Timing belt interval... how much leeway

[Yarp]

As above, the belt has just turned 6 but in that time it’s done about 3k miles and then sat still for 4 years apart from being ran up to temp every few months. Can I leave it or is time just as important as wear with them?

 

[gez 172]

It’s always a gamble - I’ve known some to go for years and years with overdue belts.

it’s all about risk.

 

[JamesBryan]

Just done the cambelt on mine and it was 18 months overdue, so 6 and a half years old.

It looked almost new after only doing 5k miles a year.

The aux belt is the one that will cause problems. Mine was just 3 years old and looked worn, however the tensioner was mint.

 

[Yarp]

Seems fair. It’s got a new aux kit on which was a massive ball ache of a job but the timing belt def isn’t something I’d ever try. For the risk of £300 for a new engine if it all goes wrong or £73626517253 to change, it I think I’ll take the risk for a while. It looks brand new still to be honest

 

[R3k1355]

My last Clio wasn't nearly 4 years overdue when it was sold.

No definitively not

 

[jameswrx]

I work in a garage and honestly the timing belt snapping issue is very, very rare. Most people’s cars we see have been neglected and often on belts way over the service time

What does tend to happen quite often is people’s aux belts snap and take out the timing belt then that usually gets turned into “the timing belt went”

Generally if a timing belt is done the aux belt will get done and th

If there has been a timing belt issue it’s usually more likely to be from a failed tensioner or idler or poor fitting of a recently done belt.

That’s why I’m quite keen for people to have aux belts sorted if any cracking is showing during service inspections (although people often want to leave something til it breaks)

I’m certainly not saying don’t get it done and in fact do get it done as it’ll often highlight other issue but I can say I did a clio a few months ago that was 4 years overdue, belt looked perfect. The aux belt and crank pulley looked tired and could have let go at any 6krpm moment.

I’m currently going through timing belt jobs on a classic collection for a friend/customer (private) and all the belts look perfect and all 5-8 years old.

 

[Jason_E]

I'd rather run a car with a belt over on mileage than one thats older on date.

Every 5 years regardless of mileage is the recommended interval, if someone lists a Clio 182 with the mileage of the last change rather than age, I can bet its gone at least 5 years or more and they're trying to hide it...

If its your car, and you're happy to take the risk then YOLO. If you're looking to sell a car, I'd change it.

 

[Yarp]

I work in a garage and honestly the timing belt snapping issue is very, very rare. Most people’s cars we see have been neglected and often on belts way over the service time

What does tend to happen quite often is people’s aux belts snap and take out the timing belt then that usually gets turned into “the timing belt went”

Generally if a timing belt is done the aux belt will get done and th

If there has been a timing belt issue it’s usually more likely to be from a failed tensioner or idler or poor fitting of a recently done belt.

That’s why I’m quite keen for people to have aux belts sorted if any cracking is showing during service inspections (although people often want to leave something til it breaks)

I’m certainly not saying don’t get it done and in fact do get it done as it’ll often highlight other issue but I can say I did a clio a few months ago that was 4 years overdue, belt looked perfect. The aux belt and crank pulley looked tired and could have let go at any 6krpm moment.

I’m currently going through timing belt jobs on a classic collection for a friend/customer (private) and all the belts look perfect and all 5-8 years old.

pretty much the answer I’m looking for 👌. Leave it for a while it is 😊

 

[botfch]

My vans still on the original belt 130k on the clock, 15yrs old.

I debate changing it every year then I think nah it’s worthless now anyway.

 

[Krarl]

My old dCi was about 4 years overdue on its belt and possibly about 100k over the specified mileage

When I whipped the belt off it was like it had done 2 years and about 20k. No shine to any parts of the belt, the aux belt was the same age and had about 3 cracks in it. I did my aux belt on my 175 Meg, that was the factory belt and it had 2 cracks in the whole 1705mm belt, 13 years and 130k old. The tensioner had only just started to make noise too but still rolled fairly smoothly

 

[scullyg40]

I'd rather run a car with a belt over on mileage than one thats older on date.

