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Timing chain and cambelt replacement, wet belts, head gaskets, oil leaks and engine rebuilds in Milton Keynes MK2. Diagnosed first, priced in writing before we start.
SVC · 05
ENGINE REPAIRS
ASK US · VARIES BY JOB
Engine faults are the jobs where guessing costs the most. We diagnose first, using live data, pressure and leak tests and physical inspection, then give you a fixed price in writing before we start. We do timing chains and cambelts, wet belts, head gaskets, oil and coolant leaks and full rebuilds at our workshop in Bletchley, Milton Keynes.
Chains are meant to last the life of the engine, but several engine families are known for chain stretch or tensioner wear. Well-documented examples include:
The signs are a rattle on a cold start, a rattle at idle, or cam and crank timing fault codes. We confirm the cause before quoting, and we replace the guides and tensioners with the chain, not just the chain.
A cambelt has a fixed interval, set by mileage and by age. When we change one we look at the parts that go with it, including the water pump, tensioner and idlers, so you do not pay for the same access twice. As a price example, an Alfa Romeo 1.4 MultiAir or T-Jet cambelt and water pump is from £399. Other engines are priced to your car.
Some newer small petrol engines, including Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost and the 1.2 PureTech in many Peugeots, Citroëns and Vauxhalls, use a "wet belt" that runs in oil. These belts are sensitive to the wrong oil and to missed services. The right oil, on time, is the best protection; see our everyday cars page.
Overheating, coolant loss, white smoke or "mayonnaise" under the oil filler cap can all point to a head gasket, but they can also point to something cheaper. We pressure-test the cooling system and check for combustion gases in the coolant before diagnosing a head gasket. When it is one, we check the cylinder head for flatness and cracks before it goes back on. Some engines are known for head gasket trouble, such as the Subaru boxer engines covered on our Subaru page and some Toyota diesels.
A leak is rarely just a mess on the drive. Oil dripping onto a starter motor, an exhaust or an auxiliary belt turns a gasket job into something bigger. Common examples are the valve cover and oil filter housing gaskets on BMW six-cylinder engines, oil cooler seals on Mercedes V6 diesels, and plastic water pump housings on later VW Group petrol engines. We clean, trace the leak to its source and quote the fix.
When an engine needs more than a part, we strip and inspect it, then tell you what is worn and what it will cost before you decide. A rebuild is quoted after that inspection, not before.
Start with diagnostics if you are not sure what is wrong; from £75. If you already know the job, ask us for a price and we will confirm it in writing for your car.
The Rootes Standard
Not extras, and not only on the big jobs. This is how every car is looked after at Rootes Motors, from an oil service to a gearbox.
You get a fixed price in writing before any work begins. If we find anything else, we send you photos and a link to approve or decline it — nothing extra is done without your yes.
12-month warranty on parts we supply (wear items and consumables excluded), and every job is road-tested and checked before handover.
A seat cover, steering-wheel cover and floor mat go into every car before we touch it, and we work in clean overalls — never in a customer's car in dirty clothes.
On a while-you-wait job you sit in a warm, dry waiting room with a coffee — not stood outside in the cold and rain.
Booking is paperless. Every job is recorded against your car, and we email you the documents confirming the work completed.
Every registered customer gets automatic service and MOT reminders by email, so a due date never slips past.
We arrange your MOT at the DVSA-approved test centre on our street, take the car there and back, and fix anything that fails.
We quote it before we touch it
Estimate
Tell us about your car and we'll come back with a price for the job — confirmed in writing before any work starts.
FAQ
The usual signs are a rattle on a cold start that fades as the engine warms, a rattle at idle, a check-engine light with cam or crank timing fault codes, or rough running. We confirm it with live data and, where needed, a physical inspection before quoting. A stretched chain left alone can jump a tooth and damage the engine, so it is worth checking early.
Every engine has its own interval, set by mileage and by age, whichever comes first. A car that does few miles can still be overdue. Give us the registration and engine and we will confirm what applies. If there is no proof of the last change, treat it as due.
It depends on the engine, because the labour varies a lot from car to car. We diagnose first, then give you a fixed price in writing before any work starts. As one example from our price list, an Alfa Romeo 1.4 MultiAir or T-Jet cambelt and water pump is from £399.
Yes. A rebuild is quoted after we have stripped and inspected the engine, because until then nobody can honestly say what is worn. We tell you what we found and what each option costs, and you decide whether to rebuild, repair or replace.
It might be, but it is not the only cause. We pressure-test the cooling system and test for combustion gases in the coolant before we call it a head gasket. That way you do not pay for a head gasket job when the problem is a pump or a hose.
Areas we serve
Our workshop is in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (MK2 2PF). Owners also come to us from Bedford, Luton, Northampton and Buckingham. Finding us
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