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Servicing PureTech wet belt

PureTech Wet Belt Replacement, Sheffield

If you drive a Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall or DS with the 1.2 PureTech engine, the wet belt inside it is a known problem. We replace them properly, for a price agreed before we start.

Ford wet belts have their own page, from £1,100 →

1.2 PURETECH£900 fixed
INCLUDESoil change service
  • RAC Approved workshop
  • Priced before we touch it
  • ★★★★★ Over 200 five-star reviews

Is your car one of them?

The engine to look for is the 1.0 or 1.2 PureTech petrol, built by Stellantis and fitted across several brands. Ford’s EcoBoost engines have their own wet belt issue, covered on our Ford wet belt page. Later cars moved to a timing chain, so not every one of these models is affected. If you are not sure, give us the registration and we will tell you.

BrandModels commonly fitted with it
Peugeot108, 208, 2008, 308, 3008, 5008, Rifter, Partner
CitroenC1, C3, C3 Aircross, C4, C4 Cactus, C5 Aircross, Berlingo
Vauxhall / OpelCorsa, Crossland, Grandland, Combo, Astra
DSDS3 Crossback, DS4, DS7 Crossback

The table above is the 1.2 PureTech, the engine we specialise in and the one the £900 price covers. Ford EcoBoost wet belts are on their own page. For timing belts on any other engine, send us the registration and we will tell you whether it is work we take on and what it would cost.

Why the wet belt is a problem

A wet belt runs inside the engine, sitting in the oil rather than behind a cover on the outside. It was designed that way to be quieter and more efficient, and on paper it works.

In practice the belt breaks down over time. As it degrades it sheds material into the oil, and that debris finds its way to the oil pick up pipe. Once the pick up starts to block, oil pressure drops. Low oil pressure is what kills the engine, and by that point you are not looking at a belt bill, you are looking at an engine.

The belt itself can also snap. On these engines that means valves meeting pistons, which is the same expensive outcome by a different route.

This is why the job is worth doing before anything goes wrong rather than after. A belt is a few hundred pounds of parts and two days with us. An engine is several thousand and a car off the road for weeks.

Cut section of a failed wet belt showing the rubber separating from the cords

Caught in time, and left too long

These are two oil pick up strainers out of the same type of engine. The strainer is the gauze the oil pump draws through. When belt material blocks it, oil pressure falls and the engine starves.

Clear oil pick up strainer with visible mesh and clean oil, belt replaced in time Oil pick up strainer blocked with black wet belt debris

The difference between those two photos is timing, not luck. One is two days with us at a fixed price. The other is an engine.

Caught in timeClear oil pick up strainer with visible mesh and clean oil, belt replaced in time
Belt replaced before it broke down. The gauze is clear, you can see straight through the mesh, and the oil is still clean. This engine carries on.
Left too longOil pick up strainer blocked with black wet belt debris
Same part, left too long. The mesh is packed solid with belt material. Oil cannot get through at the rate the engine needs, and that is what kills it.

Warning signs worth acting on

Oil warning light, or oil pressure light, however briefly
A rattle or whine from the front of the engine, especially on a cold start
Oil level dropping between services
Fine black debris on the dipstick or around the oil filler
Rough running, misfire, or the engine management light
The car is over five years old, or over 60,000 miles, and the belt has never been changed

If the oil light has come on, stop driving it and call us. Every mile after that point is a gamble on the oil pick up.

Degraded wet belt in situ on the camshaft sprocket of a 1.2 PureTech engine, timing cover removed

What the job includes

The belt job

Wet belt replaced with a quality kit, not the cheapest one we can find
Oil pump belt where the engine has one
Tensioner and guides as part of the kit
Sump off and oil pick up checked and cleaned, because there is no point fitting a new belt into a blocked engine
Seals and gaskets as required

And the service with it

Full oil change with the correct specification oil
New oil filter
Traffic light health check on the rest of the car
Digital record updated
Free collection and delivery if you are within ten minutes of us

The price is agreed before we start. If we open it up and find something that changes the job, we ring you and tell you before we do anything. You will not get a bill you have not already said yes to.

