkin]

Depending on how bad it is, keep the revs down as much as possible and make sure good clean oil in engine to extend it's life a little.
The one on daughters car the chain had started to eat it's way out of the cover. It had many faults but luckily we had bought it for only £300 as a non runner.

Wow!

It's not really noisy, but it definitely sounds ticky.

It's my daily commuter, mostly 60mph (2200rpm), 50 miles a day, 5 days a week. I'm happy to service it every 5k with good quality oil if it'll keep it sweet.

 

[bugsymike]

Wow!

It's not really noisy, but it definitely sounds ticky.

It's my daily commuter, mostly 60mph (2200rpm), 50 miles a day, 5 days a week. I'm happy to service it every 5k with good quality oil if it'll keep it sweet.

The higher the revs the more inertia to throw the chain around and accelerate wear, if you see what I mean.
All you can do is keep an ear out to see if it gets noticeable worse.
Are you 100% sure it is the chain as they tend to rattle, more of a tinkling noise and obviously on the o/s of the engine near the alternator belt area.
Those engines can be noisy from worn hydraulic tappets, a steady rhythmic ticking/tapping noise from top of engine.
They also often suffer from injector seals in the head (worse when starting from cold)which can sound like a spitting noise or exhaust manifold gasket blowing noise, usually if it is the injectors you will also get a combustion sort of smell. If it is that you can use a thick cloth to deaden the sound in that area as a test to locate it.Don't leave it there.
Another trick to locate a noise is a long screwdriver held to your ear and against the engine metal in the area you are testing as a sort of stethoscope.
Note be very careful near moving parts when doing that!!!!

 

[RGChampkin]

The higher the revs the more inertia to throw the chain around and accelerate wear, if you see what I mean.
All you can do is keep an ear out to see if it gets noticeable worse.
Are you 100% sure it is the chain as they tend to rattle, more of a tinkling noise and obviously on the o/s of the engine near the alternator belt area.
Those engines can be noisy from worn hydraulic tappets, a steady rhythmic ticking/tapping noise from top of engine.
They also often suffer from injector seals in the head (worse when starting from cold)which can sound like a spitting noise or exhaust manifold gasket blowing noise, usually if it is the injectors you will also get a combustion sort of smell. If it is that you can use a thick cloth to deaden the sound in that area as a test to locate it.Don't leave it there.
Another trick to locate a noise is a long screwdriver held to your ear and against the engine metal in the area you are testing as a sort of stethoscope.
Note be very careful near moving parts when doing that!!!!

It's definitely quite a noisy metallic sort of rhythmic sort of noise. On cold start up you get the rattle of the chain for 1-3 seconds and then it sounds fine. Come back 5 minutes later, the revs have dropped slightly and it sounds a lot louder and tappier. Can you attach videos on FF posts?

 

[steveras57]

Wow!

It's not really noisy, but it definitely sounds ticky.

It's my daily commuter, mostly 60mph (2200rpm), 50 miles a day, 5 days a week. I'm happy to service it every 5k with good quality oil if it'll keep it sweet.

Id make it every 3k oil is relatively cheap! as you can see parts and labour is not!.

 

[RGChampkin]

Id make it every 3k oil is relatively cheap! as you can see parts and labour is not!.

Thanks! Every 3k will be about every 2 months

 

[steveras57]

Thanks! Every 3k will be about every 2 months

You need to get a job closer to home i reckon!