It's not £1k for a planned replacement of a cam belt, that's a couple of hundred probably, depending on what else is changed at the same time. This bill is to repair all the collateral damage from one breaking unexpectedly when the engine is running. Definitely an engine out job, and a lot more besides.
Sell S-max on Ebay to highest bidder .
Someoen always thinks they can fix the unfixable for 12p ( what they actualy do is steal a donor vehicle and swap the head over )
Then with your £479 buy a proper shed to see you through 3mths of motoring and save like hell for a PCP deposit.
Sorry for your loss
Is it the Wet belt ?
If so, new engine time.
Probably £5k it thereabouts, double that from Ford.
It’s not £1k for a planned replacement of a cam belt, that’s a couple of hundred probably, depending on what else is changed at the same time. This bill is to repair all the collateral damage from one breaking unexpectedly when the engine is running. Definitely an engine out job, and a lot more besides.
It was the previous poster that suggested 1k to just change the belt.
On my car it’s close to that if you change the £300 water pump (due every other belt change) and rollers/tensioner, I couldn’t imagine that on a mainstream Ford unless access is a problem.
3.45k. I still have the valve from my old polo which was a petrol and went in Congleton on the A34 years ago. Think I paid £400 which was about 30% of the car value. I’d expect about the same.
Why fix the nackered engine?
Just drop a new motor in it. When I hydrolocked the engine on that daft Golf GTI I had I just bought a new motor. The breakers yards will be full of them. Cost me 200 quid. Took a morning and 400 quid to fit it at a local garage. While the new engine was out it seemed daft not to put a new cam belt on it while they were at it.
So 600 quid, all in
Just had a look on fleabay motors and you’re looking at 375-600 for an engine. I know a good local garage who can fit it for you
It was the previous poster that suggested 1k to just change the belt.
Yeah, I used 'replace' when I meant 'restore belt and belt related accoutrements. As in pick out bits of old belt, replace bent broken and leaking tensioners, driven accessories etc, which tend not to like the sudden change in tension.
Then do the rest of the engine.
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Will be costly to strip and repair, just replace from a breaker with one with good service history or do the above
Have a STW car repair morning .
Buy bare engine from Ebay , Breakeryard.net , gumtree etc
Get new cambelt , waterpump , tensioners , clutch , dual mass
Organise a group of internet weirdos with a box of spanners each to come round and "help" remove old engine , strip all ancilary parts , rebuid as neccessary and drop it back in.
If you use the old injectors they wont need coding , if they even do on a Ford.
Aircon could be a challenge , but hiring a hoist , or buying one and reselling straight after could work out really cheap
Otherwise its a clutch alignment tool , and maybe some dowel pins to hold all the timing parts in place , oh and biscuits . lots of biscuits
Single-track mind.
WWE royal rumble will ensue.
There will be bits of car from here to Preston
Be lots of bits left over and lots of arguing about who didn't tighten that bolt that's just shot off into orbit at first start.
Thats if the bonnet even gets opened after someone spots a bike or 2 in the garage , then it gets abit humblr braggy about niche riding steeds , burr grinders , and obscure coffee beans
Got a contact with a local engine specialist. Will discuss repair or replace option, but it'll have to wait until Tuesday so I'm in limbo, which is doing my swede in. I just want to get it sorted. NOW!
In the meantime, can you get a full sized person in the third row of seats on a Galaxy? My spotty pre-teen has grown out of the SMax.
In the meantime, can you get a full sized person in the third row of seats on a Galaxy?
Yes, you can... as long as they’re not especially tall.
Yes, you can… as long as they’re not especially tall.
Hmmm... he'll be a six footer in a couple of years. Will have to cram his sister or the MiL in the boot for family trips.
Chain engines ftw.
Chain engines ftw
You mean service interval of Ignorance for the win.
Tensioner still wears out And the chain does have a change interval.
I bet all the BMW and vauxhall chain drive engine owners are not loving their chain drives
Except you're wrong.
They dont have service intervals, you just keep an eye on them for stretch etc, just as you should for any part on a car.
