Listers, I am coming up on 5 years since the cam belt has been changed in my 308. The milage is about 12k. Over the next week I plan to start changing the fluids and making adjustments. The question is should I do the belt? Motor Gently !!
But seriously - there is no solid consensus, but some general agreement around 3-5 year belt change intervals. Ferrari's most recent applicable service bulletin says 3 years, many say 5 years is a good interval, some say 8 years is a good target, and a few say "I've never heard of a belt breaking" (despite there being quite a few actual first hand testimonials posted here).
No worries. This comes up a lot and its pretty easy for people to pad their post counts just being standoffish and say use the search or other remarks rather than just quickly helping out. Bottom line is OEM interval was 3 years/15K miles. These cars get driven so seldom now that most owners moved into the 5-7 year range and mileage is not an issue because it's never reached. If you are at 5 years and 12K then yes you are definitely in the window. Out of curiosity DIY or bring it to a shop? Good luck
I was only being half serious. If you don't know, you don't know - it is just that this is a topic that really needs to be in P&R.. Factory says 3 years, most here admit to 5 years. I would just take the mileage part out of the equation since most of these cars never cross that minimum threshold
I got 16 years out of one on a Ford Ranger. 1990 model, it snapped in half in 2006 on my way home from work.
I just change the tensioners and rotate the belts left to right. Saves me $24 and I can run a few more years.
Do you know when the tensioners were last changed and which bearings they are? If you don't then I'd change the lot. But after 12.5K miles & 5 years I'd probably change the lot anyway to be honest. If you have any significant oil leaks round the top of the engine then also consider fixing those - which means cam covers off.....so you might as well check the valve clearances as well......then it doesn't take long to have the cams out & change the cam seals unless you know when they were last changed...etc etc
Well to be truthful 14 years was because of ignorance. Well before the internet and easy knowledge was accessible. In those days I was still figuring out how to change the oil.
I think if we drove these cars everyday, the belts and tensioners would be as much an issue as it is on a Honda. We do this to ourselves.
