Was this Timing Belt changed?

Dr_Colossus

Hi
I bought my first car a 2001 Volvo S40 SE 1.8i recently and as part of the conditions of sale the dealer was to put the car through the NCT, change the timing belt, tensioners and water pump and to do a full service. The car has 110k miles on board so was anxious to get the timing belt done since he couldn't guarantee that the previous owner had changed it.

Anyway after some inspection it looks like the service was never done as the air filter was less than clean and the oil was pitch black. I brought the car back and he agreed that it looked like the garage he outsources the work to never did the service so he's getting them to do that next week. My concern now though is did they change the timing belt and tensioners? The dealer is adamant that they did as he paid them €400 for the work which was to include the service and said he'd give me the receipt for it when I bring it back for the service. When I complained about the lack of service and questioned whether the timing belt was actually done he also took the cover off the timing belt and said it looked like it was worked on as there were fresh spanner marks on the bolts and there was still small writing on the timing belt itself which he said wear off after a thousand miles or so.

Anyway attached are some pictures of the timing belt I took after taking off the covers. Can some of you more experienced motorists advise if this timing belt looks new to you? Want to get everything sorted when I bring it back for the service he was supposed to do. I bough the car on 1st April and have only done 300 miles on it since as it took a while to get the log book and tax it and I was then away for a while.

Thanks

dirtydiesel

That is a well worn timing belt.

Mr Benevolent

I couldn't tell you for sure, but comparing to pics on Google, that looks like the old timing belt. Doesn't look very badly worn though, although that's not the point.

sundodger5

I see spanner marks but i also see a belt that is not new.

mondeo

That belt looks like it has about 40k + miles on it. That was not changed!....Go back to them and tell them to feck off and do the work and stop taking advantage of you. I would be furious:mad:
It's common sense really if they have not bothered to change the oil their hardly going to do the timing belt, which clearly they have not done.

alo1587

Not a hope is that timing belt new!! I'd say it has well over 50k miles on it,cam pulley teeth marks are VERY visible on it.As for the spanner marks,they are probably there from the timing belt change at 50k miles (if it got one at all :eek:) Also,looks like the engine had a bit of headwork/head rebuilt/headgasket at some stage,judging by the tipp ex'd 'E' on the exhaust cam pulley.There is no need to take off the cam pulleys when doing a timing belt,therefore the cam pulley shouldnt need to be marked.The guy is taking you for a ride..

Stoolbend

That is definitely not a new timing belt.

Dr_Colossus

Thanks for the replies all, pretty pissed off with the blatant lies spouting from the dealers mouth alright. Have to take another few hours off work on Tues to bring it back for the service he was supposed to do, so will tackle him again for the 4th time on the timing belt. He was supposed to call me on Fri with a time to do the service on Sat but didn't hear from him and had to call Sat morning and he then says Tues would be the earliest he can do. If he'd done what he said he would then I wouldn't have all this hassle. Otherwise car is running well.

What would ye recommend as the best course of action, when I bring it back on Tues to say I had more people look at it and this time regarding the timing belt and they all confirmed it was never changed as it should have been. If he's still adamant that it was changed then ask to see the receipt for the work he supposedly carried out? What other course of action do I have, I have the receipt for the deposit I paid when I first saw the car where I got him to mark down that he was to get it through the NCT, do the timing belt and a full service. That's a legal contract surely?

Thanks again.

JHMEG

Doesn't look new, but doesn't look like a source of panic either.

mondeo

If he shows you a receipt for the timing belt being supposedly done I would laugh at him.

Only way your going to get through to these people is to be firm with him and tell him your not taking anymore crap from him. I want the belt done & car serviced as per agreement and thats the end of it.

If he still feels adamant that the belt was done, go to another garage and ask their advice so you have at least one other professional opinion on it. But i can promise you from looking at the pics it's an old belt so don't let them pull the wool over your eyes.

MunsterCycling

Mark the belt and tell them you want to see it afterwards

langdang

alo1587 wrote: »

Also,looks like the engine had a bit of headwork/head rebuilt/headgasket at some stage,judging by the tipp ex'd 'E' on the exhaust cam pulley.

Some of those were tappety as hell, maybe had to have some work done for that. Maybe...

OP - these guys are well in with the garages they outsource work to. I would suggest that the garages do the work they're asked to do, and that the dealer is well aware of what was done and what was not (if it even moved outside the dealers yard). A garage might ride a random stranger but not a used car dealer who sends them a handy few cars a month...

In some cases they are almost parallel businesses - I know of one established used car dealer that if he's not there himself then the "garageman he outsources to" will be in the office, and you won't get the oil changed there either, no matter what they tell you...

Dr_Colossus

langdang wrote: »

OP - these guys are well in with the garages they outsource work to. I would suggest that the garages do the work they're asked to do, and that the dealer is well aware of what was done and what was not (if it even moved outside the dealers yard). A garage might ride a random stranger but not a used car dealer who sends them a handy few cars a month...

Fully agree, I'm suspecting the car never left the dealer's yard and now he's trying to cover up blaming the garage for overlooking the service and hoping I won't get a second opinion on the timing belt and catch him out. Total underhanded dealing and disgraceful carry on. Will not be letting off the hook and out of the contract and servicing he'd agreed to.

If he told me at the time that he couldn't sell the car for what I paid for it and do the timing belt then fair enough, he could have tried to negociate another 300 or so to cover the costs of replacing the timing belt since that's what I wanted since he couldn't confirm when it was last changed. I don't appreciate these lies and taking the customer for an idiot who you can walk all over in the hopes they don't know otherwise.

mickdw

I figure he himself had a look at the belt, thought it looked in good enough shape (no danger of breaking for a few months at least), then sent it on its way.
They are all at this crap. How stupid of him then not to change the oil at least to make everything look right to you. Dont believe any receipts he may or may not produce for timing belt work. Its all crap.

CarMuppet

Old belt.....

...... but kind of looks like a new radiator... hmmmmm?