Ignorance is indeed bliss.
Repair costs?
More than the price of an On One but less than a Santa Cruz.
Best of luck.
They dont have service intervals, you just keep an eye on them for stretch etc, just as you should for any part on a car.
yep, beacause they are really accessable in their clear polycarboate housings with those millimeter markings on them in a really well lit, easily readable areas
They dont have service intervals, you just keep an eye on them for stretch etc, just as you should for any part on a car.
Afair, the 1.8 tdci Ford engine has come in both chain and belt variations and the service interval was the same for both.
Just sayin', because I read something badly informed about timing chains.
£3k. Engine stuffed. Written Off. Bollocks.
Tow it somewhere quiet and torch it.
Shitbag, what's the actual damage?
As the garages description of stuffed, and actually properly stuffed might be two slightly different things.
Spoke to a few engine people over the last couple of days. Repair costs are £1000 absolute minumum rising to £3000 if damage extends beyond the head and valves. Got a PX value of the car as a runner from a mate in the motor trade and the finances don't add up.
I'd also have the faff of getting it moved.
Paid a depostit on another SMax that I'll look at tonight. Newer, higher spec, reasonable miles etc.
Ouch 🥴🤐
out of interest, what was the mileage and when was the belt changed?
any reason a new engine can't just be swapped in? bit of a gamble, but they appear to be <£1500 second hand
If you want a 2nd pair of eyes Andy let me know.
Happy to have a gander at it for you.
"Paid a deposit on another SMax that I’ll look at tonight. Newer, higher spec, reasonable miles etc."
Has the cam belt been serviced?
I thought Smax had a chain? My Mondeo did (2L TDCI)
If you want a 2nd pair of eyes Andy let me know.
Happy to have a gander at it for you.
Cheers mate. Evans Halshaw in Chorley. I'm going up at 6:00pm ish. Will WhatsApp you.
I thought Smax had a chain? My Mondeo did (2L TDCI)
This was a 1.8.
So they've given you the ballpark figures without tearing it down.
The way I see it is you've got two choices, slap it on ebay with an honest description, and get shot of it. Or if you're in any way mechanically minded and have the time, pull the top end off and assess the damage, then either fix with the minimum and sell as a runner with a recent cambelt change/drive into the floor, or put it on ebay with an honest description!
£500 if you got lucky or £2000 for either a rebuild or a recon engine and fitting.
any reason a new engine can’t just be swapped in? bit of a gamble, but they appear to be <£1500 second hand
Plenty apparently. I need relaibility so I'm happy to get shut. My kast car was in and out of the garage, this one was faultless for 6 years until last week.
The chain went on my van a couple of years ago - sold it to a lad at the garage for £300.
The engine wasn't too badly damaged - the parts plus his labour time to fix it would've cost me the best part of £1700 which was about what the van was worth should I have sold it.
£750 to do my Vauxhall chain, luckily wasn't stuffed though so got it done and ran it until I could organise a long term replacement.
Doesn't sound like an option for you but good luck.
Not worth prolonging the situation or chucking more money at it. We're going on holiday and need capacity for 6 people at the end of May. Without a vehicle it would cost another bucket load to rent a car. It was 2 weeks before the engine guy could even look at it, then it could have taken another 2 weeks or more. Not worth the risk.
If it had happened a week earlier I would have saved myself the expense of an MOT, tyres and brakes. But shit happens.
Time to cut my losses.
The new one has DAB, stop/start, cruise control and electric seats too 🙂
I presume you will still Chuck the carcass of the Smax on eBay?
Painful for you.
If it's any consolation, I had a Nissan Primera that was about 7 years old with the "bullet and bomb-proof" cam chain engine. Problem was no-one shot at it or tried to blow it up, but the chain snapped one day - car worthless. AA man said, "That never happens". I said, "Thanks for that".
Coincidence, I also had tyres changed just before for an MOT...also had the exhaust hanging off within a month.
Must have spent more than it was worth in a little under three months, got about half back when I traded it in for a Volvo...never looked back.
