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How to measure the condition of an oil-soaked belt

Model: (Various brands) Various
Part: Timing belt

The issue of the oil bath belt is a very common problem among motorists, and those who have a vehicle with this type of component surely have restless nights. In fact, the rubber deteriorates when soaked in hot oil, and the fragments that come off the belt mix with the engine oil, clogging the filter. Many car manufacturers have adopted this system: in addition to the Puretec EB engines of Peugeot and Citroen, there are also some models of Volkswagen 1.6 and 2.0 TDI common Rail; and the Ford ecoboost 1.0 - which, however, since 2018 onwards has been using the oil bath chain on these engines - as well as on the 1.8 TDCi diesel (which is a engine that has been out of production for some time). It is possible to measure the width of the belt using a special tool, which can be found for example on Amazon with the code B0CVJ9XB9Z at the price of 8.91 euros, with free delivery for Prime customers. When it deteriorates, the belt widens, so if the tool no longer measures the belt, then we have a problem and the belt must be replaced.

Posted on 29 September 2025 by ScegliAuto

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