Why the cambelt comes first
When a timing belt lets go, the engine stops on the spot, and it can do serious internal damage on the way out. That's why this job sits above everything else on an older Getz.
Rubber ages as well as wears, so a low-kilometre Getz that's sat around isn't in the clear. The same data warns that salt and sand can shorten a belt's life, worth a thought if yours has lived near the beach. The 90,000 km figure comes from a European data site, not Hyundai's Australian book, so the book wins if you've still got it.
How to find out if the belt's been done
Read the service book
Look for an entry or invoice that says timing belt, with the kilometres beside it. "Major service" on its own doesn't prove it.
Look for a sticker
Some mechanics leave a note under the bonnet with the date and kilometres of the last belt. It's a good sign, though it's no substitute for an invoice.
Ask the last owner or workshop
A quick call can save you paying for the job twice.
Still nothing? Plan on changing it
On a car this age, no proof means no belt for planning purposes. A mechanic can tell you what's involved on your engine.
Which Getz do you have?
About 153,000 Getz were sold in Australia, so it's a car plenty of local mechanics have seen. Early ones came with a 1.5-litre petrol. After the facelift the 1.4 and 1.6 took over, and from early 2008 they were badged S and SX. No diesel was sold here.
The engine decides the belt, the kit and the schedule, so it's the first thing the mechanic will ask. The rego papers or the badge on the boot will usually tell you.
Hyundai Getz brake pads and the rest
Pads wear at a rate that depends on your driving, so go by what a mechanic measures, not a distance. A light squeal can wait a few days. Grinding, or a pedal that suddenly feels wrong, can't: pull over somewhere safe and have it looked at.
Hyundai's service terms put a non-turbo petrol past its Service Passport schedule on 12 months or 15,000 km. One for used buyers, too: Hyundai's recall page says Takata airbags don't touch its Australian cars.
What to ask before you say yes
- Which engine is this, and what belt interval are you working to?
- Does the estimate cover the tensioner and water pump, or the belt only?
- Will the invoice say timing belt, with the kilometres, so the next owner can see it?
- Is anything else at the front of the engine worth doing while it's apart?
What we'd do with a Getz
We'd hunt for proof of the last belt this week. No proof, and we'd have it changed before the next long drive, with the belt, the kilometres and anything done alongside it named on the invoice. On a car this age it's fair to weigh the estimate against what the car's worth to you. Tell us it's a Getz, which engine if you know it, and what it needs. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.