Cam Belt on C4 1.6 Diesel HDI 2008

[fromthesamehill]

Hi

Me and my partner inherited an 08 diesel 1.6 (80K miles) which she uses a few days per week for a short commute, and then further drives on the weekend.

The car is nearly 14 years old, and the cam belt has never been changed. The car is a bit bashed up and we aren't overly reliant on it, however, we will soon need to rely on it more.

I've read conflicting information about this model regarding if the belt was to fail. Some people have said that the engine wouldn't be damaged, and often just needs the belt/pump replacing, but I'm unsure whether the pistons would still hit the valves and damage the engine.

Any idea? Specific model - C4 Cachet HDI 1.6 Diesel 2008.

Thanks

[Hell Razor5543]

Hi, and to the Forum.

I would get the timing belt done, and the water pump and auxiliary belt at the same time. The auxiliary belt has to come off to allow the timing belt to be replaced, while it is not uncommon for the water pump to start leaking after it has been disturbed. Citroen do have a fixed price list for certain maintenance tasks.

The design of the cylinder head is such that, should the timing belt fail, some of the rocker arms will break rather than the related valves. This usually means the engine can be repaired for not TOO much money.

[GiveMeABreak]

It's well overdue as it needs replacing at 10 years or the recommended mileage usually 120-149k miles - whichever is soonest.

[fromthesamehill]

Hi, and to the Forum.

I would get the timing belt done, and the water pump and auxiliary belt at the same time. The auxiliary belt has to come off to allow the timing belt to be replaced, while it is not uncommon for the water pump to start leaking after it has been disturbed. Citroen do have a fixed price list for certain maintenance tasks.

The design of the cylinder head is such that, should the timing belt fail, some of the rocker arms will break rather than the related valves. This usually means the engine can be repaired for not TOO much money.

Thanks.

I've been quoted £400 - 650 so far, although a local garages has priced it up for £250. The catch, is that there English can be limited, and not lots of reviews, but they replaced our thermostat for half the price of everywhere else and it fixed the problem.

I'm tempted to go with them as the body of the car is a real mess from the previous owner, and unsure if it has much resale value because of it. I feel like it's a bit of a risk, in case there is an issue with communicating, but they haven't given any reason to show they're unreliable. Just a bit old school.

[MattBLancs]

The design of the cylinder head is such that, should the timing belt fail, some of the rocker arms will break rather than the related valves. This usually means the engine can be repaired for not TOO much money.

I know this was often the case for the older 2.0 DW10 8 valve diesel - that rocker shaft / arms generally protected valves and rest of engine from significant damage.

But that's the first time I have heard it for the (unrelated) 1.6 DV6 16v engine.

Is that definitely true for both?



Some 1.6 HDi have "stretch belt" type auxiliary belts (and I think these are a solution to a problem that didn't need solving - i.e. have a proper tensioner! - just mentioning as need a special tool to force the silly things on if so.

Matt

[Blade123]

Hi, and to the Forum.

I would get the timing belt done, and the water pump and auxiliary belt at the same time. The auxiliary belt has to come off to allow the timing belt to be replaced, while it is not uncommon for the water pump to start leaking after it has been disturbed. Citroen do have a fixed price list for certain maintenance tasks.

The design of the cylinder head is such that, should the timing belt fail, some of the rocker arms will break rather than the related valves. This usually means the engine can be repaired for not TOO much money.

Hi sorry different topic same car just jumped in cos u know stuff ...I need to know we're the valve timing sensor is it's kinda annoying I've been told its under cam cover is that the valve ? Strange this car thanks