I changed the cambelt on my Activa last week, at 72000 miles, and would mention the following points to help anybody else thinking of doing this task:
Always use a quality belt: The Dayco item from GSF is a quality replacement part; same as PSA original. The belt I took off was a brand X item and had a Mickey mouse tooth form which I doubt would have gone the distance. Not all timing belts are the same!!!
Always replace the tensioner: The one on mine was shot and clearly hadn't been changed with the last belt.
Even if yours looks good when you take it off, it may well not last another 72 000. The cost of changing it is insignifcant compared to the cost of the belt snapping, or the time it will take to get at the tensioner later to replace it if it fails.
The Haynes manual suggests removing the engine mount to improve access. This isn't necessary; I didn't bother, but did have a friend helping. I found that if one of you is working at the bolts holding the timing covers on from under the car, and you from the top, it's a good deal easier. The bolts are a lot longer than you would expect, which makes removing/replacing them awkward because of the small gap between the cover and the rest of the car.
On Activas, loosening some of the turbo/inlet ducting will make removing the top timing cover off much simpler.
I replaced the automatic tensioner for the aux. drive belt at the same time, as the belt was squealing slightly. The spring inside this device feels strong as you try to rotate the tensioner pulley arm, but is nothing compared to the effort equired to do the same to the new one.
But make sure that it is the tensioner that is responsible for the noise: as far as I am aware, it's a dealer only part and cost more than £60 !!!
I hope this information is useful.
Simon.
For info: Xantia Cambelt
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ditchcrawler
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 27 May 2003, 17:52
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surfer
- Posts: 102
- Joined: 14 Jan 2003, 17:48
Interval depends on use.
If the car spends its entire life in town,and/or if you redline the engine every time you change gear, then changing the belt sooner does make sense.
Conversely, if the car spends its time on the motorway, then the load on the belt is fairly constant and so premature snapping would not be expected.
The fact that the Haynes states Citroens advice to halve the interval if subjected to 'intensive' use suggests to me that there must have been a number of warranty claims on cambelt failures at less than the prescribed mileage.
All I can add to this is that my previous car, a dull but utterly reliable Renault 21, did 179 000 miles on the original belt before that got changed.
Simon.
If the car spends its entire life in town,and/or if you redline the engine every time you change gear, then changing the belt sooner does make sense.
Conversely, if the car spends its time on the motorway, then the load on the belt is fairly constant and so premature snapping would not be expected.
The fact that the Haynes states Citroens advice to halve the interval if subjected to 'intensive' use suggests to me that there must have been a number of warranty claims on cambelt failures at less than the prescribed mileage.
All I can add to this is that my previous car, a dull but utterly reliable Renault 21, did 179 000 miles on the original belt before that got changed.
Simon.