Every 5 years regardless of mileage is the recommended interval

I agree, but interesting thing is that my wife's 2015 Audi A3 only prescribes a mileage of 210000 km's, and no age. I mean, a belt is a belt right? Or have they changed over the years, quality/construction wise?

 

[R3k1355]

Some are different to others.

It's 100k miles on the 1.0 turbo Ford engines IIRC?

 

[Krarl]

Some are different to others.

It's 100k miles on the 1.0 turbo Ford engines IIRC?

And a headgasket every 15 minutes 😂 😂

 

[Jason_E]

I know I keep talking about resale but...

It’s also nice when you’re viewing a car and it has a stamp/receipt every 5 years for the belt.

 

[Usr117063]

Right so I done the aux belt not long ago does that mean I have another 5 years? 😋

 

[Krarl]

Right so I done the aux belt not long ago does that mean I have another 5 years? 😋

On the belt... Probably

If you still have the spring tensioner then definitely not 😂

 

[Usr117063]

On the belt... Probably

If you still have the spring tensioner then definitely not 😂

No ac or pas

 

[Krarl]

No ac or pas

Best way mate

I run a 4pk845 on my clio with no PAS or AC. Saves so much room! Although I must have caught a stone or something with no undertray because it has a slight nick in it now

 

[Usr117063]

Best way mate

I run a 4pk845 on my clio with no PAS or AC. Saves so much room! Although I must have caught a stone or something with no undertray because it has a slight nick in it now

Hm it is quite open to the road aint it. I want to stick the undertray back on tbf, so I dont have to look at all the leaks when I jack the car up!

 

[Krarl]

Hm it is quite open to the road aint it. I want to stick the undertray back on tbf, so I dont have to look at all the leaks when I jack the car up!

Just make a massive splitter 😂

That's my workaround anyway hahaha

 

[Martin_172]

there's plenty out there popping up with snapped belts that I bet were on their original belt of 15yrs+

Most of the ones I've seen have been aux belt/tensioner failure that's taken out the cam belt.

if its done 3k miles on its current belt there's not a chance in hell id be changing it! but id do an aux kit on it. HOWEVER if i was buying one and the owner told me it had only done 3k miles on its current belt, id be doing it, Worth keeping in mind if your selling...

 

[Yarp]

there's plenty out there popping up with snapped belts that I bet were on their original belt of 15yrs+

Most of the ones I've seen have been aux belt/tensioner failure that's taken out the cam belt.

if its done 3k miles on its current belt there's not a chance in hell id be changing it! but id do an aux kit on it. HOWEVER if i was buying one and the owner told me it had only done 3k miles on its current belt, id be doing it, Worth keeping in mind if your selling...

yeah, got no intention of selling any time soon so no problems there. On advice above I had the aux belt off today and that’s a totally different story....

 

[leeds2592]

Seems like you caught it in time.

Should have just gone the whole hog, taken the engine out, done the belts, done the clutch, bang the engine back in with the addition of the spooly boy.

 

[Yarp]

Seems like you caught it in time.

Should have just gone the whole hog, taken the engine out, done the belts, done the clutch, bang the engine back in with the addition of the spooly boy.

funny you say that mind cos I was looking at it today thinking “you stupid b*****d” 😂😂. Looked back over the paperwork when I had the engine changed and I had the timing belt kit done but there’s no receipt for the aux. Bet the t***s have put the old belt back on

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Birds C4 was on original belt (08), their interval is 100k or every 10 years

Citroen should have adjusted their service intervals for my Mrs, about half would seem right however the car is generally well serviced and on 80k. However stood for around a year before she had it, suggests that perhaps time is just as important as miles (maybe more?). either way it had done 3 years overtime without pay so spat its croissant out and ruined my Saturday.

Belt looks no better than the Clio's (design/quality wise) so they must have reduced interval because of all the little chavs ragging the s**t out of them, aux belt bulk factor and the desire to ream more customers at service time. Rest of the belt looked fine, no cracking etc.

Jumped 2 teeth but didn't hurt anything (so dodged the scrap man for another day). I would be fine with 5-8 years on the 182 timing belt as long as the aux was done as per book (which they reduced from 5 years to 3 due to failures), however 8-10 years would be giving me the willies.

