FIAT Timing Chain, Timing Belt and Cam Belt repair, replacement, maintenance and service

Fiat is unusual in that two engines offered in the same car can behave completely differently when a cam belt lets go. On one of them you are usually looking at a tow and a belt. On the other you are looking at a cylinder head. Knowing which one is in your 500, Panda or Punto is worth doing before you decide how long you can leave it.

The 1.2 FIRE is more forgiving than most. The 1.4 is not.

The 1.2 eight valve FIRE engine, the one in a great many 500s, Pandas and Puntos, is generally regarded as a non interference design. In plain terms, if the belt snaps the pistons and valves usually do not meet, so you are often looking at a recovery and a new belt rather than a rebuilt engine. We would not treat that as a plan, because you are still stranded and we would still want to inspect it properly, but it is genuinely better news than most makes get. The 1.4 sixteen valve fitted alongside it does not share that luxury, and a failure there does the damage you would expect.

At A1 Diagnostics in Cardiff, we provide professional Fiat timing chain services, combining experienced technicians with advanced diagnostic equipment to investigate faults and carry out the appropriate repairs. Whether you have noticed an unusual engine rattle, poor running or a dashboard warning light, our team can assess the cause and determine whether your Fiat's timing chain requires attention. We check associated components, including tensioners and guides, to establish the work needed. With careful installation and checks after the repair, we help restore correct engine timing and reliable performance. Contact A1 Diagnostics to arrange a timing chain assessment for your vehicle.

We can service your timing chain, cam belt or wet belt

If your Fiat develops a fault with its timing chain or cambelt, depending on the engine fitted, you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:

* Clunking sounds
* Loss of power
* Jerking while driving
* Large bangs coming from under the bonnet.

These are classic signs that you have a problem.

We are here to give you expert advice

Lets cut straight to the chase. You have found an award winning garage. Get in touch if you have any queries our team is ready to give you expert advice and are happy to help you with all your FIAT timing chain needs.

When you leave your FIAT vehicle with us receiving timing chain or wet belt services it is in the safest of hands!

More reason to trust us to replace, maintenance or repair your FIAT timing chain, cam belt or wet belt is we are accredited with major motor companies

We have been trading for over 20 years and have gained major accreditations with well known motor companies.

Being approved by the TSI, the IMI, the RGI and the IGA should give you confidence that we are the turn to independent garage that can service your FIAT vehicles timing chain or wet belt.

We have fully qualified FIAT technicians certified by the IMI. This means if you have any timing chain or wet belt problem we can sort the issues out for you quickly at competitive rates.

Which engine is in yours?

The 1.2 and 1.4 FIRE petrols in the 500, Panda and Punto run a cam belt, also called a timing belt, on a published interval that has an age limit as well as a mileage figure. The 1.6 MultiJet diesel and the older 1.9 JTD are belt engines too. The 1.3 MultiJet, which is in an enormous number of small Fiats and turns up in various Vauxhalls as well, is chain driven, as is the 0.9 TwinAir.

On a city car the years matter more than the miles

A great many of the 500s and Pandas we see in Cardiff have covered very little distance for their age. A fifteen year old car with forty thousand miles on it is completely normal on this make, and a belt that has spent fifteen years going slowly hard is due on age no matter what the odometer says. Mileage is the wrong measure for these cars and it is the reason so many arrive here on an original belt.

It is one of the cheaper belt jobs we do

The FIRE engines are straightforward to work on and the parts are not expensive, which makes this one of the more affordable cam belt changes on our ramp. That is worth saying plainly, because the main reason people put this job off is a fear of what it will cost, and on these cars that fear is usually out of proportion to the actual bill.

What the belt job includes

Belt, tensioner and idlers as a kit, plus the water pump where the belt drives it and the auxiliary belt if it has to come off anyway. Timing set with the correct tools, engine turned over by hand before it is started, road tested afterwards, and the date and mileage written into the book.

Chain work on the MultiJet

The 1.3 MultiJet has a good reputation and most will run a very long time, but a chain is not permanent. Where one does need doing we replace chain, tensioner, guides and sprockets together rather than fitting a chain against worn parts.

What it costs

We confirm the engine before quoting, because a 1.2 FIRE belt and a 1.3 MultiJet chain are not remotely the same job. You will get a real figure rather than a range.

No record in the book?

Check under cam belt, cambelt and timing belt, since garages write it whichever way they prefer. On an older 500 or Panda, check the date rather than the mileage. If there is nothing recorded at all, assume it has not been done and bring it in for a look.

Contact A1 Diagnostics

Get in touch today for expert advice or to book your FIAT vehicle in for an appointment to assess the work that needs to be carried out on your timing chain, wet belt or cam belt. We can inspect your FIAT vehicles timing chain and decide the best route to take.

A1-Diagnostics and ECU Repairs
64 Sloper Road
Leckwith,
Cardiff
CF11 8AB

Tel: (029 20) 220380
Fax: (029 20) 223172

Opening Times

Mon – Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm

Email: info@a1-diagnostics.com