Does my car have a timing belt or timing chain?












3














I purchased a second hand Ford Focus LX 2004 (Sedan) and it is now getting close to 200,000km. I was wondering if this car needs a timing belt replacement or not?



I looked at the maintenance guidebook and there is nothing mentioned about changing the timing belt. However, under the hood, it looks like the car has a timing belt, as there is a plastic cover on the right side of the engine (left in the picture), next to the water pump. But I am not sure, as I cannot open that plastic cover myself.



Is there any way to find out? Does anyone have the experience with this car?



P.S. It seems that the previous owner has not changed the timing belt at all. There is nothing about it in the log book. Here is a picture of the engine from top:



enter image description here










share|improve this question


















  • 1




    At 200,000km yes it needs changed soon.
    – Moab
    Dec 27 '18 at 17:21










  • broken belt is not funniest thing. it could trash a lot of other stuff that keeps engine running
    – Sampo Sarrala
    Dec 28 '18 at 13:03
















3














I purchased a second hand Ford Focus LX 2004 (Sedan) and it is now getting close to 200,000km. I was wondering if this car needs a timing belt replacement or not?



I looked at the maintenance guidebook and there is nothing mentioned about changing the timing belt. However, under the hood, it looks like the car has a timing belt, as there is a plastic cover on the right side of the engine (left in the picture), next to the water pump. But I am not sure, as I cannot open that plastic cover myself.



Is there any way to find out? Does anyone have the experience with this car?



P.S. It seems that the previous owner has not changed the timing belt at all. There is nothing about it in the log book. Here is a picture of the engine from top:



enter image description here










share|improve this question


















  • 1




    At 200,000km yes it needs changed soon.
    – Moab
    Dec 27 '18 at 17:21










  • broken belt is not funniest thing. it could trash a lot of other stuff that keeps engine running
    – Sampo Sarrala
    Dec 28 '18 at 13:03














3












3








3







I purchased a second hand Ford Focus LX 2004 (Sedan) and it is now getting close to 200,000km. I was wondering if this car needs a timing belt replacement or not?



I looked at the maintenance guidebook and there is nothing mentioned about changing the timing belt. However, under the hood, it looks like the car has a timing belt, as there is a plastic cover on the right side of the engine (left in the picture), next to the water pump. But I am not sure, as I cannot open that plastic cover myself.



Is there any way to find out? Does anyone have the experience with this car?



P.S. It seems that the previous owner has not changed the timing belt at all. There is nothing about it in the log book. Here is a picture of the engine from top:



enter image description here










share|improve this question













I purchased a second hand Ford Focus LX 2004 (Sedan) and it is now getting close to 200,000km. I was wondering if this car needs a timing belt replacement or not?



I looked at the maintenance guidebook and there is nothing mentioned about changing the timing belt. However, under the hood, it looks like the car has a timing belt, as there is a plastic cover on the right side of the engine (left in the picture), next to the water pump. But I am not sure, as I cannot open that plastic cover myself.



Is there any way to find out? Does anyone have the experience with this car?



P.S. It seems that the previous owner has not changed the timing belt at all. There is nothing about it in the log book. Here is a picture of the engine from top:



enter image description here







ford timing-belt timing-chain






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Dec 27 '18 at 12:29









orezvani

1162




1162








  • 1




    At 200,000km yes it needs changed soon.
    – Moab
    Dec 27 '18 at 17:21










  • broken belt is not funniest thing. it could trash a lot of other stuff that keeps engine running
    – Sampo Sarrala
    Dec 28 '18 at 13:03














  • 1




    At 200,000km yes it needs changed soon.
    – Moab
    Dec 27 '18 at 17:21










  • broken belt is not funniest thing. it could trash a lot of other stuff that keeps engine running
    – Sampo Sarrala
    Dec 28 '18 at 13:03








1




1




At 200,000km yes it needs changed soon.
– Moab
Dec 27 '18 at 17:21




At 200,000km yes it needs changed soon.
– Moab
Dec 27 '18 at 17:21












broken belt is not funniest thing. it could trash a lot of other stuff that keeps engine running
– Sampo Sarrala
Dec 28 '18 at 13:03




broken belt is not funniest thing. it could trash a lot of other stuff that keeps engine running
– Sampo Sarrala
Dec 28 '18 at 13:03










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















4














Zetec with belt cover removed



From what I have read, the Zetec engines of this period using a timing belt. The image attached shows what looks to be pretty much identical to your engine but with the plastic timing gear cover removed and it's clearly a belt.



You can prise the cover back slightly and peer in with a torch to confirm yourself but if there is a chain under that plastic cover, I'd be very surprised.






share|improve this answer





















  • That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 12:47








  • 1




    Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 13:31













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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes









4














Zetec with belt cover removed



From what I have read, the Zetec engines of this period using a timing belt. The image attached shows what looks to be pretty much identical to your engine but with the plastic timing gear cover removed and it's clearly a belt.



You can prise the cover back slightly and peer in with a torch to confirm yourself but if there is a chain under that plastic cover, I'd be very surprised.






share|improve this answer





















  • That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 12:47








  • 1




    Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 13:31


















4














Zetec with belt cover removed



From what I have read, the Zetec engines of this period using a timing belt. The image attached shows what looks to be pretty much identical to your engine but with the plastic timing gear cover removed and it's clearly a belt.



You can prise the cover back slightly and peer in with a torch to confirm yourself but if there is a chain under that plastic cover, I'd be very surprised.






share|improve this answer





















  • That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 12:47








  • 1




    Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 13:31
















4












4








4






Zetec with belt cover removed



From what I have read, the Zetec engines of this period using a timing belt. The image attached shows what looks to be pretty much identical to your engine but with the plastic timing gear cover removed and it's clearly a belt.



You can prise the cover back slightly and peer in with a torch to confirm yourself but if there is a chain under that plastic cover, I'd be very surprised.






share|improve this answer












Zetec with belt cover removed



From what I have read, the Zetec engines of this period using a timing belt. The image attached shows what looks to be pretty much identical to your engine but with the plastic timing gear cover removed and it's clearly a belt.



You can prise the cover back slightly and peer in with a torch to confirm yourself but if there is a chain under that plastic cover, I'd be very surprised.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Dec 27 '18 at 12:41









Steve Matthews

19.8k22970




19.8k22970












  • That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 12:47








  • 1




    Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 13:31




















  • That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 12:47








  • 1




    Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
    – orezvani
    Dec 27 '18 at 13:31


















That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
– orezvani
Dec 27 '18 at 12:47






That is a good tip, I was afraid it would break the cover. I have seen that on 2003 there is a timing belt. What surprises me is that the car has been running with the same timing belt for 15 years bearing the same belt for 197,000km. Also the fact that there is nothing in the scheduled maintenance guide. Does the oil leaks at the front indicate anything?
– orezvani
Dec 27 '18 at 12:47






1




1




Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
– orezvani
Dec 27 '18 at 13:31






Actually, according to this list assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/resources/…, there is a timing belt in there which needs to be replaced after 120,000km.
– orezvani
Dec 27 '18 at 13:31




















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