My 218SLD
Well bank holiday monday we were out looking at caravans, don't shout at me about the van please. Anyway last major service, including cambelt, was at about 160k miles, cambelt change every 72kmiles, so I was blissfully happy expecting the cambelt to last thro' the next MOT (17/04/05). We were about 35miles from home driving thro' Thetford Norfolk when, as we pulled away from a set of traffic lights there was a low thud and the dash lit-up like a Christmas tree. NO power, no power steering - oh Sh1t!, no brakes -OH SH1T again. Limped onto a petrol station forcourt with a little help from me!!
My immediate thought was cambelt

uch: , called that very nice man from the AA, he arrived within about 30 mins spun the engine over and then confirmed my diagnosis

uch:

uch:
So with my target of 200k miles in sight (1988**miles on the clock) my 218 has now retired :sad3:
Now Monday was our wedding aniversary, so she who knows best was happy :shh: With the 3 children :grouphug: with us as well we had to get a train+taxi home leaving the 218 35miles away.
I have hired a trailer for tomorrow to go & collect the 218 and bring her home for the last time.
I don't have the confidence to pull the head off myself and have a looksee, but as the engine has already been spun over I will double check. The fuel pump pulley is on one end of the cam shaft, cambelt end, and the power steering/vacuum pump pulley the other. So if I just flick the key while someone, my 15y old son :shh: I haven't told him yet, can watch the pulley for movement. If the vacuum pulley moves then it could be the fuel pump pulley?? or something else?? not sure what tho'
Why did the cambelt go early? who knows but thats where I have put my money, unless of cource you know different
And before you say 72 x 2 = 144, not 160, I had the cambelt replaced at 114k when the fuel pump leaked diesel over that belt, so I slipped the 144 to 160 & was intending to get back in sync @ 210ish
SteveN