C3 1.4 Sx Timing Belt

[Smilie]

hi

 

need some help here

i have a C3 1.4 SX, 04 reg

brought it 2nd hand about 3 years ago (when it was 11,00 miles)

and now with 26,000 miles on the clock

 

my last service was close to 2 years ago

i didnt go for a service as the service book say annual service only needed for 20,000 or 2 years

 

so now its due for service MOT and stuff quite soon

 

recenctly i got a few letters from Citreon dealer

saying my brake fluid needs changing, coolant needs changing

and just today, my timing belt needs changing

 

so im wondering

is my timing really due to be changed??

whats the life span of a C3 1.4 timing belt??

 

and if i do need to change it whats the price am i looking at??

 

thanks

[techbod]

break fluid should be checked as does the coolant but a timing belt at 26k " absolutely not " ask them to read their own info on this because its to be changes at 100k or 10 years but since my laptop went down ill have to load autodata on my computer to confirm this as I might be a few k miles out but it wont be that much.

[techbod]

well ive checked my data and its 75k or ten years,

 

not a hard job either if your technically auto minded.

 

perhaps the got the 2 mixed up and thought it was a 7 hence 75k and not 25k showing on the dash?.

[paul.h]

If you look in the car handbook/maintenance record book it gives the items for each service.

The coolant is a type that does not need regular replacement and the brake fluid is to be changed every 2 years since it gradually absorbs moisture and the boiling point lowers - this interval is normal for most cars.

 

You will find the actual service does not cover much - oil and filter and pollen filter change with a few checks. Things like brake servicing/spark plug replacement/air filter replacementy are extra or at a high mileage. One reason to keep the dealer servicing though is for when the front suspension coil springs break - Citroen will then replace them free of charge, even though it will be out of warranty.

 

The car will also be prone to fuel injector failure - to prevent this you need to seal around the windscreen washer jets and bonnet to stop rain dripping onto the injectors and also check the washer hoses connections under the bonnet do not drip - I replaced the hard plastic hose with a rubber type which seals better.

[Smilie]

well they haven't serviced my car for nearly 2 years

 

so maybe they saying my timing belt needs changing

by estimating my mileage??

 

they saying coolant change is gonna be £45 and brake fluid change is £40

are these prices good??

 

also any1 know what the price would be for a full service?

 

well i wont do any of these thing till around april as thats when my MOT is up

so might aswell do them all at that time

[techbod]

look else where for the job to be done you can get a full service cheaper,

 

as for the timing belt you either listen or don't ( 75k or 10 years ) cough your car is 4 yrs old lol..

[iannez]

the car is an 04 tech so coming up to 7 years old. i would change the belt at this age just to be on the safe side. the brake fluid is part of a major service so price should be included and if you get your anti-freeze changed while the car is in having the service a decent garage would only charge you for the fluid and not labour. around £350 should cover all depending on what part of the country your from.

[Smilie]

iannez

your £350 estimate is including timing belt??

 

also should i go to my dealer to to do all this (which most likely cost more)

last time (2 years ago) it cost around £200 for full service

 

or should i just go and do it in a independent garage?

 

does it really matter to have a manufacturer service history

if i do sell it off in the future

as the car is getting old anyway

would people bother that the service been done in a main dealer??

 

thanks for the advices guys

really appreciate it

[iannez]

thats about what we would charge (dealer). £200 - major service including brake fluid change.

£130 - timing belt fitted changed at time of service.

£20 - antifreeze changed at time of service.

its down to personal preference where you have the service done but if you use a dealer they should carry out a full diagnostic check and update your ecu software as part of the service.

[paul.h]

I know this adds to the cost, but if you decide to change the timing belt and its tensioner, it is worth also changing the water pump since this is driven by the timing belt and probably will not last forever. I would also consider replacing the thermostat, another item that will not last forever and requires draining of the anti freeze. This then helps the case for replacing the anti freeze.

 

If this helps, our C3 1.4 sx, 03 reg is now on 35k miles. It has had the dealer 2 year services and timing belt has not been mentioned. However, last year I removed the top cover over the belt (only 2 bolts ?) and the belt looked in good condition and also no signs of any oil contamination.

 

iannez - do your costs include the parts (belt, tensioner, anti freeze) - they seem reasonable and you will be giving a warranty of your work on the belt change which a DIY change will not provide.

[iannez]

tensioner would be another £20. our service price is the same across board but the timing belt price would depend on what engine was fitted to the car. 14hdi for example would be another £50 labour for timing belt. we make money off parts as well as labour so anything that needs replacing during a service and can be done so with little work would not have a labour charge.

[techbod]

i know this might sound silly but i would leave the timing belt/water pump and tensioners till the time it says it should be done if my memory serves well its another 3 years down the line,

 

its always the hard decisions that are the most difficult but in this case its financially better to follow the manufacturers regs and allow you to save mega money till when it has to be done ( it doesn't need doing at this time ) personal choice of course and lets not forget " the dealers always want your cash NOW " so just do the service and leave the rest,

 

another thing to consider is the fact the car has done nothing near the mileage to give reason to change the timing belt so my suggestion is to have it checked and personally I would change it only when its closer to the required mileage personal choice of course