It begs a question:
Has any Funster suffered a MH breakdown that resulted from fitting pattern parts including timing belt?
Cambelt & Water Pump change quote from local Fiat garage today.
- Thread starter PhilandMena
- Start date
It begs a question:
Has any Funster suffered a MH breakdown that resulted from fitting pattern parts including timing belt?
Carpmart
LIFE MEMBER
In my experience, very often Patten parts, with some research of the manufacturing supply chain, are OEM in non OEM branded packaging.
Unlikely , the garage I use, their supplier has written on the paperwork all parts supplied meet or exceed OEM specification, the vehicle manufacturers don't make filters, timing belts etc , they buy them in, in their branded box
OP
OP
Thanks for that! I am still waiting on one quote to come in and will wait until I receive that before making a decision. £250.00 sounds to good to be true.
Jaws
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- Sep 26, 2008
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He removed and took the guts out of my gearbox, tig'd a hair line crack in the case, rebuilt and refitted the box in one afternoon/evening and charged a pittance
He is VERY busy all the time but just works longer hours to get stuff done
Really good mechanic with a really good work ethic
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Last edited:
You will be pushed to buy, the cheapest timing belt and tensioner, and the 2 auxiliary belts alone for £150. No water pump and gaskets, no coolant.
That leaves £100 for labour on an x250 / x290 that is "extremely" cheap.
Wish he was around here...
WESTY66
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- Jun 17, 2017
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- All the gear, and no idea!
Sapper520
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People keep saying about these reliable back street garages……..not found any around where we live. Can‘t even find one for our car or our motorcycles.
The few we’ve tried for our bikes have been ‘okay’ at best…..but not great, and we haven’t been back. Only slightly cheaper than a main dealer.
There is one I trust for major stuff a few miles away but as you say they are only slightly cheaper than the local main dealer.People keep saying about these reliable back street garages……..not found any around where we live. Can‘t even find one for our car or our motorcycles.
The few we’ve tried for our bikes have been ‘okay’ at best…..but not great, and we haven’t been back. Only slightly cheaper than a main dealer.
The main positive is I trust them to do a good job.
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Sapper520
Free Member
Sadly, I have no confidence in either our local Fiat garage for the van, or our local Peugeot dealer for the car.
Both have ticked job boxes that were not done……and that was easy stuff.
Jaws
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- Sep 26, 2008
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Which is about right... He did mine while I went to Sainsburys with Woman for breakfast
Except unles you have gold plated belts you are about double the normal price !!
Broken Link Removed
- Jul 5, 2013
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Yep. Did not read your post properlySadly it's you who is wrong, I/we were talking about CLUTCH fluid, not brake!
I have explained why, although they share the same reservoir, it does not get changed.
PS. I would suggest, it's the water content boiling that causes most problems, especially if your going down a long mountain.
(sadly, I can't spell hydroscopic)
I hope the highlights help this time?
Sorry about that
Don’t be fooled by thinking main dealers will do a proper job.
The last time we took our Bmw into a main dealer I checked the worksheet.
3 Michelin tyres 4.5mm tread, 1 Hancock (Hankook Bmw approved) 4.5mm tread and spare tyre pressure and tread checked and all ok.
The car had 2 Michelin tyres and 2 Hankook fitted.
I went back and told the receptionist that one of the technicians must have pinched the spare because I couldn’t find it. It was obviously there when they checked it.
She contacted the service department who said X4’s didn’t have a spare (which I obviously knew).
I said it was there when they checked it.
Scares me to think what else hadn’t been done on their ticking box service exercise.
Any grease monkey can tick a box.
Bmw also wanted £90+vat to change a brake light bulb (extra £17)
Local Grease Monkey fitted for free.
We trust are local Grease Monkey, he now gets all 4 of our cars and Motorhome work.
The last time we took our Bmw into a main dealer I checked the worksheet.
3 Michelin tyres 4.5mm tread, 1 Hancock (Hankook Bmw approved) 4.5mm tread and spare tyre pressure and tread checked and all ok.
The car had 2 Michelin tyres and 2 Hankook fitted.
I went back and told the receptionist that one of the technicians must have pinched the spare because I couldn’t find it. It was obviously there when they checked it.
She contacted the service department who said X4’s didn’t have a spare (which I obviously knew).
I said it was there when they checked it.
Scares me to think what else hadn’t been done on their ticking box service exercise.
Any grease monkey can tick a box.
Bmw also wanted £90+vat to change a brake light bulb (extra £17)
Local Grease Monkey fitted for free.
We trust are local Grease Monkey, he now gets all 4 of our cars and Motorhome work.
Sapper520
Free Member
Fiat dealer ticked the tyre pressures checked…..got Tyrepal valves on and they hadn’t been disturbed. Didn’t even take the cover off the spare.
Peugeot dealer, got them to recharge my aircon, left the dust covers in the windscreen rain gutter.
That’s just a couple of things both garages have missed.
If we could find one we trusted, we‘d give them all our business.
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I hope he does not hear you calling him a 'Grease Monkey' or you might not be able to trust him as much?
Said in jest after an earlier post.
