Phonic wheel relearn procedure I think. Do a search. This procedure is only listed for the 1.4 MA in MES ?? How is the car running after the belt change ?!

 

I haven't actually started it yet as I've run out of coolant and need a new aux belt so thought I'd wait until completely done. No mention of it on the Alfaworkshop guide that I followed so maybe your correct and it's just for the 1.4. A mistake on the gates instructions then.

 

I didn't bother doing it on ours when I changed the belt.

I can see why you might need to on an MA due to the multiair system, but there is no variable cam timing on a Diesel.

 

Your supposed to do it on Fiat 500’s as well. It’s because the crank pulley has been removed and the air gap between pulley and sensor might be altered. It has nothing to do with valve timing or the use of locking tools. Whether to do it or not is an easy decision. If it starts up and you get the engine light come on. Carry out the relearn. If you don’t get the engine light. Don’t worry about it.

 

I wouldn't worry about it if the locking tools were used.

 

As far as I am aware it’s only an MA thing,I did mine couple of months back. It usually flashes the management light if it’s been knocked out of kilter slightly,the phonic relearn corrects this.
Even using the locking tools it can be slightly different due to tolerances of the tools along with bottom pulley maybe is a slightly different position when bolted back on.

 

Right I'll give it a miss then cheers. Annoyingly I couldn't find my cam lock pin that I'd bought especially for the job so had to proceed by using the lines and notches as per the Alfaworkshop guide + my own marks. The cam sprocket sprung clockwise by about 1 tooth against the "springyness" (if you get what I mean) of the gearing behind it when I took the old belt off. The crank however remained lined up OK. When I fitted the new belt I used the crank lock and the tension of the belt alone (without the tensioner) pulled the crank sprocket, which had previously moved, back inline to my marks. 4 full rotations of the engine ensured that all the marks lined up OK. I had to adjust the tensioner a couple of times, but I've read that's normal. I have this daft niggling worry about the tensioner loosening, but I guess it's designed not to so I should just forget about it as it's torqued correctly.
Forgot to say - my first ever cambelt change so was a little nervous!

 

adjusting tensioner a few times is probably because you didn’t slacken cam sprocket while tensioning up. But without the locking pin for cam it’s not possible to do it that way.

 

Yhe JTDm cambelt is the easiest one which I have done.

The guide on Alfaworkshop is very good.

 

For info., this is the belt after about 50k and 7yrs. Slight surface cracks on the inside. Outside was fine as was the water pump. Excuse the grubby nails!

 

It was always the waterpump which caused problems on the diesels. The belt hardly fails on it's own.

I am sure that the pump has been revised though.

Ours is due another change next year, that will be 4 years. I am tempted to leave it another year as it has only been 30,000 miles or so.

 

I know I’ll get poked in the eye for this but most of these belts are good for easy 6 to 10 years these days.

 

That's probably the last cambelt change the car will have. At 142k and 11yrs old I don't know whether they'll be any value left in it in another 7yrs. Especially when diesel will be at £5 a litre!

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