Just noticed going through all the servicing etc for the 406 that it hasn't had a cam belt change since its first change at 50,000 miles. With the car now on 135k my face was a little when I realised!
How much roughly should I expect to pay for a cam belt and water pump change?
I know a 306 diesel specialist local-ish who's quoted me £265 all in (parts + labour), could this price be bettered elsewhere?
Cheers,
James.
Peugeot 406 D8 2.1 TD GLX Estate running on Bosch VE fuel pump and SVO.
MPG and SVO tracker:
That's a bloody good price for a timing belt change, as far as I can make out.
Replacing my belt, tensioner kit and water pump back in January cost me nearly £400 all-in. While you're changing all that, change the aux belt too - I didn't, and it began squeaking within days of the timing belt being replaced (so naturally I was crapping myself). The aux belt only cost about £12 so it's probably worth doing.
The V6 owners (saloons/estates/coupes) get a much heftier bill than mine was; I've seen prices from £600+VAT through to more than £1000. I suspect this is due to the difficulty of working in such a tightly-packed engine bay.
I reckon the only way you'll get it done cheaper is to buy the parts and do it yourself, or become best buddies with an experienced mechanic.
2002 (D9) Peugeot 406 Coupe SE, 2.2 litre Petrol. Scarlet Red/Rouge Ecarlate/Rosso Scarlatto. Black Leather interior. SOLD
2008 (E60 LCI) BMW 525i M-Sport, 3.0 litre Petrol. Carbonschwarz Metallic. Black Dakota Leather and Myrtlewood interior.
highlander wrote:That's a bloody good price for a timing belt change, as far as I can make out.
Fair enough!
highlander wrote:Replacing my belt, tensioner kit and water pump back in January cost me nearly £400 all-in. While you're changing all that, change the aux belt too - I didn't, and it began squeaking within days of the timing belt being replaced (so naturally I was crapping myself). The aux belt only cost about £12 so it's probably worth doing.
The aux belt was actually done about 3 weeks before I got the car so I'm good to go with that I think (the garage commented on it being quite difficult!)
I am getting some squeaking at idle still though, so is this a dodgy aux belt still or do I have even more cause for concern?
Peugeot 406 D8 2.1 TD GLX Estate running on Bosch VE fuel pump and SVO.
MPG and SVO tracker:
Could be the aux belt tensioner stuff, I guess. You'd need to open the bonnet and have a listen, maybe if your ears are good you can work out which bit is squeaking.
2002 (D9) Peugeot 406 Coupe SE, 2.2 litre Petrol. Scarlet Red/Rouge Ecarlate/Rosso Scarlatto. Black Leather interior. SOLD
2008 (E60 LCI) BMW 525i M-Sport, 3.0 litre Petrol. Carbonschwarz Metallic. Black Dakota Leather and Myrtlewood interior.
ha, im glad people think my prices aren't too bad!
£600 for a v6 cambelt takes the biscuit, i've seen a few of the v6's, one which needed the heads drilling and tapping because the rocker bolts had rounded, that cambelt isn't that bad!
The waterpumps usually go long before the tensioner or idlers do!
There's a general rule that you replace the idler and tensioner on every 2nd belt change, however, i do them on ALL belt changes. It's just not worth running the risk. At least half of the XU waterpumps i see have seeped and left signs of leakage.
lozz wrote:ive never paid anyone to change my cam belts,
cheaper just to get cam locking kit and cambelt kit and do them your self,
the 406 ones look easy to do iwill find out shortly when ichange mine ,
best way to have them done if you dont want to do it your self is to buy the parts your self and get somone to do the work for you,
I'm usually very happy to get stuck in with jobs on my car, but cambelt just fills me with dread, and after owning 10 cars with a camchain I've never had to deal with one before, plus I know Kris knows his stuff!
Peugeot 406 D8 2.1 TD GLX Estate running on Bosch VE fuel pump and SVO.
MPG and SVO tracker:
I'm not mechanically inclined, so the very thought of doing the timing belt by myself simply scares the bejeezus out of me.
Additionally, if the garage fucks it up and kills my engine, it's their name on the receipt, and therefore they will be made to pay for repairs.
Gary, the water pump should have been replaced - you should have insisted on it. You need to take the timing belt off to change the water pump, as it's the timing belt that turns it. Considering an original Valeo water pump unit only costs about £20, it's madness for the garage to have suggested the pump is capable of surviving until the next timing belt change - if the water pump seizes up, it can snap the timing belt and screw your engine. Even if the pump fails but doesn't seize, your engine instantly becomes air-cooled only and will overheat very quickly.
2002 (D9) Peugeot 406 Coupe SE, 2.2 litre Petrol. Scarlet Red/Rouge Ecarlate/Rosso Scarlatto. Black Leather interior. SOLD
2008 (E60 LCI) BMW 525i M-Sport, 3.0 litre Petrol. Carbonschwarz Metallic. Black Dakota Leather and Myrtlewood interior.
I don't know anything about 2.1's, but if it's anything like my 2.0, or my old XUD7TE etc. then I reckon it's about 3 hours for a belt & waterpump change, if you've got enough of the right tools to make it straight forward (e.g. ratchet spanners for tight spots) and there aren't any seized or rounded off bits to get in the way and a mate to lend a hand/foot (e.g. to hold the brake when doing the pulley wheel).
The parts/consumables costs are approx:
------------------------------------------------
TIming belt, roller & tensioner: £60
Aux belt: £12-£15 (depends upon which AC unit you have - there are two, one requires longer belt)
Water pump: £25
Crank Pulley: £50
Antifreeze: £10
------------------
Sub-Total: £160
If we assume labour at £35 / hour: £105
-----------------------------
Total inc labour: £265
So it looks like £265 is a Good, Honest quote!
(Edit: I forgot to add in the cost for the little bottle of Tippex that I mark EVERYTHING with to check alignment - as I do it without the locking tools (I can NEVER find the blasted flywheel hole, and my cam-sprocket doesn't have a hole in the spokes...))
There is a halfway house to cut the cost. With my 306 1.9TD I did the initial dismantling myself and bought all the necessary parts as well. I did not feel
competent to fit the new belt myself so I got a mobile mechanic to do that. Having bought Locktite for the crank bolt I asked him to use it.
Not sure he would have done otherwise. Did the finishing work including aux belt myself. Of course the 406 may not be as straightforward as the 306. Agree with previous comments - a new water pump makes sound sense. When my mechanic said mine was leaking, I did not hesitate. Lastly be sure and get an invoice from the mechanic as any future buyer will probably ask about the cambelt. I know I would be asking.
when I realised!
