Ok, can anyone answer this for me please:-

Skoda Fabia 1.4 MPI 8V, 2000, W reg. 50kw engine code ATZ.

Does it have a timing belt, or a timing chain, or something else altogether?

Cheers.

It has a chain, overhead valve with hydraulic tappets.

....... overhead valve with hydraulic tappets.

overhead valve with mechanical tappets:)

Many thanks for the swift replies. I was concerned incase it had a belt which had not yet been replaced.

Does the chain need replaced and if so how often?

The car is great and seems to need no real maintenance apart from regular oil and filter changes.

The chain should last for a long time, 100,000 miles plus, however they can become noisy as they have no tensioner. Only ever seen one replaced on a Fabia - this got noisy and was setting off the knock sensor retarding the ignition and reducing its performance. The camshaft has hydraulic followers which take up the clearance, part no.

047109309

When you remove the cylinder head you are supposed to sqeeze all the oil out of them in a vice and check them.

How long were camchains used over cambelts?

My MPI is a 2001/2 51 plate 1.4 and I've been wondering the same thing.

All the MPI engines have a chain cam. The MPI units were the last of the Old Skool Skoda engines, and kept soldiering on with chain cams and 8 valves until emission controls meant they were replaced with the (1200cc, 3-cylinder) HTP units from VW. AFAIK, they didn't have much done to them since the days of the Estelle (much like the 1.3 unit in the Ford Ka, which apart from having fuel injection instead of a carb is pretty similar to the engine my dad's Ford Anglia had in it!)

Ta!

In a way, good to know it's basically the same as my old Felicia engine as that was bullet proof and gave me 140K+ miles of reliable work.

Shame the same can't be said of the myriad of problem sensors and electrics, but there you go.

Intresting words...How about a Fabia estate 2007 with an 1.4 80hp 4 cyl petrol engine.( perhaps a dumb question: how many valves has it ?

And have no clue if it has a belt or chain...and if that engine can be considered to be reliable.

Thinking of buying that car.

the 80bhp 1.4 has 16 valves.

Now i know that

Well, it seems that ill order the car next week