# Cam Belt - Do You Know Anything About Them ?



## Sweet dial (Mar 12, 2004)

This is a question for a forum loaded with men!

My car was serviced this week and they said I had a self adjusting (cam?) belt and that I should have it replaced (it is a bit noisy in the morning)...

Is it urgent to replace ? What happens if I wait, etc

Thank you gentlemen.....


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hello Sweet dial,

A failed cam belt can cause serious engine damage, get it changed as a matter of urgency if they reckon it needs to be changed. Imho.


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## Fred (Feb 23, 2003)

If your cam belt is due for a change i would get it done, if it snaps its going to cost you a lot more in engine parts,the cam belt joins the top half of the engine to the bottom half, keeps them both in sinc, when the belt snaps the bottom half turns over but the top half does not,resulting in [some times] pistons slaping into the valves, big trouble,big bill. your hand book might tell you the millage that's recommended to change the cam belt, this will be based on milage, hope this helps, you should get the reccommended milage from any dealer in your make of car or try the internet, cheers fred,


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Whats the car?...Some are easier/less expensive than others, vital it gets done though as failure can mean big bills....

PG's the man for this advice though


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

All Cam (or most often called timing) belts should be changed at the manufactures recommended intervals, usually between 30K and 60K miles depending on the engine.

If you do not know when it was last changed then get it changed as if it breaks it can be expensive. The belt is toothed as are the crankshaft and camshaft pulleys, they are designed in such a way so that the valves are shut when the piston reaches the top of it's stroke. When the belt brakes the cam stops turning and some of the valves will be open, the pistons continue moving and hit the valves!

If you do know when it was last done then speak to the dealers to find out how often it needs changing and do the sums, if it's anywhere near then change it!

What car / engine is it? I could find out what the intervals between change are if you like.

btw it's not uncommon for them to fail prematurely but it's usually down to a pulley bearing seizing or the like.

Seen a ford escort 1 year old 9,500 miles on it with a broken belt.

For years Rover had a problem with cam belt faliure, usually around the 50K mark, they changed the service interval from 60K to 40K. The funny thing was the identical Honda engine in a Honda car didn't have the same problem. It later emerged Honda changed the belt at the 30K service FOC (and without telling the owners) to make sure they didn't breakdown! Hence word of mouth said the Honda engine in the Honda's must be a better build quality, where in fact they were all identical, just looked after different!

Sorry to waffle on, hope this helps.

In short if you have any doubts change the belt!


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## Manatee (Jul 4, 2004)

I agree with the above - and I think you need more specific advice on this one. It may or may not be a cam belt (some cars have belts with tensioners that drive alternators/waterpump/air con etc). Yours might not even have a cam belt depending what it is.

If you don't have a mechanic or garage you really trust I would post your query on the technical matters forum here:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/index.htm

quoting the make and model of the car. I'm sure you'll get some useful comments.

John.


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## Sweet dial (Mar 12, 2004)

What a wealth of response... if you guys need any women's tips.. please ask









It's a Toyota Avensys - 3 years old, 25000 miles... I think the car is fab... it has had a tendency to have the belt as a weakness as we bought 1 year ago, it had 10000 miles and they did tighten it then... with cold weather coming on... it's been obvious that there is a change... is that common BTW or just my absolutely crap knowledge !


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Mmmm quite low milage to have to change the belt.......Do you think it might have been an alternator belt they tightened?

Ive just reread your first post...I suspect it is the alternator belt if it is nosy in the morning....The mornings are damper now and the noise is the belt 'slipping'.

Is it a high pitched squeal?

IF it is this, then its a relativly inexpencive job...( compared to cam belt)

Your autherised Toyota dealer should be able to check it out

Hope this helps..


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## Sweet dial (Mar 12, 2004)

I don't know but reading this I have learned things so will get on the phone with the garage and ask! They did say it wasn't urgent.

It's only Â£70.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I suspect Jason is right. I don't know about Toyota but coincidentally I had the timing belt changed on my 1998 Renault Megane on Tuesday. Renault recommend 70,000 miles or 5 years.