Timing belt isn't much harder than the aux, should have rolled your sleeves up lad

 

[DaveL485]

Based on my ownership of well over a hundred various Renault's over the last 24 years, the general approach I take is mileage driven. I have never had a belt fail and in fact i've never even taken one off that looks close to failure.

Always change the belts on purchase unless there is definitive proof of change with date/mileage.

If a belt has done little mileage i'll extend the time interval by up to 50%, so my Clio V6 was done in 2015, has done under 10k miles and I plan to change the belt for the 2022 show season. I ran my 21 Turbo like this for 20 years before it was decomissioned for resto in 2018.
If a belt is around half mileage i'll extend it 12 months or so. Usually applies to her runaround, or my 2nd car.
If a belt is close to mileage then it gets done on time, which usually applied to my daily.
Finally if a belt hits mileage before time i'll change it on mileage. Think thats only happened once though.

Aux belts are generally a shorter interval and I tend to do these on sight, as they are easy to inspect with a torch, even on the Vee.

 

[Yarp]

Birds C4 was on original belt (08), their interval is 100k or every 10 years

View attachment 1504006

View attachment 1504007

Citroen should have adjusted their service intervals for my Mrs, about half would seem right however the car is generally well serviced and on 80k. However stood for around a year before she had it, suggests that perhaps time is just as important as miles (maybe more?). either way it had done 3 years overtime without pay so spat its croissant out and ruined my Saturday.

Belt looks no better than the Clio's (design/quality wise) so they must have reduced interval because of all the little chavs ragging the s**t out of them, aux belt bulk factor and the desire to ream more customers at service time. Rest of the belt looked fine, no cracking etc.

Jumped 2 teeth but didn't hurt anything (so dodged the scrap man for another day). I would be fine with 5-8 years on the 182 timing belt as long as the aux was done as per book (which they reduced from 5 years to 3 due to failures), however 8-10 years would be giving me the willies.

Timing belt isn't much harder than the aux, should have rolled your sleeves up lad

With a lack of genuine timing tools and only experience of timing being old valuxhall 8v lumps where timing could be “about right” knowing there wouldn’t be valve piston contact, I think that could be a recipe for disaster 😂

Based on my ownership of well over a hundred various Renault's over the last 24 years, the general approach I take is mileage driven. I have never had a belt fail and in fact i've never even taken one off that looks close to failure.

Always change the belts on purchase unless there is definitive proof of change with date/mileage.

If a belt has done little mileage i'll extend the time interval by up to 50%, so my Clio V6 was done in 2015, has done under 10k miles and I plan to change the belt for the 2022 show season. I ran my 21 Turbo like this for 20 years before it was decomissioned for resto in 2018.
If a belt is around half mileage i'll extend it 12 months or so. Usually applies to her runaround, or my 2nd car.
If a belt is close to mileage then it gets done on time, which usually applied to my daily.
Finally if a belt hits mileage before time i'll change it on mileage. Think thats only happened once though.

Aux belts are generally a shorter interval and I tend to do these on sight, as they are easy to inspect with a torch, even on the Vee.

yeah the aux is minging but timing looks ok. No easily identifiable cracks.

Next question... anyone got a link to a well priced aux kit?

 

[MLB]

I got my aux belt kit from kamracing. Bit cheaper than RPD.

Renault OE Auxiliary Belt Kit - Renault Clio Mk2 RS 172 / 182 *Air Con*

Renault Part number 7701477519 is the auxiliary belt for Renault Clio 172 and 182 models with air conditioning as standard.

www.kamracing.co.uk

 

[npt]

I would just change it if it was me, if your only doing timing belt kit with no dephaser it's only around £320 mark on a cup fitted by someone who knows what their doing, not a lot of cash for piece of mind imo

 

[yeecup]

aux belt failed on my old ph1 172 which was overdue its belts by about a year, took out the cambelt and mashed 16 valves as i was driving up a hill leaving work one night, ruined my week that did. *sigh*

 

[Alastair.]

Did 7 years on my 172 ph1, cambelt and aux belt. Cambelt was fine when i took it off, aux belt was cracked to buggery though.