Why a low-mileage Purley Fiat can still be overdue its belt
Many of the Fiats we see from Purley are small, tidy and not driven far: a Panda used for trips into the town centre, a 500 that goes to the station and back, a Punto that lives in a garage most of the week. On the 1.2 Fire engine, the timing belt has both a mileage and an age limit, and the age limit is the one these cars reach first. The belt looks fine from outside and gives no warning, and on many engines a snapped belt damages the valves as well.
So we check the service history for a belt change invoice or engine bay sticker. If there is no evidence, we recommend treating it as due, and we give you a written quote for a belt kit from an OE supplier such as Dayco, fitted with a water pump where the engine design makes that sensible. A belt change typically takes half a day to a full day, so we will agree a day that suits you. The car is road tested afterwards and the change recorded on your invoice, so the next owner or garage has proof.
The roads themselves add to the story. Purley sits in a valley, and the A22 Godstone Road, the climbs past the Russell Hill school buildings and the long straight of the Promenade de Verdun all put different loads on a small car. On a Dualogic, hill starts on the steeper residential roads show clutch wear first, as shudder or slipping, and after any clutch work the gearbox needs calibrating. Most residential roads are 20mph, so these cars rarely get a long run to help their oil and battery either.
We open 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and collection and delivery can be arranged if you would rather not drive. Repairs carry a 3-month workmanship warranty. The route is simple: up Foxley Lane, along Woodcote Road and straight through Wallington to Hackbridge.