406oc.co.uk

Dear all,

I've just purchased a fabulouss 406 estate 2.0 hdi 110.

Loving it so far. The service records indicate it had its cambelt done at 90,000miles.
It has now covered 146,000 miles.

Does it need to be replaced?

Thanks in advance!

best,
gman

Depends on how long ago it was changed. I think the interval is every 96000 miles or 5 years. I would change it if I were you for the peace of mind.

agreed. you will do it sometime, so make it now and relax...........

Peugeot says 96,000 miles/10 years (whichever comes first) or 80,000 miles/5 years for lots of short journeys. Haynes says 72,000 miles but halve that "on vehicles which are subjected to intensive use, i.e. mainly short journeys or a lot of stop start driving." It then goes on to say "The actual belt renewal interval is therefore very much up to the individual owner, but bear in mind that severe engine damage will result if the belt breaks."

I've been thinking about this all morning - it's not actually certain that the engine will self-destruct because the followers are designed to break, rather than bend valves or hole pistons when the belt goes, so is it absolutely vital? Also, if Pug say 96/80k would they have any interest in lying? Or does this only apply to oem stuff fitted by them?

Are we being over cautious?

When I looked after a large fleet of Expert vans (all HDi)the leasing company insisted on belt replacement at 48,000 miles.
My own Expert is just coming up 50,000 miles, I intend replacing the belt kit and a major service before the winter sets in.

Manufacturer's perceive their cars will be more attractive to leasing companies & the like if the cambelt change interval is extended, reducing the servicing cost stats. This will be balanced by an acceptance that the incidence of failures will inevitably increase, with a corresponding effect on warranty costs. Their bean-counters will simply calculate what level of engine failures is cost-effective in the quest for lower cost of ownership claims in their advertising.

Owners may wish to balance these factors differently.

I tend to look on the manufacturer's figure as an absolute maximum, then factor in that if I will have to do the job before I sell the car, I do it as early as possible without forcing myself into an extra change. After all, if you're going to do it once anyway, there's no advantage in waiting till it's due.