It Pays to be Cautious... 

With no signs or symptoms, damage caused by cambelts is one of the most expensive repairs in the automotive industry. Cambelts need maintenance, without replacing your cambelt roughly every 4 years/50,000 miles (see your vehicle manual for specific guidelines as these can vary), there is a possibility that the cambelt may fail and cause major damage to the engine; commonly causing extensive, high cost repairs or the vehicle being scrapped.

At the top of every engine are valves which open and close in time with the pistons to let fuel in and gas out. The cambelt links these valves to the pistons; if it breaks the pistons can hit the valves and cause them to bend which can result in extensive damage to the engine.

From as little as £3.30 set aside each month you can ensure that your car avoids the scrap yard! Paying a little now reduces the chance of incurring huge bills in the future; an investment worth making. Mrs Stone from Bristol was shocked when her vehicle broke down due to cambelt failure and her engine had to be rebuilt, she said "I'm not particularly clued up when it comes to my car, I had no idea that something so cheap to replace could cause such major damage. I wish I'd been more informed as I definitely would have been prepared to have my cambelt changed rather than deal with the bills I've received."

Cambelt replacement is commonly overlooked or road users simply don't know enough about cambelts to realise how vital it is to maintain this aspect of your vehicle. Mr Clutch wants to lend customers a helping hand and keep them informed and reminded to replace your cambelt at the recommended intervals. If you are in doubt of when your cambelts requires changing, your local Mr Clutch Autocentre manager will be happy to help.

Mr Stacey, from Swindon, recently took his Renault Espace to a Mr Clutch garage for a cambelt replacement. He said, "I'm no expert when it comes to cambelts and so I think its very important for people to take precautionary measures, ensure they're aware of when the cambelt is due for replacement and don't ignore it as it could cost far more in the long run.

Cambelt replacement costs range from £150-£370, whereas, ultimately repair work on an engine damaged by a cambelt can result in vehicles being scrapped or thousands of pounds worth of work. Although commonly the opinion of car maintenance is 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it", vitcims of engine damage caused by cambelts would commonly advise that a little bit now will save a lot later!

The main problem with cambelt damage is the lack of symptoms and the seconds it take to cause copious amounts of damage to the vehicle. If a vehicle breaks down due to cambelt failure, simply attempting to turn the engine on can cause the valves to be bent. Commonly, after break down, whether you are a car expert or novice, you will attempt to turn the engine on and unknowingly cause irreversible damage to the heart of your vehicle.

Every year, around two million cars are scrapped and a number of these are relatively new (from around four years old) but engine damage can cause the repair costs to be in excess of the vehicle's value. Avoid scrapping and be aware of your cambelt: check your manual for recommended change intervals, have a mechanic review the quality of your aging vehicle's cambelt and replace for a much smaller fee than the price of an engine rebuild!

Mr Clutch has the tools and knowledge to check your cambelt. We now offer fixed price cambelt changes from as little as £159.95; a small fee for the sake of extending your vehicle's life.