Fiesta

u140acro3xs7dm

I have a few little problems with my Fiesta (mk4 1.25 Zetec), first is the clutch which starts slipping when the car is warm and then its only when accelerating too fast up hill. Before i go get a new clutch could there be something else that is causing this? I have checked the fluid and its fine. could the clutch go on me at any time or could i nurse it for another month or 2? i wouldn't consider myself to be too hard on the clutch.

My next problem is the timing belt, I have read that the timing belt on a mk4 fiesta is to be changed every 80k or 10 years, mine is a 2000 (10 years) but only has 65k on the clock. I cant really afford to get both jobs done at once. which should i get done first? I have got a good quote for the labour for the clutch change but have not got a quote for the timing belt, would it take a similiar amount of time to change the timing belt? or would it be better off time wise to do both jobs at once?

Thanks

Gary ITR

Moved from Tech Help, Tech help is for DIY how to's

Anan1

Are you sure the timing belt has never been done? If the clutch is slipping i'd do it immediately, otherwise it will leave you stranded somewhere.

u140acro3xs7dm

I bought the car recently when i needed one badly and i have no idea what work has been done do it, but judging by the filters its been quite a while since it was serviced so i doubt it has been done.

no1beemerfan

It probably is the clutch gone. Do you have to leave the clutch pedal out a fair bit before it bites? This would indicate the clutch is gone.


Also on the timing belt if you have no proof of it being done or can't see any evidence of it being done I'd get it done asap.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

dirtydiesel

Replace the belt first, if it snaps you will have a serious repair bill.
Clutch slipping could go at anytime but at least it wont do any damage to engine like a snapped timing belt will.
If you do the clutch and then the belt snaps!!!! not worth thinking about!!!!

u140acro3xs7dm

that makes sense really, so i wouldnt save money labour wise by getting both done at same time? roughly how long should it take to do the belt?

also another quick question, my brakes are not great i have to really push down for them to work but it seems like there are plenty left on the pads, could this just be an airlock or maybe bad disks?

dirtydiesel

Hope you didn't pay much for this car, it needs a service,clutch,timing belt and has dodgy brakes.
Best thing you can do is call in to a garage and ask them for a quote to do the work needed.

u140acro3xs7dm

As i say i was desperate for a car so i had to take it. I might just let it on it sounds more hassle than its worth, i think i would be better taking a small hit on it than forking out for all the repairs.

Merch

I got my 1.25 timing belt done at just over 100K, too much hassle to do myself, when I brought it in to a ford dealer they said it had been changed to an interval of 80,000 or ten years and not 100,000. You could be ok for a while on that but there is not telling really also clutch fluid? there is none.

You may not be on the clutch but the previous driver could have used it as a foot rest.
Depends how much you paid for this car, I think your timing belt will last and it sounds like you need the clutch, but if ur going to start spending money you may as well get stuff done reasonably close to each other so that the money spent on one big job isnt lost in the event of another major failure.
I'd get the brakes looked at really, a service should be cheap (oil,oil filter/air filter, maybe plugs now) if ur not happy or feel experienced enough to do it.
If you get a few things done the car could run for years too.

u140acro3xs7dm

The brakes are not terrible, they just could be better, it passed its nct a couple of weeks ago so they are safe enough. As for the service i could manage that myself, i would service any car i bought so that doesn't really bother me. when i get the car out on the motorway there is plenty of power left in it so i think it is a solid enough car but just needs a few expensive jobs. How old was your car when you changed the belt? i have been quoted 120 for the labour for the clutch would it be around the same for timing belt?

Merch

My car was 10 yrs at that stage. I still think yours could last longer (15K easily) but its your decision, try ask some car mechanics here. I get the impression the interval for timing belt change was reduced from 100K to 80K was because some belts were failing above that, probably around 90K, so Ford shorten the life of the interval so they dont have to pay for failures and they get the extra work from doing timing belt changes also.
Price around, 120 sounds ok for clutch labour, as for the timing, I cant recal exactly how much it was but it wasnt too bad from a main dealer, I knew a guy that had problems with an independant garage on his timing belt so I wanted to make sure I was covered in the event of it failing. At the moment I plan to drive that car on until the next timing belt change, so guess I am looking at a clutch change myself also, although I'm always good to it, it will go eventually.

u140acro3xs7dm

Ok ive ordered the clutch, taking a bit of a gamble getting it done first.

I was just looking at the engine yesterday and where the timing belt is there seems to be markings made in tip-ex and also the fan belt looks very new. could this be an indication that the timing belt has been done? and is there any way of knowing it has been done. I will get the belt done in a week or 2 if im not 100% sure.

no1beemerfan

The brakes probably need bleeding....not too bad a job.

Can you read what the tipp-ex mark says? Usually mechanics write on the timing belt cover the milage it was changed at and also if the fan belt looks newish they could well have been changed.

u140acro3xs7dm

there is no writing there just little lines as if they where used the mark something

Martron

dont mechanics mark the pulleys so they repolace the belt in the same position as they remove it

u140acro3xs7dm

that's what i was thinking but was not too sure, would there be anyway of knowing if it was replaced by taking off the timing belt cover and having a look.