Cost me a little over Â£500 inc. a service but, as others have pointed out, that's a helluva lot cheaper than having to buy a new engine if the timing belt snaps


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

I'll have a look for you. What engine size (cc) is it?


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Well I've checked.

Virtually all of the 98 - 01 Toyotas have a timing belt interval of 105,000 km or 72 months which ever is reached 1st!







They must trust that belt!

Incidentally the new Toyota Avensis range (called Verso I think) 01 onwards have gone back to using a timing chain. (remember them rattling away on the old A series engines?).

It may be the alternator (+ other pumps) drive belt which is still commonly called the fan belt (even if most manufactures stoped putting mechanical driven fans on cars years ago) that is causing the noise although 25,000 is nothing for a modern belt on a Toyota, I'd say 40,000 at least before these give trouble.

I don't know off the top of my head if your Avensis wil have an auto adjuster on this, but if they are quoting you Â£70 to change it then it's most certainly not the cam belt being refered to as these would be much more! He most likely said "FAN". Â£20 for the belt and 1 hour labour? A cam belt will be twice as much fitted.

I'd get a second oppinion if I were you. Get a mechanic you can trust to have a listen to the noise. If it's a screaching noise then as Jase says probably the fan belt slipping.

You can try spraying a little spray glue (the sort you use for sticking paper to card etc) on the inside of the belt as the engine is idling, if the squeal lessenes the glue is giving it more grip therefore the belt needs adjusting or renewing (renewing if it's an auto adjusted one unless the auto adjuster isn't working!).

Hope I haven't baffled you too much, it's very hard to get across in words, showing you would be a lot easier!


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Oh btw best (or worst) timing belt break I've come across.

Guy got out of his car waving it at me broken clean in half which is unusual as they normally strip the teeth, it was about an inch and a half wide and poss 6 foot long!

The car?.....

Lotus Elite, James Bond white!

He seriously thought I could fit a new one road side.

He rang Lotus at Norwich whilst I was calling for a lorry, they quoted him Â£5000 and that was at least 10 years ago.

Most luxury cars (BMW MERC LEXUS etc) these days are 3K plus repair bill if the belt breaks! I don't know of a car that is produced now that doesn't damage the engine, the old 2 litre pinto fords and early OHC Vauxhalls (8 valves) used to be safe as did the 2.0 Montego and little fiats but in a quest for more power from less cc's theyve pushed the tollerances so tight they all bust something! Diesels are normally fun, they can break cam shafts in half! And Chains although tougher arn't 100% either just ask Saab!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> He rang Lotus at Norwich whilst I was calling for a lorry, they quoted him Â£5000 and that was at least 10 years ago










A huge sum of money for, what was it, a 4-cylinder 2.2 on the Elite ?


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2004)

Interesting reading what you said about the 2 litre pinto engine PG.

Years ago I had a MK III Cortina came out in the morning to start it and it whizzed over shearing off all the cam belt teeth.









No engine damage, just fitted a new belt.


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## Fred (Feb 23, 2003)

The Cam belt replace on the Rover 75 is 90,000 plus.and then a big bill. spark plugs are 50,000. cheers fred.


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

> early OHC Vauxhalls (8 valves)


I had one go on my beloved Victor 2.3 at about 3000 rpm...no damage at all, luckily

Roger


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## leighton (Jan 27, 2004)

I know someone who's cambelt snapped within 10 miles of having it replaced.

Some engines apparently have fail safe mechanisms to prevent engine damage under these circumstances.


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## julian (Jun 3, 2003)

What kind of noise does this "belt " make at start up.

If the cam belt were to slip even slightly then it's unlikely that your engine would function well,if at all, as the timing would immediately be out of sync.

The price quoted is the cheapest for a cam belt change I've ever heard of ..

Could be a squealing alternator belt .

Could be a squealing power steering belt when you turn the steering wheel.

Either of these can be a DIY on most cars even if fiddly .As a garage job they're likely to fall in the range of the price you quote.

as I say it's down to the kind of noise that you hear.


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## leighton (Jan 27, 2004)

Most common squealer culprit on cold start is the fan belt.

The cam belt is toothed so would not so easily slip.

If it did you would know about it.


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