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How to tell if it needs a new cambelt?



H

Hammock123

Hopefully gonna pick up a Clio this week but the dealer isn't 100% sure if its had the Cam n Aux belt changed.. I'm gonna get them done as soon as possible but my question is;

are there any tell tale signs they're about to go? Just that I'm driving it 150 miles home and I don't wanna cause any damage..?

cheers guys

​Harry
 
R

Russ_16v

  53 Clio's & counting
As dans said you could look at it but that still won't really give any indication on how long it will last mate
 
H

Hammock123

I know but i've budgeted to have one straight away, it's cheap as well.. The service history proves that it's been a very well looked after car too!
 
F

Filippo

  Passat
If he can't prove it's been done I'd be asking for £300-£400 off the asking price. If he declines - walk away. It's a buyers market so you have all the cards.

When you say, 'Ive budgeted to have one, its cheap as well' - Do you mean the car's cheap, or the cambelt fitting is cheap?
 
H

Hammock123

i've made him knock a fair bit off the price for that reason alone, and i i've budgeted around £450/500 to get the Belt done, seems about the right price?
 
F

Filippo

  Passat
Different price for different models. I can't honestly remember. You won't find an honest garage at a better price though - ill vouch for that. Around £400.
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
If it fails on the way home and its from a dealer you would get your money back under the sale of goods act.
 
B

bentley1

  clio 172
my 182 came with full history inc water pump timing belt and aux kit drove it home thought i would give it a service , new water pump leaking and cam timing retarded ,if your not sure change it
 
T

The Fatty

  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
Chip-mk1 said:
If it fails on the way home and its from a dealer you would get your money back under the sale of goods act.
Click to expand...

exactly what I was going to say. If it fails on the way home, its not fit for purpose and you should get your money back. You would also be very unlucky if it failed within 150miles of you having it!
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Hammock123 said:
Didn't even think of that!

Even if he's only a small dealer?
Click to expand...

Yes, even if he is a small dealer, makes no difference at all to his legal obligations.

Its TOTALLY different to a private sale, as there is an additional rule about fit for purpose, if your cambelt fails very soon after you get the car (and I mean even a month later never mind the first journey) they will be liable for it.
 
H

Hammock123

Really? I didn't realise they had that kind of obligation tbh, i could appreciate getting it home by like 20/30 miles but not a month :O This is filling me with a lot of confidence (Not that i was worried that much that the car was gonna die, just in general)
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Hammock123 said:
Really? I didn't realise they had that kind of obligation tbh, i could appreciate getting it home by like 20/30 miles but not a month :O This is filling me with a lot of confidence (Not that i was worried that much that the car was gonna die, just in general)
Click to expand...

Yes really, have a look at the sale of goods act 1979.
For private sales goods just have to be described honestly, so as long as they dont tell you the cambelt is new when it isnt you wouldnt have a leg to stand on if it failed, but in the case of trader sales they have to be "fit for purpose" and a car who's cambelt fails shortly after purchase isnt fit for purpose as you cant use it anymore.

I believe you would probably have an implied warranty of about 3 months on the major items like that, but check with citizens advice as im not a legally trained adviser, I am just repeating what I have heard from people who are when I used to write about such things as a motoring journalist, so while I believe what I am saying to be accurate I would still advise you check to be certain.
 
H

Hammock123

Chip-mk1 said:
Yes really, have a look at the sale of goods act 1979.
For private sales goods just have to be described honestly, so as long as they dont tell you the cambelt is new when it isnt you wouldnt have a leg to stand on if it failed, but in the case of trader sales they have to be "fit for purpose" and a car who's cambelt fails shortly after purchase isnt fit for purpose as you cant use it anymore.

I believe you would probably have an implied warranty of about 3 months on the major items like that, but check with citizens advice as im not a legally trained adviser, I am just repeating what I have heard from people who are when I used to write about such things as a motoring journalist, so while I believe what I am saying to be accurate I would still advise you check to be certain.
Click to expand...


I'll give that a read later on tonight, i read everything with a pinch of salt so would always read into things in more detail, not that i'm saying you're not trustworthy though, appreciate all the advice i've been lucky to get in my short time posting on this forum !
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Section 14 of the sale of goods act 1979 is the bit you need to look into:

Take from here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/54

14 Implied terms about quality or fitness.(1)Except as provided by this section and section 15 below and subject to any other enactment, there is no implied [F11term] about the quality or fitness for any particular purpose of goods supplied under a contract of sale.
[F12(2)Where the seller sells goods in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the goods supplied under the contract are of satisfactory quality.
(2A)For the purposes of this Act, goods are of satisfactory quality if they meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking account of any description of the goods, the price (if relevant) and all the other relevant circumstances.
Click to expand...

Section 14 states goods dont have implications about fitness for purpose or quality, but the later subsections then detail that the exception to this is when the goods are sold in the course of business, then there IS implied fit for purpose, and in the case of a car, a major failure such as the cambelt would stop it being considered fit for purpose.
 
Beasley Clio182

Beasley Clio182

They did mine very well took good pride quick job but I supplied all the bits myself as I get them all at staff rate from renault ! But defo take it there mate ! My timing must have been slight out as it pulled loads better after !
 
D

Dan@SJM

There actually isn't a time limit, it's just a case of fit for purpose and last a reasonable amount of time!


I.e, you'd just bought it for £25. And then it broke down, what can you expect? You paid £25 for a running car.

However if you paid going rate for it, you expect it to last for a reasonable amount of time.
 
E

Ek-greeny

This^

not many people know, but this is also true for a privately sold vehicle, although more difficult to police if things did happen
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Dan@SJM said:
There actually isn't a time limit, it's just a case of fit for purpose and last a reasonable amount of time!


I.e, you'd just bought it for £25. And then it broke down, what can you expect? You paid £25 for a running car.

However if you paid going rate for it, you expect it to last for a reasonable amount of time.
Click to expand...

Yeah the SOGA mentions taking into account the price paid and what people would consider reasonable, I was told my a citizens advice legal advisor though that they generally work to a rule of thumb of 3 months if talking about an older used car, ie like 10 years old or so, if it was a nearly new car it would be different and if you are paying under or over market value can have an effect too.
 
F

Filippo

  Passat
I appreciate that this is statutory - but a dodgy garage would not roll over with out a fight.

I bought a Fiesta Si years when I was 18 that turned out to be an absolute hound within a week. Took it back to the garage and the guy was quite willing to offer threats of violence rather than our money back.

Eventually we had to take it to where it had its MOT and they gave us the cash to stop us going to the police.
 
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