Servicing

[JonD]

Hi

My car is due a service now. I took it to Fiat in the past to preserve the warrenty. This is now up shall I take it to fiat or not. I got my previous car done at my local garage he is honest and does a good job and is ok on price. Just wondering what effect getting it serviced by the dealer/non dealer would have when I come to sell the car?

(its a 1.8 35k miles x reg) planning to keep it another year at least.



Thanks

 

[Jay]

Take it to an independent garage, and have the cambelt changed while you are at it. Dont forget the tensioner too.

Jay.

My garage quoted me £120.00 to have cambelt changed

 

[JonD]

Re: Re: Servicing

Cambelt? Thought that would be more like 50k. Its not even 3yrs old yet

 

[Sabre23]

Re: Re: Re: Servicing

Cambelt SHOULD be O.K. for 70k (aprox)
I'm up to 66k and will get it changed at next service.

Mark.

 

[Sy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Servicing

Had mine replaced at 45k, I'd say do it before the reccommendations could save you a lot of money in the long run

 

[Daz155HGT]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Servicing

..I agree, i have heard about so many people on this site that have had major (and costly) repairs required when thier cambelts have gone..

I have just got a HGT 155, with 47k miles i phoned my local Fiat dealer to ask the cost for a 48k mile service and a cambelt, they say its not required until 72k..

I asked them for that in writing so if (when) my cambelt goes before 72k, they will foot the bill...and to no suprise i am still waiting for a reply on that.

..To be honest i was very suprised for them to say that, 'cos they usally grab all the money they can out of us happy motorists...

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Servicing

Unless there is a serious problem (there was a recall on some Puntos cos of the tensioner) the cambelts generally last. Given the HUGE number of cars on the roads with them they are doing quite well.

A new cambelt is just as likely to break in 1000 miles than your current one. The original one will have been tensioned by machine and then the engine run, your new one will have been fitted by monkey boy and the job considered complete if the car starts.

A friends Audi A4 had a cambelt go at 15k so its not just Fiats.

 

[Daz155HGT]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Servicing

Tom, i would have to disagree..after a few years, the rubber starts to harden, and has a tendancy to crack.

But i do agree that original one will be put on and checked better than the one done by the monkey boy (as you put it)

If Fiat are so confident, i will get my written confirmation that my cambelt will be ok until i get to 72k...but we will see.

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Servicing

Very true, it should always be changed after 5 years, no matter what. There is just no point in changing it on a 3 year old car unless its doing starship mileage. Certainly on an HGT there is plenty of scope to balls it up. Several people on here have had their car run like a dog after cos the monkey has botched it.

As I see it on the HGT you can either take the engine out in which case you can damage any number of bits or do it with the engine in the car in which case you are more likely to do a botch job. Screwed either way really!

I don't think ANY manufacturer would guarantee that the cambelt won't go. Even if only 0.1% fail its still alot of cars.