Servicing schedule when car is older than first registration
Discussion
Posted in the Fiat forum but probably a general question to be fair as I imagine it must happen occasionally?
2018 Abarth 124 Spider, owned from new. This is a version with a numbered build plaque which I am led to believe were built in 2016 but not registered in the UK until 2018. (I think all were possibly built in 2016 tbh)
The conundrum... when should the cam belt be replaced?
Cam belt should be replaced every 6 years. I've taken out a service plan which includes cam belt on service 6, this will be 2024, but 6 years from manufacture will be 2022.
Should I pay to have it done now or wait until service plan change in 2 years time?
2018 Abarth 124 Spider, owned from new. This is a version with a numbered build plaque which I am led to believe were built in 2016 but not registered in the UK until 2018. (I think all were possibly built in 2016 tbh)
The conundrum... when should the cam belt be replaced?
Cam belt should be replaced every 6 years. I've taken out a service plan which includes cam belt on service 6, this will be 2024, but 6 years from manufacture will be 2022.
Should I pay to have it done now or wait until service plan change in 2 years time?
V5 States, declared new at first registration with a date of 25/04/2018
From what I gather the Abarth versions were built by Mazda, sent to Italy to be 'abarthed' (technical term that
) and then around 1500 were fitted with numbered plaques.
These were then released around Europe steadily, starting in 2018 but going through to 2020. In theory some of the cars registered new in 2020 could be 4 years old by that point.
However. The above information has come about from enthusiasts digging into the marque and not from main dealers who seem to know surprisingly little about them anyway.
From what I gather the Abarth versions were built by Mazda, sent to Italy to be 'abarthed' (technical term that
) and then around 1500 were fitted with numbered plaques.These were then released around Europe steadily, starting in 2018 but going through to 2020. In theory some of the cars registered new in 2020 could be 4 years old by that point.
However. The above information has come about from enthusiasts digging into the marque and not from main dealers who seem to know surprisingly little about them anyway.
wpa1975 said:
Pica-Pica said:
From a technical aspect, then for fluids, I would take from build date. For mechanical items, I would take from first registration.
I am not sure I agree sorry, cam belts are age dependent as they degrade over time, it has a life of 6 years from when it was fitted.It does not mean that a cambelt in a box, or indeed in an unused but built engine, will degrade in 6 years.
Otherwise, best not think about how "new" the new/replacement belts that are installed are - many will have been on a shelf somewhere for a lot more than a couple of years!!
SuperPav said:
A cambelt degrades "over time" when used - the interval is calculated and specified to ensure that cars that don't do enough miles (but do miles) still get it replaced as it stretches and goes through heat cycles etc.
It does not mean that a cambelt in a box, or indeed in an unused but built engine, will degrade in 6 years.
Otherwise, best not think about how "new" the new/replacement belts that are installed are - many will have been on a shelf somewhere for a lot more than a couple of years!!
Thats a fair point actually and not something I'd really considered. It does not mean that a cambelt in a box, or indeed in an unused but built engine, will degrade in 6 years.
Otherwise, best not think about how "new" the new/replacement belts that are installed are - many will have been on a shelf somewhere for a lot more than a couple of years!!
SuperPav said:
wpa1975 said:
Pica-Pica said:
From a technical aspect, then for fluids, I would take from build date. For mechanical items, I would take from first registration.
I am not sure I agree sorry, cam belts are age dependent as they degrade over time, it has a life of 6 years from when it was fitted.It does not mean that a cambelt in a box, or indeed in an unused but built engine, will degrade in 6 years.
Otherwise, best not think about how "new" the new/replacement belts that are installed are - many will have been on a shelf somewhere for a lot more than a couple of years!!
Plus a world of difference from it sitting on a shelf to being on a car under tension regardless of being used or not.
SistersofPercy said:
Mileage is 22k I add so nowhere near that particular milestone.
I'm intrigued that it's worth buying a service plan for such a low mileage car.I base my servicing on overall use cycle of the car - so a combination of age, mileage and my knowledge of short journeys/long journeys etc.
Cam belts don't usually snap 10 minutes after the recommended change time. Nor do they usually snap 10 miles after any recommended change mileage.
