Timing belt - when to change?

Hi, I'm after a bit of timing belt advice.
My wife has a 2003 C3 auto 1.4, we bought it 4 years ago with 40k miles and had the timing belt and water pump done then, it now has 60k miles.
In my Haynes manual it says every 40k miles for changing the belt but doesn't mention time, any thoughts please ?

The timing belts will do 80k miles.

The Citroen service schedule says to change pertol timing belts at 80k

Haynes is over cautious, but with good reasoning.

The reasoning is that the cost if a belt is small compared to the labour charge of doing the work when failure can write off an engine.

The belt should be changed, along with the tensioner, idler and waterpump before 80k or 10 years of use. This is because bearing and belts start to show this age and although those parts may run well after 80k or 10 years, al least one of them will fail soon.

Thanks for the reply, I am surprised at that interval by Citroen..

kjharry wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:38 pm Thanks for the reply, I am surprised at that interval by Citroen..

The technology for timing belts have really moved on. The diesel C3 from 2002 is listed at 150,000 timing belt change intervals

Will this time/ mileage scale apply to Diesel engines also? My wife has 2012 with 34.5k on clock.

Hi

This was information from 2002 for the 2002 to 2009 C3

You need to identify which engine you have and ask in the diesel engine section.

There are other things that might change the belt replacement interval.
The water pump and the idler/tensioner pulley.
The water pump can leak or seize and the idler's bearing might collapse. Either of those will cause belt damage. That's why they should be changed at the same time as the belt.
Companies like Gates do kits that combine all those items.
The 1.4 has an inspection cover over the top of the camshaft sprocket. It's held in place by 2 shouldered bolts. So it's easy enough to look at the the belt periodically. Some engines do not have an easy way to inspect the belt. The rub "bands" that you see across the belt are normal.
If the belt gets shiny, cracked, frayed or in any way looks "tired" replace it!
Oil contamination on the belt will very quickly reduce it's service life. So if an oil leak soaks the belt, the belt should be replaced ASAP. Even if the belt was replaced not long ago.
I would not normally worry about "time" as an indicator for the belts. That is; 5 years, 10 years, 15 years. As the belts will remain serviceable for decades if unused. Certainly the mileage in the belt will happen way before you get to the time expiration...normally!! HOWEVER, that car is now 20 years old and I would suspect that the belt has never been changed? A 20 year old belt and 40K on the clock would concern me. Again it's a numbers game..a bet! Do you bet that "statistically" the belt is OK?

A good tip is to write in the engine bay in indelible ink, the date and mileage that the belt was changed. That way that information can never be lost!

Those service intervals are for OEM belts. THE QUALITY OF BELTS CAN VERY! Stick with OEM or known brands! If you pay a cheap price for a belt...that might be what you get!

I've seen belts that look good from the outside but it was a portion of the teeth that got stripped off, rather than a snap or a wear through from the smooth side.

It is very difficult to inspect a cam belt with any certantity of the life that is left in it.

Best to just change it, and as you say, all the other bits that can affect the life of the belt too - that's why they come as a kit of parts.


Oil on the cam belt is usually bad, but watch out for those new fangled cam belt in the engine oil - engines that have made an appearance on the C3. Whatever next?

My son's C4's timing belt tensioner bearing was damaged and this caused the belt to become misaligned and drag along the block. There is NO timing belt inspection cover in the EW10J4S engine! If there had been, he may have been able to save his engine!! Yes, the belt broke and made the car uneconomical to repair! So I have cause for alarm.
Just saying, if you inspect this belt from time to time you might save your self a big headache. And it's just 2 screws!

Not saying that you will catch every failure, stuff happens. But it certainly happens more to people who don't pay attention!

By far the biggest cause of timing belt failure is that they wear out! They are simply not replaced within the service interval and are forced way beyond their service life.