Why bring it to us

We are set up for it

We have availability and qualified technicians, so the car is not sat waiting for a bay. We keep the car two days so the sealant cures properly and we can road test it before you get it back, rather than squeezing it in around a queue of tyre fits.

We do the whole job

The sump comes off and the oil pick up gets checked. Fitting a belt without doing that is how a car comes back six months later with a dead engine.

A price agreed before we start

The 1.2 PureTech is £900 including an oil service. The figure is agreed up front, and if anything changes you get a phone call before a spanner moves.

Workshop bay at GT Automotive Sheffield with GT branded two post lifts Land Rover Defender raised on a two post lift with the bonnet open in the GT Automotive workshop

Frequently asked questions

How long do you keep the car?

Two days, and that is deliberate rather than slow. The sealant on the timing cover needs time to cure properly before the engine is run under load, and we want the car driven and rested afterwards so we know it is right before it goes back to you. Anyone turning this round in an afternoon is not giving the sealant time to set. If you are within ten minutes of the workshop we will collect it and bring it back.

When should a wet belt be changed?

Manufacturer intervals have moved more than once, and a lot of owners were told a figure that has since been brought forward. As a rule, if the car is over five years old or past 60,000 miles and the belt has never been done, it is worth doing. Give us the registration and mileage and we will give you a straight answer.

Can you tell if mine has already failed?

We can inspect it and check the oil and the pick up for debris. If the belt has already shed material into the engine, the job changes and we will tell you exactly what we have found before you commit to anything.

Is £900 really the whole bill?

For the 1.2 PureTech, yes, and it includes the oil change service. The only thing that changes it is if we open it up and find damage already done, and in that case you get a phone call and a decision, not a surprise invoice.

Do you do wet belts on other engines?

Yes. The 1.2 PureTech is the one we know inside out and the engine the £900 price covers. Ford EcoBoost wet belts start from £1,100 and have a separate page. For timing belts on other engines, send us the registration and we will tell you whether it is work we take on and what it would cost.

Will Peugeot, Citroen or Vauxhall pay for this?

Possibly. Stellantis, who own all three, run a support scheme covering some PureTech wet belt failures, and whether you qualify depends on the age of the car, its mileage and its service history. Check with a franchised dealer before you book with us. If they will cover it you should let them, and we will tell you the same thing on the phone. Plenty of cars fall outside it, and that is where we come in.

Where are you?

Unit 3, 1 Orgreave Way, Sheffield S13 9LS. We are easy to get to from Handsworth, Woodhouse, Beighton, Crystal Peaks, Darnall, Treeton and Rotherham.

What Sheffield customers say

★★★★★

Did the timing chain and transmission oil change at very short notice. They were very knowledgeable about the issue.

Adam Lech, Google review
★★★★★

My car was brought into the workshop with a clutch problem. Although it was not booked in in advance it was looked at the same day. I was kept well informed of the progress of the work and the likely cost of the repair. Very happy with the service I received.

Miriam Hilton, Google review
★★★★★

It was no trouble for Matt to come and collect my car and return it later that day. Throughout the day I was kept up to date with how the service went and anything that needed doing further. It also came back sparkling inside and out.

Ashleigh Pitchfork, Google review
What Our Customers Say
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Yet again... excellent service and help from Matt and his team 👏 If you want honest and genuine work done go there ...
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Excellent service, I had been having problems with my car radio screen for nearly a year, I took it to them and they found the problem straight away and fixed it for me and claimed it on my warranty and I didn’t have to do anything. Also had a service and 2 tyres.They were so helpful, I was very pleased. It feels like I’ve got a new car!
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I recently used GT Automotive for a repair through a warranty claim. Matt was very helpful and explained the process. Unfortunately there were some delays for the repair to be done through no fault of the garage but through the warranty company. Matt kept me updated and fought my case for the claim, eventually got the repairs approved and got my car fixed as quick as they could. I've had a hard time in the past finding a garage I can trust, but these are very genuine and I will be using them for all my car needs going forward, and already have my next Service and MOT booked in.

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