Cambelt?Cam Chain?

[missie A]

I've recently had problems with my car and a mechanic within my boyfriend's family looked at it . He told me what was wrong but also asked if I'd ever had my cambelt changed. I asked my Dad if I had and he said he'd been it was a chain...But I was also told that chains don't exist anymore..until my friend said she'd asked about a similar model and hers was a chain...Is mine likely to be a cambelt or camchain? and waht's the difference? I have a 1.25 Ford Fiesta..it's the "flight" model but has a zetec engine. It's an R reg and is from 1997. Help please?

[jake-the-peg]

Slightly older fiestas were a chain but I think this is a belt

Here's a discussion about changing intervals

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.h tm?v=i&t=15381

[BRIGHT_SPARK]

some of the zetecs do have chains but the 1.25 are on belts but the difference is that the belt is like your alternator belt but stronger and should be changed every 10 years/100,000 miles but chains shouldent have to be changed (some cases have to) but at the end of your engin where your cam wheels are they should have a plastic cover if not and its metel molded into the rocker cover it will be a chain

hope this helps

[justyboy]

hi there. if your details are right, then your fiesta should have a cam belt, changed around the 50'000 to 70'000 mile mark, although if your a low mileage driver , then every 3 to 4 years to be on the safe side. what was the origional trouble with the car ?

[missie A]

Thanks everyone!
um I haven't had the other thing fixed yet but i've been told my coil pack is broken.

[missie A]

Oh and how much is the average cost of getitng a new cam belt?

[tommy.h]

Brightspark is right 10years or 150,000 kms

[tommy.h]

forgot to say it's a belt with either automatic tensioner or bsemi automatic.

[david1702198]

there is a revised tensioner for all of the 1.25 ztec engines which replaces all previous ones. it comes with a genuine ford belt kit or a gates belt kit.

[vaco001]

cost of getitng a new cam belt �170