Timing Belt - How much?

Malta1

Hi All

Looking for some advice. I have a '03 2.3 Fiat Ducato coachbuilt with about 40,000km. Fiat are saying that the timing belt should be changed every 4 years and it has not been done yet. Fiat are also saying that the cost of changing the belt is €750. That includes belt, tensioners and labour (4.5hrs). I am unsure if this includes the water pump replacement.

Does this sound excessive? Have any of you guys had the belt changed recently.......was it a main dealer? If it was a "local guy" is he in the Wexford/Wicklow area and would you recommend him?

Many thanks

Malta1

stapeler

Sounds about right for a main dealer.
Mines a 03 Ducato 2.8 with similar mileage, had the belt and kit changed last year by a local guy for about €350. I suggested that he do the water pump but he didn't seem to think it was needed.
Sorry, no where near Wexford

Buford T Justice

Yeah, sounds about right. I'd say the kit is about €250 and the rest is dealership labor which aint cheap.

Word to the wise, always change the water pump when changing the belt. They are only cheap, and it makes more sense to change it at the same time, as all the same work would have to be done if the pump needed too be changed separately

niloc1951

Malta1 wrote: »

Hi All

Looking for some advice. I have a '03 2.3 Fiat Ducato coachbuilt with about 40,000km. Fiat are saying that the timing belt should be changed every 4 years and it has not been done yet. Fiat are also saying that the cost of changing the belt is €750. That includes belt, tensioners and labour (4.5hrs). I am unsure if this includes the water pump replacement.

Does this sound excessive? Have any of you guys had the belt changed recently.......was it a main dealer? If it was a "local guy" is he in the Wexford/Wicklow area and would you recommend him?

Many thanks

Malta1

€740 would seem very over the top.
Last September Grandons of Cork (Glanmire) a main FIAT dealer did mine as part of a major service (4 years/50k kms). The total cost was €942 but the portion for doing the timing belt was, €207 for the full kit plus 5.5 hours labour @ €73 p.h. which would give a total cost of about €610 (all prices quoted above include VAT).
BUT mine is an A class which are quite awkward to work on and the time allotted by FIAT for engine jobs does not apply.
AFAIK the time allotted for the job by FIAT when working on the standard engine bay is less that two hours, I saw on another forum that it is 1.5 hours if aircon is fitted but check it out yourself, so on a coach-built the total cost should not be expected to exceed €350, even at main dealer hourly rates.

Have a look here http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftoptitle-72603- fiat-ducato-timing-belt-warning.html I know the labour costs are a lot less than here, but the time taken for the job should be the same.

Malta1

Hi Niloc

Many thanks for the info........I challenged Fiat on the labour costs and indicated that to the best of my knowledge (taking form the same source as you referenced) that the the labour time should be about 2 hrs max. I was told in no uncertain terms that it was min 4.5hrs.
What I did find interesting was that they refused to quote for the work before they saw the van and when I pushed them on price they dropped it to 660 indicating that they could do "a little better" on the parts.
I laughed at them and told them not to proceed........a non fiat main dealer has told me that he will do it for me without any hassle. I would prefer to give the money to them than giving it to Fiat

niloc1951

Malta1 wrote: »

Hi Niloc

Many thanks for the info........I challenged Fiat on the labour costs and indicated that to the best of my knowledge (taking form the same source as you referenced) that the the labour time should be about 2 hrs max. I was told in no uncertain terms that it was min 4.5hrs.
What I did find interesting was that they refused to quote for the work before they saw the van and when I pushed them on price they dropped it to 660 indicating that they could do "a little better" on the parts.
I laughed at them and told them not to proceed........a non fiat main dealer has told me that he will do it for me without any hassle. I would prefer to give the money to them than giving it to Fiat

Why not try a North of Ireland dealer, or it looks like if one was to get the job done in the UK the savings could pay for the ferry and a few nights at camp sites, a sort of working mini holiday

It seems from reading many contributions on other forums garages who appear to know what they are doing get the job done is less than two hours. Have you contacted FIAT in Dublin and checked with them what time they officially say the job should take. All manufacturers have a 'menu' of times for 'standard' jobs.
How can the time for the job here be over three time that quoted in the UK, not to mind the vastly higher per hour charge for labour, it really beggars belief.
See the quote below from a poster on 'motorhomefacts'
The following are charges from BORDERAU of Plymouth for my Rapido 963F in March 2009
Fit new cam belt and tensioner kit £136.00
Supply cam belt and tensioner kit £86.88
Total cost including VAT £296.08

The Rapido 936F is an A Class motorhome and would be expected to be more time consuming to work on than a coach-built which would have the original manufacturers front end.

Aidan_M_M

I dunno how they can spend 4-5 hours doing a timing belt.... I can do a 2.5/2.8 Ducato in around 2 - 3 hours easy . They're a pudding of a job . The 2.3 is a bit more awkward .