Cambelt question

[Slashmb]

Evening all,

I was at the mother-in-law's earlier today and while I was there she was on the phone to get her car booked in for a service.

They asked her if she wanted to have the cambelt changed as the car is 5 years old and quoted about £380 for the full service with the belt change. The thing is the car has only done 12,000 miles so does it really need doing and would you risk not having it done.

I know they do degrade with age and not just mileage but surely it'll be ok.

Its a Clio Campus 1.2 btw.

[Slashmb]

Thanks for replies chaps.

I had a cambelt snap on my car about 10 years ago. It should have been done at 70,000 miles and it snapped at 70,124. I had no intention of changing it but £17 later for the new belt, a Haynes manual and about 4 hours one saturday afternoon all was well again. Lucky to get away with it.

I understand that the Renault 1.2 is an interference engine so maybe I should be telling the MIL to get the belt done. I'm nearly tempted to say I'll do it for her but if I screw it up it's not my car. Are they hard to do on a Clio?

[Slashmb]

Dangerous Dan said:

Dracoro said:

£380 for belt and service seems a good price, many cars need a fair amount of labour for a belt change (Audi I'm looking at you!!)

+1

I think most Renault cam belts are every 5 years or every 72,000 miles, whichever is sooner. Or at least it is on my 04 Megane.

Personally, I'd get it done. Moreso because the car has done so few miles. How is the rest of the car mechanically?

It's all fine AFAIK otherwise she would have asked me what to do about it if anything had gone wrong. I'm inclined to leave the belt for the time being and maybe tell her to get it done next year. It is a bad time for her as their house needs a new roof but thats a different thread really.


In 14 years driving I've never had a cambelt done when the manufacturers say so. I am of the understanding that our current car has a chain and so doesn't need changing.