General Cam belt change advice & cost (1.2 & 1.6)

[merlyman]

Re: Cambelt Change?

very much so- get it changed.

Waiting for Manual and my mate is making me cam tool (clever sod with mother of a workshop:worship coz' i'm too tight to by one.......
And i'm definately toooo tight to pay a garage v.a.t and labour.........:shakehead:

 

[coyotes_uk]

Re: Cambelt Change?

very much so- get it changed.

Amen to that!

 

[wotnowarninglight]

Re: Cambelt Change?

i take it the fiat care is the care you take out when you first purchase the car, is this correct Cheers Kev

No, its a servicing scheme operated by Fiat for the cost effective servicing of their cars over 3 years old... probably to try to keep folks on board after the warranty is up! Works for me as I have 2 services a year due to mileage so £159 a go for the Gold Service works for me

 

[ajoshi21]

Re: Cambelt Change?

Hey is there anything special about the fiatcare i.e any extras? As my local garage are charging me £140 for cam belt+water pump+labour.

 

[Argonought]

Re: Cambelt Change?

Hey is there anything special about the fiatcare i.e any extras? As my local garage are charging me £140 for cam belt+water pump+labour.

Well, they use use genuine Fiat parts and you get the job done properly (usually anyway )

That's a crazily cheap price you've got there

 

[coyotes_uk]

Re: Cambelt Change?

Well, they use use genuine Fiat parts and you get the job done properly (usually anyway )

That's a crazily cheap price you've got there

Damn that is a good price!

 

[mnpearson]

1.6 cambelt change - how much?

Hi,

I've just been quoted £258 for a cambelt replacement, does this sound reasonable? It was from a Fiat main dealer and didn't include a service as I have just had this done elsewhere.
Also, when should the cambelt ideally be replaced?

Thanks in advance,

Martin (Newbie!)

02 Stilo Dynamic 1.6 3dr, 65'000, Silver (Miss the Brovo though )

 

[jug]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

£258 is roughly twice the price it will cost at a local independant garage.

the 1.6 needs the belt replacing every 72k or 5 years, whichever comes sooner. it is a very good idea to replace the tensioner at the same time, and also the auxilliary belt.

 

[mnpearson]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

Thanks for the quick reply Thats great, I'll try my local independant garage then. The car has done 65k but is 5 years old so I'll get it all done just in case.

Thanks gain for the advice

Martin

 

[1.8Stilo]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

if you get the full cambelt kit from the fiat dealer that includes the tensioners and pulleys aswell as the belt! The kit for my 1.8 stilo was £105, £258 aint that bad at all

would agree with the aux belt aswell and maybe the water pump too.. to bear in mind im sure the 1.6 is the same as the 1.8 as the 1.8 is just a bored out version of the 1.6, that i had to have my coolant system drained aswell as a pipe for the coolant has to be taken off to enable the tech to get in there to change the cambelt, just something to think about aswell that contrabutes to the cost? Maybe something a independant wouldnt initially cost for unless there a fiat specialist!

Also i had trouble trying to find an independant round as non of them had the right toolings to change the stilos cambelt as it isn't as common a car as some...

 

[kev1]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

was charged £383 for the cambelt change at my local main dealer.

looked in using an independant but not all had the right tools and a few said they would 'give it a go' - didn't fill me with confidence.

 

[FIREsporting]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

Thats a high risk few said they would give it a go if it snaps then you're ****ed

 

[Deckchair5]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

Yes you'll need the cambelt kit comprising the belt tensioner and idler roller bearing also the auxilliary drive belt AND the air con belt as they're a one time fit stretchy belt. That'll be approaching £150 just for parts.

I've lost count of the number of Stilos that come back from garages who "have a go" but don't have the right tools to time up the cam and crank shafts and then someone with the right tools has to put the job right again so £200 to £250 isn't a bad price at all if the job's done properly

But check out the engine when you pick it up after the job's finished. If it doesn't start as good, has a lumpier tickover, doesn't rev up so well as it did or fires a fault code at higher rpm then the job's been botched. It should feel the same as when you brought it in or better but never worse

Do a search here and it'll make you weep just how many have experienced a botched cambelt kit change

 

[john55]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

What is difficult about the 1.6 cam belt change?
I have always done my own cam belt changes and a few for friends and never botched it. I don't have any special tools like a locking kit. I just mark the belts before removal, then transfer the marks to the new belt and put it on. 16V engines are no more difficult than a Diesel with a timed pump. For locking, I just use a small piece of wood cut to fit some place convenient and hold the cams.

 

[FIREsporting]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

yer i always do my own timing Belt changes to, if a garage can not fit a timing belt correct they should not have a go

usually there are symptoms that are noticeable when the timing is not correct

1. A check engine light that is ON

2. Lack of power and engine performance

3. Extended cranking time when starting

4. Rough idle or vibration at idle

 

[Deckchair5]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

What is difficult about the 1.6 cam belt change?
Nothing really, it's quite easy with the correct alignment tools but using the typex method is hit and miss and that's why 50% turn out ok and the other 50% turn to a bucket of ****e

I don't want to go over it all again so have a look here
https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/152206-yet-another-1-6-cambelt-question.html

Oddly enough, mine was ****e BEFORE it went in for a cambelt change with a bad flat spot I just couldn't get rid of. Afterwards, when the cams and crank were aligned correctly - no more flat spot. It had either been assembled out of alignment in the first place or the belt has stretched enough to cause a problem, your guess. After the belt change and everything had been aligned correctly then all was smooth as silk

 

[john55]

re: 1.6 cambelt change - how much?

The JTD is actually a real pig to do. If you want to change the water pump, you have to take off the cam sprocket do it, and can't lock it or hold it with anything except by hand while the pulley is off. You just have to find a stiff spot, where the cam shaft stays without moving and be careful not to knock it while the water pump is taken off.