HI THERE AGAIN M CAR HAS JUST TURN 34KJUST WONDERED WHEN THE TIMING BELT WOULDBE DUE TO GET DONE THE CAR IS STANDARD SO THERE IS NO PRESSUREON THE ENGINE YET

 

They reckon around 100k on the car but the guy at fords tried to convince me that it was chain driven

Mine is on 70k at the minute and I am looking at getting it done soon. frauds will charge around Ł300 i think last time I asked

 

100k is the interval. I'd look at changing at 70k or before to be on the safe side.

 

im waiting for 70ish then will be changing mine

 

100k for the mk1 focus rs? thats alot to ask of a bit of rubber! just bought mine with 48k on it and thought about doin it at 50. its 5.5 years old now.

 

These long intervals are suicidal bollocks put out by ford as a marketing tool.
Look at it this way, why should suddenly belts have twice the life, as there were absolutely NO changes to the material at all they are made from.
Vaux changed from 40-80,000 then there were so many catastrophes they changed back.
The problem isn't generally the belts, it is the tensioner and any idler wheels attached, put simply they don't contain enough lubricant(grease) to go the distance.
Ford rely on the balance of probability that more will be ok than not, but poor sod the ones who are unlucky for this bit of penny pinching.
Up to owners of course, just don't beleive that ford ever tested the interval to see if realistic.
It's like betting some you win some you lose, and lose big time if you do.
Personally I don't even bother finding out what is recommended, and just do any every 3 years or 40,000, whichevers sooner.
tabetha

 

I wouldnt want to trust a 5.5 year old belt no matter how low the mileage.

 

surely over time the belt would perish regardless of miles covered

 

according to autodata, Ford recommend every 100k but to change tensioner pulley aswell,

 

well mine will be getting done next week. Ł56 for a gates powergrip belt and tensioners seems stupid not to!

 

The tensioners are the week point.Ford have revised them 4 times.My tensioner let go on the motorway at 80 m.p.h scrapping my engine.Had only done 60,000.
COST ME:
Engine Ł200
belt + tensioner Ł70
clutch ,while the box was out Ł70
fluids Ł40
And it looked like this


Nearly Ł400 and that was with me doing all the work myself

Get the belt and tensioner changed ,better safe than sorry

 

ive never left one over 60,000 miles or 3 years.

 

Doing the Belt and Tensioner on my ST170 after my MOT next month, its done 59'000 and is 6 years old. Better to be safe than sorry

 

i did mine last week and it had 81000 miles on it and the temsioner and belt where fine!its just down to whatever you prefer of when to change it really!check the idle problems now i have issues lads!any help appreciated