Cam belt

[Noelskis]

i just brought a corsa 1.7d van and milage is 155,000 and the cam belt was changed 2 years ago and its only done the 500 miles since. What and how do i know if the cam belt should be changed as i want to look after this vehicle after and from this day on. Its a sound runner and only has a R reg plate on it as i work for my boss and he needs a knew van. Is there anyway i can check it out for myself. I got previous history to it and the last belt cost �120 to be changed. How and when should i put it in and are there any checks you can make to deterimine this.

[Ewood27]

I'm not familiar with diesel Corsas, but in general cam belts need changing on a time basis or a mileage basis, whichever comes first.  There aren't any checks you can make, such as waiting until you can see cracks in the belt, and it's just not worth leaving the work after it should have been done.  Rebuilding an engine after a belt failure is a BIG expense.  Much cheaper to change the belt as a precaution.

 

Ask your local Vauxhall dealer at what intervals the belt should be changed.  It's normally something like four years or 48,000 miles, so I reckon you don't need to worry about it just yet, but do check.