Belt and pump,
always together
A timing belt that snaps on an interference engine usually writes the engine off. It is the one item where the schedule is not a suggestion, and it is the one job we will chase people about.
Check your interval
60 secondstiming belt and water pump · client photography
Why the pump goes with it
The water pump is usually driven by the same belt and sits behind the same covers. Replacing one without the other is a false economy that only looks like a saving.
If the pump fails two years after a belt change, the entire job has to be done again to reach it - the same labour, the same covers off, and a belt that is now scrap. Doing both together costs a fraction more once.
The same goes for the tensioner and idler pulleys. They are part of the kit for a reason: a seized idler destroys a new belt as thoroughly as an old belt failing would.
Intervals vary enormously, from about 60,000 miles to well over 100,000, and many have a time limit as well as a mileage one. A low-mileage car ten years old is often overdue on age alone.
What comes with the job
Timing belt kit
Belt, tensioner and idlers as a matched set.
MatchedWater pump
Replaced at the same time as standard.
AlwaysAuxiliary belt
Replaced while access is open, if worn.
If neededCoolant
Drained, refilled and bled properly.
IncludedTiming verified
Checked against the manufacturer's marks.
VerifiedRecord stamped
Date and mileage for the next owner.
In writingHow the job actually runs
Interval checked
What the maker specifies for your engine, by VIN.
History checked
Whether the record shows it has been done.
Kit ordered
Belt, tensioner, idlers and pump together.
Fitted and timed
To the manufacturer's procedure and marks.
Recorded
Date and mileage, in the record and on a sticker.
What does your car need?
Registration and postcode. We will tell you what the car is, which service it is due on its own mileage, what that costs and when a van can get to you.
From £189, about three hours on your driveway
Your vehicle
Petrol · 1800cc · first registered 2010
Its mileage
47,125 at its last MOT, worked out across 6 tests
Prices are what the job starts at for a car this size; anything the van finds is quoted before it is done. Vehicle and mileage information comes from the DVSA record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Asked about timing belt
How do I know when mine is due?
Send the registration. The interval is set by engine rather than model, and plenty of cars have a time limit as well as a mileage one.
Can this really be done at my house?
On most engines, yes. It is a long job rather than a difficult-access one. Some transverse installations are tight enough that we will say no, and we will say it before travelling.
What happens if it snaps?
On an interference engine, the valves meet the pistons and the engine is usually beyond economic repair. That is the entire reason this job exists.
Is a chain the same?
No. Chains are generally lifetime items, though they do stretch. A rattle for a few seconds from cold on a chain engine is worth investigating early.
Belts anywhere
Timing belt work runs mobile where access allows, and takes most of a day. We confirm before travelling.
