Took the Focus in for it's MOT today, 06 reg, poverty spec, petrol, 62k miles. You may remember that earlier this year I drove to Le Mans and back on 3 cylinders (cured with new coil), also the front end is a bit clunky over potholes so I was fully expecting a fail, giving me the required excuse to chop it in fro something else. It passed, albeit with advisories on brake pads and front end.
Anyway - it was pre-paid and booked etc, but on arrival and after a short inquisition about when was it serviced and when was the cambelt changed, the bloke told me to write on the form that Halfords are absolved from any responsibility if the cambelt goes. I asked why, because that sounded to me like scaremongering and upselling, but he said they have to rev the car and it might go. I did point out that I'd been revving it all over the place!! After signing I googled and guidance seems to be 80k miles, no time mentioned, but he said there is also a time.
Whatever, it passed but I can't he;p thinking a more gullible customer may have been sucked in for some extra premature work...
Their MOT was only £30 btw which is cheap (although there are cheaper).
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The revving requirement must be the same at any test station, but I've never been asked to sign a waiver before. I agree - sounds like an upsell trap.
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The cambelt letting go disclaimer is commonplace for diesels IMX, not heard of it on a petrol car before; doesn't sound too unreasonable as I bet they do get the odd one letting go now and again and the punter kicking off 'you broke my car' etc.
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"After signing I googled and guidance seems to be 80k miles, no time mentioned, but he said there is also a time."
My wife's 52 Focus 1.6 petrol cam-belt change specs are at '100,000 miles or 10 years - whichever is the sooner'. Ours was done after 10 years, at 94k miles. It's now done 116k miles.
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My old Mondeo, before I bought was done at 80K. I had further problems at 120K when another "proper" cambelt job was done by my indie.
He showed me the rollers which were just about to shed the plastic rims as they had split.
Obviously they were originals and he said they should be changed at the same time as the cambelt.
A close escape.
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Depends on the consequence of failure I suppose as there may still be some petrols where the valves and pistons cannot meet. The CVH unit in Mk3 Escorts was a case in point.
Irrespective of mileage I'd be more than jumpy about a cambelt that's 10yo in a 'contact' engine. Had on let go on a Xantia at 75k - even though it had been replaced. The 2005 IDI Berlingo's began to fray well short of it's design life - one of the idlers began to fail. Fortunately the frayed edge was contacting the belt cover so there was an audible warning.
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The CVH unit in Mk3 Escorts was a case in point.
35 years ago! Should we indemnify the tester against bending the starting handle too?
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Funnily enough I had one go not long after being replaced too, on a different Focus. The indie had not replaced the guides or rollers or somesuch. Expensive business. The recovery took it to a Ford dealer and I had to pay for onward recovery to the indy, then pay him - h'de declined responsibility, saying I'd asked for the cambelt and not specified the other bits. Pretty disingenuous I thought, but he did accept part of the cost.
This one should have another 15k or so which is 2 years mileage which is longer than I plan to keep it. I already thought it was a goner earlier this year and I'm not about to spend a lot on it unless essential when I'm considering replacing. To me, it has no value but in truth it could be worth £1.5k part ex against the right car. Anything is a bonus.
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Funnily enough I had one go not long after being replaced too, on a different Focus. The indie had not replaced the guides or rollers or somesuch. Expensive business. The recovery took it to a Ford dealer and I had to pay for onward recovery to the indy, then pay him - h'de declined responsibility, saying I'd asked for the cambelt and not specified the other bits. Pretty disingenuous I thought, but he did accept part of the cost.
Which is why, when paying for major work, you should always pay for any parts that are easily replaceable while the car is in bits and to replace them on their own would attract a major bill.
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Yes, I've done that on a number of occasions. However I didn't think I'd need to tell a trained mechanic exactly what to replace - I thought a cambelt change would include the related bits.
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Just had the Roomster's cambelt changed. Dealer offered two prices, including or excluding a change of water pump. Pump was about £50 and a bit of extra time to fit.
No brainer really.
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Halfords MOT - WillDeBeest
