Is it worth getting getting cambelt done?

[TKELLYPRING]

Evening all,

 

You’ll have to forgive my naivety as I’m not the most mechanically minded and this is also my first post.

 

I have just bought myself a 2007 Skoda Fabia Estate 1.4 16V Elegance with just over 105,000 miles on the clock! It has some service history and had its cambelts done at 72k.
 

My question is should I get cambelts replaced ASAP as they were last changed almost 6 years ago(33,000 miles)?
 

Also, all the cars I’ve owned have been chain driven so I have zero experience with cambelts. So I don’t really know how bad it can be to overuse them past when they should have been changed? Any advise would be greatly appreciated as I am a bit scared to drive the car at the moment as I don’t want to kill it. 
 

Many thanks,

 

Taran.

[paulkennedy]

I suppose it depends on how much you like the car and how you would feel about putting an engine in it. A timing belt is cheap and easy enough to fit yourself. If it snaps valves will hit pistons and that will be expensive to put right. 

[TKELLYPRING]

Yeah think just for peace of mind I’ll have the belts changed asap. Do you know if the model I have has 2 separate belts that would need changing(read somewhere online about this) and if the waterpump would need to be changed as well?

[TMB]

Yes there are two timing belts if it is the 1.4 16v petrol engine. Here's a video...

 

 

Edited 23 March, 2021 by TMB

[TKELLYPRING]

Thanks @TMB! Appreciate it mate!

[TMB]

3 minutes ago, TKELLYPRING said:

Thanks @TMB! Appreciate it mate!

 

No problem  And yes, I would change the water pump too.

Edited 22 March, 2021 by TMB

[national]

I always get the timing belts done due to experience

Not my own Fabia VRS but I was driving a company car a Peugeot 306 ,I had just had it fully serviced, drove out of the garage and half a mile down the road

the cam belt snapped, Engine replacement required, thankfully the company had to pay for that, ever since on my own cars I have had the Cam belt changed

as recommended by the manufacturer