Cambelt Replacement - The Danger of Cambelt Failure

The failure of cambelts is commonly the cause of some of the most expensive repair work that goes through any garage workshop. It is commonly overlooked as a maintenance requirement by road users and therefore can result in costly repairs that consequently leave a bitter taste between the vehicle owner and the garage quoting repair. At Mr Clutch we would rather give sound and factual advice to help you budget the maintenance costs of your car, rather than being ‘that garage’ that phoned you with a repair quote potentially totalling in excess of a thousand pound. 

Why should I change my Cambelt?

Many people fall victim of incorrect maintenance of cambelts and consequential costly failures. The engine is the heart of your car. The cambelt links the operation of valves and pistons within the cylinder head of an engine. Valves open and close in time with the vertical rise and fall of pistons. This motion allows fuel into the engine and gas to release. If the cambelt fails whilst the car is in operation (no matter what speed, idling, braking or acceleration) the synchronised link is broken and pistons can collide with valves, bending them. The extent of damage can vary but the repair costs are likely to be an unwelcome sum and some people often end up considering the value of the vehicle against the cost of repair. In fact, second to road traffic accidents, cambelt failures are a common cause for the scrapping of vehicles.  

When should I change my Cambelt?

Each manufacturer provides guidelines for every model. Cambelt replacements should commence after the recommended mileage or time period, which ever comes first. Recommended replacement times should be available to you in your vehicle manual or service guide. However be cautious these are only recommended times. Whilst they should not be exceeded, there are other factors which could cause premature failure. Exposure to excessive heat, biting frosts, rain water, chemicals and road salts can all have an effect. These elements will be bear greater effect if the cambelt cover is damaged allowing these factors to make contact with the cambelt.  

What to do next?   

First you should find out when your recommended cambelt replacement is due. If you struggle to find this information in your vehicle manuals, any of our Mr Clutch Autocentres will be happy to provide you with the information using an industry recognised database called Autodata. Secondly be sure you diarise the replacement and do not exceed the recommendation. Request a quote for replacement and budget for this in your maintenance for the year. The costs of cambelt replacements are incomparable to that of failure repair work. You can have your cambelt condition checked at any of our Autocentres. If you have any other concerns about cambelts and premature failure of them, don’t hesitate to ask any of our Autocentres who will offer free friendly advice.