Cambelt every 4yrs no matter what....True??

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:27 pm

Just wondering if this is just something the dealers are doing to save their asses...

Anyone really know the basis of the belt wearing even if the car is sitting idle. Seriously dont think kevlar does that!

Chee's!

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:38 pm

Wouldnt worry about it, you will probly get HGF long before and you normally change the belt when that happens anyway.....

Seriously though, I think it depends on how much track work your car has done or you intend to do. I dont think Dan at JPS charges that much to get it done, its probly well worth it for peice of mind, and if you do sell it again, it will help residuals if its been looked after as per lotus recomendations

roadboy · Post by **roadboy** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:40 pm

Ask yourself, for the cost (versus the cost of an engine rebuild), do you want to take the chance.

I have seen belts fail within 4 years having done less than 20k.

Are you feeling lucky?

Just for information purposes, a cambelt change is £170 and the last engine rebuild I did due to a failed belt cost £980.

HTH

Dan@JPS

p.s. Most manufacturers have now reduced cambelt intervals to 4 years so its certainly not just a Lotus thing and certainly not a dealer thing.

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:58 pm

Thank you guys!

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:07 pm

As an aside...
With the Ferrari, the facory maintainence schedule for the UK/Europe is a cambelt change every 3 years. For the US is is every 5 years. Same car, same engine, same belt. Go figure!

Jim

roadboy · Post by **roadboy** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:23 pm

renmure wrote:As an aside...
With the Ferrari, the facory maintainence schedule for the UK/Europe is a cambelt change every 3 years. For the US is is every 5 years. Same car, same engine, same belt. Go figure!

Jim

You and your posh cars!

Dan@JPS

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:25 pm

Yeah - 4 years even if it's been sitting idle for all of them.

As Dan says it's not cheap to rebuild an engine. The cambelts are kelvar but reinforced rubber which I think degrades though time.

Mac

(does your car need a cambelt change?)

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:46 pm

I does yeah. Was told that anyway...just running it by the crew!

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:54 pm

Originally lotus said 6 years but they revised it on the advice of Rover to 4 years.

It's fair enough - so someone's not trying to pull the wool.

Mac

Scottd · Post by **Scottd** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:14 am

John Reid wrote:Wouldnt worry about it, you will probly get HGF long before and you normally change the belt when that happens anyway.....

The big unreliable* K-Series myth

*if it was made by Audi you'd never hear about it

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:10 pm

so I am right in saying that the services are now: A B A C ? I'm gonna need a new service book before long....

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:18 pm

A A B, A A C used to be the way. IIRC, a C is a B with the belts done, so:-

If there's a change, that would mean the following pattern:-

A A B C?

A C after a B seems a bit OTT, so

A A B A(+belts) A C?

Sheesh, this is far too confusing. I'm off for lunch...

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:24 pm

GregR wrote:A A B, A A C used to be the way. IIRC, a C is a B with the belts done, so:-

If there's a change, that would mean the following pattern:-

A A B C?

A C after a B seems a bit OTT, so

A A B A(+belts) A C?

Sheesh, this is far too confusing. I'm off for lunch...

cheers mate. after search managed to work that out, what with people talking about a and belts etc.

will keep the service book in order though(obsessive faction)

i'm due an A now, then next will be B and belts

as after the C it was 17 months till the A(don't want to do 4 1/2 years between timing belts)

def lunchtime now.....

Jude it is then.

mac · Post by **mac** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:39 pm

Tom,

You can do the C at my place if you want (with supervison provided) since your on a spannering course.

Mac

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:49 pm

mac wrote:Tom,

You can do the C at my place if you want (with supervison provided) since your on a spannering course.

Mac

thanks for the offer mate, but I'm going to keep the service record up at the moment, as I'm gonna be a student for the next 4 years and may have to sell at some point.