A cam belt that's spent 10,000 miles sitting in stop start traffic jams is likely to have taken a significantly greater beating than on that's 10,000 motorway miles.
Ship engines, aircraft engines and tractor engines base their maintenance on "engine hours". There's a message there somewhere.
Panamax said:
I'm intrigued that it's worth buying a service plan for such a low mileage car.
I base my servicing on overall use cycle of the car - so a combination of age, mileage and my knowledge of short journeys/long journeys etc.
Cam belts don't usually snap 10 minutes after the recommended change time. Nor do they usually snap 10 miles after any recommended change mileage.
A cam belt that's spent 10,000 miles sitting in stop start traffic jams is likely to have taken a significantly greater beating than on that's 10,000 motorway miles.
Ship engines, aircraft engines and tractor engines base their maintenance on "engine hours". There's a message there somewhere.
Service plan was a bit of a steal from a dealer down south and worked out cheaper than the cam change on its own. I confess it's not my car, it's the other half and I tend to leave him to it, but it was a question that he asked me earlier and I could make arguments for it either way.I base my servicing on overall use cycle of the car - so a combination of age, mileage and my knowledge of short journeys/long journeys etc.
Cam belts don't usually snap 10 minutes after the recommended change time. Nor do they usually snap 10 miles after any recommended change mileage.
A cam belt that's spent 10,000 miles sitting in stop start traffic jams is likely to have taken a significantly greater beating than on that's 10,000 motorway miles.
Ship engines, aircraft engines and tractor engines base their maintenance on "engine hours". There's a message there somewhere.
It's fast becoming quite a rare car and is currently worth about £3k more than we paid the lease company for it so I guess it's an asset he wants to look after. Can't see him wanting to part with this one any time soon, despite my pleading for a Mustang
wpa1975 said:
If it was me I would be basing the cam belt on when it was built, registration date does not matter.
Exactly that.Even if the car didn't move in the time between VIN stamping and registration, the rubber in the belt is still getting older, so for me, the stop watch is running
wpa1975 said:
If it was me I would be basing the cam belt on when it was built, registration date does not matter.
This can't be true. As all cars have to be built first before being registered. So every car is always older than its registration. I'd suspect in most cases at least 6 months.... although it would depend where in the World they are built and in what numbers.Panamax said:
You are indeed a wise woman. Just make sure it's a convertible.
Absolutely!300bhp/ton said:
This can't be true. As all cars have to be built first before being registered. So every car is always older than its registration. I'd suspect in most cases at least 6 months.... although it would depend where in the World they are built and in what numbers.
I can make arguments for both sides, thats why it's frustrating.There is nothing on the V5 or any paperwork with the car that suggests it was built in 2016, everything says 2018. It's only through digging that I know that fact.
It's been main dealer serviced and stamped from new, they have the cam scheduled in based on the 2018 date as well.
SistersofPercy said:
Panamax said:
You are indeed a wise woman. Just make sure it's a convertible.
Absolutely!300bhp/ton said:
This can't be true. As all cars have to be built first before being registered. So every car is always older than its registration. I'd suspect in most cases at least 6 months.... although it would depend where in the World they are built and in what numbers.
I can make arguments for both sides, thats why it's frustrating.There is nothing on the V5 or any paperwork with the car that suggests it was built in 2016, everything says 2018. It's only through digging that I know that fact.
It's been main dealer serviced and stamped from new, they have the cam scheduled in based on the 2018 date as well.
Think of it this way though. Would you expect the warranty to start at the build date or the registration/sale date date (on the assumption many/most new cars are only registered at the time of sale).
I'd say all "servicing'" durations would also start from the registration/sale date. As the won't have done anything in the intervening time. I guess if it was 10, 15 or 20 years you might want to be more proactive. But less than 2 years isn't anything really.
wpa1975 said:
Pica-Pica said:
From a technical aspect, then for fluids, I would take from build date. For mechanical items, I would take from first registration.
I am not sure I agree sorry, cam belts are age dependent as they degrade over time, it has a life of 6 years from when it was fitted.Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff