UKH

After an ominous warning light appeared, I took my 2008 to a garage and was told that the cam belt was breaking up, and fragments were blocking a tiny oil filter, with potentially serious consequences. I was also informed that it could cost 1-2k to fix. 
Has anyone else had this? Any advice?

It seems that I may have to pay handsomely to solve a problem caused by poor design or shoddy materials or both.

 I am not a mechanic but every vehicle I have had with a cam belt has had the cam belt outside the engine and the oil and filters ,hopefully, inside the engine. Ask the garage why the difference on the 2008 or get a second opinion somewhere else.

I’ve no idea on a 2008, but this is same/similar to OP - https://pmmonline.co.uk/technical/repxpert-replaces-peugeot-timing-belt/

If your cam belt is disintegrating already, then, sorry, you are on borrowed time. Ignoring the belt change and/or blocked oil filter,  could lead to terminal engine failure or a very expensive rebuild.

If you are not happy to trust your garage, get a second opinion and prices. BTW a “simple” cam belt replacement can be easily £500 plus depending on model and garage used. Also, need to consider what they are pricing.

It is usually recommended to consider replacing other connected parts like rollers, pulleys, maybe water pump and other things. This is because they may fail afterwards and need another cam belt change. If replacing other things the cost will of course go up and you will need to consider that and if you think it worthwhile.

Interesting read, thanks. Belt in oil, seems a strange combination but what do I know.

Typically,  belt change interval now reduced, heard that before. 

Belt in oil, seems a strange combination but what do I know.

It was wet clutches that I couldn’t get my head around when they first became mainstream!

I have a 2008 from 2018 and there was a recall on it issued in March for premature cam belt wear. Worth checking into?

They seem to be getting more common, something to avoid if possible. Found out from my friendly independent garage recently. They're in lots of makes now.

Mark

Before buying any new vehicle I always google for common issues. Trouble is that with the drive for better economy and emissions , modern engines seem to be quite fragile. I often wonder if the fuel saved is worth it compared to engine failure,  £ wise as well as environmental impact.

The dry wit on motoring websites can be quite amusing. Vauxhall ecotec engines,  Every Component On This Engines Crap. I've had at least seven , six went with Cam belt failure despite following all the guidelines including cam belt kit and water pump replacement.

Yep, modern engines just not designed with longevity in mind anymore. Just get through the warranty. Inappropriate use of plastics, dubious engineering- wet belts (as discussed already), low tension piston rings, direct injection, EGR systems which foul up, complicated variable valve timing systems, the list goes on. All massively expensive when it goes wrong.

As above, this sounds like a "wet belt", a timing belt that runs in oil. No idea regarding Peugeots but it was quite a time consuming job in a ford transit connect and I suspect a lot of the cost is labour time. 

At least you've got a warning - usually ends up needing an engine replacement in a transit connect as it goes without warning. 

Looks like it's a known issue.

'26-08-2019:

Made aware of report on Peugeot forum of crumbling 'belt in oil' timing belt in 2015 1.2 puretech 110bhp at 107,000km. Mechanic reported that the timing belt has started to crumble and the debris from it has clogged the oil system causing issues with oil pressure.'

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/peugeot/2008/2013/good

More information about 'belt in oil' cambelts

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/timing-belts-immersed-oil-are-they-reliable-c...

https://www.motoringassist.com/news/dont-let-wet-timing-belts-bring-you-to-...

I’d be going hmmmmm.

Take it somewhere else and get the cam belt replaced plus oil and filter change?

Potentially £500 at an independent.

350-600 for a cam belt change. Picking out bits of broken cam belt from the engine will add to the cost and it'll be a brave garage to warranty the repair. 

Thanks for all these replies. Anyone want to buy a 2008?

Probably not telling you anything you don't know but just in case...

Most cars should have a standard schedule for cam belt replacement as a preventative measure, although that schedule might be a bit more difficult to find than standard service intervals.

When it's replaced, it's normal to replace all the pulleys, the water pump, etc, basically anything else the cam belt touches, because if one of those failed soon afterwards, you'd be changing the cam belt again.

If a cam belt actually goes whilst you're driving along, then the valves loose their timing and have little arguments with the piston heads. This almost always results in (a minimum of) a new or reconditioned engine.

I've just had mine changed (Vauxhall Astra 2l diesel) at 9 years, just under 80k miles, cost £350 from small local (trusted) garage.

Son has recently had his VW Golf's done, 2l diesel, cost more (500+) and apparently every 40k miles.

People who lease a new car every 3: years will probably never be troubled by this.

Huh, every day is a schoolday.

Jk

But cam belts are a service item, is it failing before the specified interval or not? You should also be aware that premature failure of in- oil belts is usually related to not using the manufacturers specified oil, it is specially formulated for this application.

