Oil light on the car ...

[subaqua]

Thing is, chains snap too. Unofrtunately, changing a chain every 8-10 years like a belt isn't economically feasible.

Again depends entirely on the engine . Some are easier than changing the belt as less to remove to change .

 

[cyberknight]

[QUOTE 4713552, member: 9609"]I didn't think they put timing chains on cars now, I thought they were all belts - how many miles has it got on, I would have thought a chain would be good for 200k on a car, I'm sure when they are bad they make a hell of a racket. Mind you if it snaps you need a new enginge so you have to make the right choice.[/QUOTE]
9 years old , 40 k miles on it. i have read a couple of posts on my make of the engine going phoom at 45 k

 

[screenman]

[QUOTE 4713695, member: 9609"]we had quite a number of Mercs and they were always chains, never had any bother with them or no anyone who had bother with them, the scanias were chains (just short ones as they are push rod) and they would easily do up to a million and well beyond.

My citreon van has a belt, I know that cause I changed it last year. I thought they were on all new engines but may be not, my wifes car has the suspect VW diesel motor in, I have no idea if that is belt or chain[/QUOTE]

Belt, if it is the same one I had.

 

[Drago]

I'd be surprised if a modern belt went ping after 9 years when many manufacturers have 10 year intervals.

The Ford Fusion of elderliness was 11 when I bought it, still on then original belt (10 year intervals). A Gates belt kit and Ford water pump were under a hundred quid, and the job took me 2.5hrs. The hardest part was refitting the stupid Ford stretch belt on the alternator as I don't have the correct tool, but I managed.

Belts are relatively cheap and easy to replace, and it's rare that a belt in interval fails. Chains are intended to be lifetime items, but all too often they simply aren't, and on certain models (BMW diesels of a certain engine code) it's almost guaranteed that they aren't, but changing a chain is painfully difficult and often very expensive, as many of these engines were never designed to be removed during the life lf the car - after all, chains never fail, so why would they need to?

Give me a belt any time - all you need to do is look after it every 8-10 years, which isn't a hardship, and is a small price to pay to avoid the massive expense of chain gear problems.

 

[Proto]

T'aint as long as 'Gerrards'

I binned my RVF 400 on Gerrards. Lent all the way over, everything was decking out, my boot, the footpeg, I was a riding god. Eventually, it's a long corner, the back end started to misbehave, and I began to run very wide. Grass was inevitable so stood the bike up and managed to find some tyre wall to slow me down. Had a nice ride in an ambulance. Broken ribs. Again.

 

[Proto]

As do some big merc lumps . Less liable to let go unexpectedly and if correct oil level kept remarkably quiet !

My Mk1 TT QS has a timing chain. Pretty sure my old SAAB did too.

 

[raleighnut]

My Mk1 TT QS has a timing chain. Pretty sure my old SAAB did too.

Yep the SAAB would have a chain, single row on the 1709/1850 Ricardo engine (shared with the Triumph Dolomite) and double row on the 2 litre 99/900,
not sure on the later GM cars.

 

[fossyant]

Alfa's snap their belts regularly even when changed. I know two people whose Alfa's went to heaven.

Having had a 147 I know too well how often they need oil top ups. Was a bit of a shock having had Japanese cars that never needed top ups. Apparently a litre every 1000 miles was acceptable oil consumption.

 

[Pale Rider]

. Apparently a litre every 1000 miles was acceptable oil consumption.

Audi say the same for some of their diesels.

As you might imagine, some owners have been a bit less than impressed.

Apart from anything else, chucking 15 litres of oil down its throat between every service is not cheap.

 

[Chris S]

[QUOTE 4713552, member: 9609"]I didn't think they put timing chains on cars now [/QUOTE]
All the small Nissans still have them, I don't know about the larger models. I'd be extremely surprised if some Renault models (Nissan's owner) didn't use them as well.

 

[Chris S]

Thing is, chains snap too. Unofrtunately, changing a chain every 8-10 years like a belt isn't economically feasible.

All mine have outlasted the car (120,000 miles+)

 

[cyberknight]

[QUOTE 4714077, member: 9609"]what engine is it, a belt may go ping after 45K and 9 years but I doubt a chain would.[/QUOTE]
1.4 16 v vuaxhall
Im only going by the mechanic saying the timing chain ( his words ) , been going there years and they haven't diddled us in the past .It might not break but its not something i would trust going forward , car always seems to break when we go on a long trip otherwise its only really used by mrs ck for pootling around on school runs/ shopping etc.

 

[fossyant]

All the small Nissans still have them, I don't know about the larger models. I'd be extremely surprised if some Renault models (Nissan's owner) didn't use them as well.

The big ones do. Both the Primera and Qashqai petrol are chain. The diesel is belt on the dci engines

 

[Drago]

The chain on the K11 Micra was troublesome. Some years back helped a mate from work swap one out on his Missusususus' motor. Went like the clappers when it was done though.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Give me a belt any time - all you need to do is look after it every 8-10 years, which isn't a hardship, and is a small price to pay to avoid the massive expense of chain gear problems.

8-10 years? Hah!!

My Astra needs the belt replaced at 40k and I do that in two years.