- Apr 30, 2018
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He knows the Ducato base vehicle like the back of his hands. Only uses OEM parts and lubes. nice moden facilities.
airwave
Free Member
Oppppps , think mine cost about 150 quid
Before you ask , did it myself . Timing belt a doddle , water pump not quite so . It's part of the offside engine mounting . X230 L14 .
Before you ask , did it myself . Timing belt a doddle , water pump not quite so . It's part of the offside engine mounting . X230 L14 .
- Jul 18, 2009
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And Brexit
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eurajohn I love the keyboard mechanic phrase 
.
I like doing some simple mechanics, eg simple component swaps, but for most things I have 2 great garages, one for cars and one for the van. I have the engine after the 250 (290?) and my garage quoted 800 approx.
After they'd changed the belt and pump and after testing what they'd done they phoned me and left a message saying was there an issue with my van's heating. I phoned and said no, and they then redid the job and found that the brand new water pump was not working. A lesser garage and I'd have found out on a 'smart' motorway on the way to France.
. I like doing some simple mechanics, eg simple component swaps, but for most things I have 2 great garages, one for cars and one for the van. I have the engine after the 250 (290?) and my garage quoted 800 approx.
After they'd changed the belt and pump and after testing what they'd done they phoned me and left a message saying was there an issue with my van's heating. I phoned and said no, and they then redid the job and found that the brand new water pump was not working. A lesser garage and I'd have found out on a 'smart' motorway on the way to France.
Silver-Fox
LIFE MEMBER
What’s the difference between OEM belts and the same belt supplied by a parts supplier.
The name on the box
A Gates belt is a Gates belt, same production run.
I'm not saying your wrong BUT Gates produce an awfully wide spectrum of belts, different types and grades. Be careful what you ask for?
Lenny HB
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- Oct 18, 2007
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It was Gates belts our local Commercial had problems with.I'm not saying your wrong BUT Gates produce an awfully wide spectrum of belts, different types and grades. Be careful what you ask for?
I'm not supporting Gates BUT in todays world, just because it says Gates on the box, it does not mean it's a Gates belt.
We have been lucky if we have not found that the hard way!
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OP
OP
Just to conclude this thread, I have now agreed for the work to be undertaken by a servicing company that does all, if not most of White Arches motorhomes. (It was they who recommended them to me).
Total inclusive cost £600.00. As an aside the difference between the last two quotes was the amount of labour. One quoted 8 hs the other 4 hrs. Something very wrong there! From £1,45000 to £ 600.00 Bit of a joke!
Total inclusive cost £600.00. As an aside the difference between the last two quotes was the amount of labour. One quoted 8 hs the other 4 hrs. Something very wrong there! From £1,45000 to £ 600.00 Bit of a joke!
- Apr 13, 2019
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Hi there, what vehicle companies call servicing is in fact maintenance.
Maintenance can be broken down into 3 types.
Planned maintenance
This is the usual done by vehicle service departments, it uses a schedule to carry out jobs listed by time or mileage regardless of condition.
Predictive or condition based maintenance
This done by using data on actual use of vehicles and can result in varying the times tasks need to be done. For instance light driving can result in extended oil changes. This type of maintenance needs a monitoring system to be used to attempt to establish the probability of failure. Some cars do use this technology.
Reactivate maintenance
This occurs when a failure of a component or system can be detected. For example slipping clutch, headlight lamp failure (tulips come as bulbs), brake friction surface low indication.
A good vehicle mechanic will use all three techniques to keep a vehicle in good and safe condition.
Main dealers tend only use planned maintenance, and reactive maintenence, with the both being at eye watering prices.
An experienced mechanic will use all three using his knowledge of the vehicle type, and if you are lucky, his knowledge of your vehicle should you find a guy you trust
Maintenance can be broken down into 3 types.
Planned maintenance
This is the usual done by vehicle service departments, it uses a schedule to carry out jobs listed by time or mileage regardless of condition.
Predictive or condition based maintenance
This done by using data on actual use of vehicles and can result in varying the times tasks need to be done. For instance light driving can result in extended oil changes. This type of maintenance needs a monitoring system to be used to attempt to establish the probability of failure. Some cars do use this technology.
Reactivate maintenance
This occurs when a failure of a component or system can be detected. For example slipping clutch, headlight lamp failure (tulips come as bulbs), brake friction surface low indication.
A good vehicle mechanic will use all three techniques to keep a vehicle in good and safe condition.
Main dealers tend only use planned maintenance, and reactive maintenence, with the both being at eye watering prices.
An experienced mechanic will use all three using his knowledge of the vehicle type, and if you are lucky, his knowledge of your vehicle should you find a guy you trust
I often wondered why Philips (of Eindhoven) made such good bulbs!
and I'd like to know who hung those flowers from my ceiling? 
125BEER
LIFE MEMBER
Just had my Fiat Ducato cam&water pump(comes as a kit)done £1000.
Kit was genuine Fiat part and only £30 more than after market part.
Already for France/Spain in June...
Kit was genuine Fiat part and only £30 more than after market part.
Already for France/Spain in June...
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