Customer expectation is a big problem, you can buy something producing amazing power and fuel economy from a miserable little engine or something that will do a million kilometers, you can't have both. One of my motorbikes is 80hrs operation before a complete top end overhaul, crank rebuild and so on, our diesel generators last 70,000 hours.

I had a timing belt replaced recently, it wasn't a Peugeot so price won't be identical, and the belt was outside not a wet belt , but they replaced the water pump and some other things as part of it and involved dropping the engine out to do the work ... £340. I thought I was stung, but they quoted you £1K to 2K????  2k??? WTF???? Are they serious?

There was one of these Transit Connect engines sat in the garage, that's what started the conversation I had. Had failed by stripping all the belt teeth that were in contact with the crank pulley. Was no where near the scheduled change time or mileage either.

Replacement cost always going to be way higher than an external belt due to the labour time involved.  

Mark

My mate's got a Toyota something or other. His alternator died and had to swap it out involved dismantling one side of the car!

I need to buy a car soon, the latest year of new registration is around 20 years ago, something I can work on myself. 

No direct experience with the 2008, but dropping the sump and cleaning out the oil strainer pickup would be a trivial task.

I assume this is the crappy pre-2017 1.2 PureTech engine?

If so, get the cambelt swapped by a local independent garage (probably about £600). £800 once you include the sump work, new gasket etc and an oil change.

Can I also suggest we all stop buying French cars please. I do my own work on my cars, family and friends. My mother in-law has a Renault Modus and it's bumper off job to change a light bulb, bye-bye knuckle skin and an hour of my life to swap an oil filter. Similar story with other French cars with various basic jobs on them.

French cars appear to be built with no thought to how they will be maintained.

Whether you do your own work or you pay someone to do it, it's not economical.

I too have made blood sacrifices just to change a bulb on French cars I've owned. Strange clips, tight spaces, rubber boots on the back of lights, removal of clusters etc. The odd thing is that under French law you need to have spare bulbs in your car. The fact that you cant change them road side, seems to have escaped their notice.

I'd like to see a Top Gear or similar, where they get the head of sales for some car companies and time them performing minor maintenance tasks.

Yes. I would enjoy that.

I believe there is a similar wet belt in the small Fords e.g. those on the 3cyl Fiesta that also suffers from debris in the oil, so not limited to French cars.

I'm a way off needing mine changed, but have realized that it's going to be more costly than the figure I had in my head, which was based on previous vehicles with external belts. 

It's French. After a host of issues with a Peugeot and a Mitsubishi (Renault engine), I'll have to decline your offer.

And some Hondas.

Quote from a Honda workshop tech  "AVOID THEM"

£340 for a cambelt, water pump etc is in no way being stung. 

Ten years since offloading my 306 HDi, I’m getting a bit obsessed with acquiring a 306 GTi.  A car that you Drive with a capital D, and with no computer screens.  I still haven’t forgotten that absolutely bizarre electrical problem I eventually diagnosed and fixed on my 306, but still… What a car.

Edit: the number of GTi6s taxed has stabilised at ~200 after a period of exponential decay - so it’s a clear collector’s item now.   About 3x as many are SORNed. I should start a website for listing SORNed classics for sale…

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/peugeot_306_gti_6

I ran one of those to 250,001 miles.

Absolutely loved it. 

Mark

The 306 GTi6 had a huge turning circle in one direction but not the other. Something to do with the gearbox apparently. This wasn’t normally too much of a problem apart from when I took it on a cross channel ferry which required me to negotiate a series of hairpin bends to the upper car deck, with a five point turn at every bend. 
The other feature that I suspect you’d hate is the silly keypad that requires a four digit pin to start the car. Gets tiresome if you stall the car during a five point turn on a ferry. 
I didn’t like it as much as my Golf GTi. 

I spied a 406 coupe parked up the other day, always a good looking thing but amid all the modern tall boxes it looks absolutely fabulous. Just a shame it drives like a sofa and it's basically a stock 406 inside.

jk

You haven't had a proper car until you say "sod it" and ask to be allowed to park on the lorry deck!  Fond childhood memories of a Morgan +8 towered over by all the lorries.  

The silly keypad does sound very frustrating though, as cools as they looked when I was a teenager.

We have a Citroen C4, apparently they have a Peugeot engine. Went in for service including scheduled timing belt change, and they told us the belt had disintegrated and blocked the oil ports in the engine - it needed a new engine. Very luckily for us, it had always been serviced at that dealer, so they fixed it under warranty even though it was outside the warranty period.

They then failed to reassemble it correctly and the automatic gearbox fell apart a week later, also replaced for free. New engine and new gearbox on a 5 year old car.

205 GTI for me  

One year, I spent some time in the Alps and my then girlfriend (now wife) flew out to Geneva.  I picked her up - we were off to the Med (Cassis) for a few weeks.  As we crawled along in an immense queue of traffic, I asked her if she just wanted to get there.  She said, 'yes'.  Big mistake, (second only to marrying me!).  Fast little car, twisty roads - what's not to like!