Take a look at the attached PDF and you will understand why the first job I undertake on any car I purchase which has a timing belt is to change it, irrespective of any history
To others without a blinkered view to maintenance, or not as arrogant to assume they know better than everyone else, manufacturers included, simply as they have been lucky, it makes for an interesting and informative read.
It should be noted also, I am not a motor mechanic, I am a time served electromechanical design engineer, with many years of experience in factory automation, specifically within the motor vehicle manufacturing industry.
In terms of my own cars, they are maintained to a standard Simon could only dream of, with access to
all of the mandated tooling available to Rover dealers, and more importantly the necessary skills to use them correctly, and the only time in the past 30+ years any of my cars have seen the inside of a garage, is for one hour once a year at MOT time.
This is the hard won knowledge and more importantly real life experience I freely offer, in order that others may avoid the pitfalls of poor maintenance technique.
Sometimes when others who are not fortunate enough to own the wide range of equipment as myself, I detail "workarounds" to achieve the desired result without compromising quality of workmanship, however these are nothing that I haven't carried out personally.
I do not carry out any mechanical work of any description on any other vehicle than my own, or that of friends and close family, and I have never made any secret of this, yet Simon appears to think I recommend maintaining your car correctly as I have a vested interest in making money from people, by carrying out in his words "unnecessary work"
I look forward to the "out of context" quoting of any single one of these paragraphs by the "man who knows best"
Brian
