Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Belt or chain
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Belt or chain

I am going to look at a MINI Cooper Diesel 08-plate this afternoon, I was just wondering if this engine has a cambelt or is it a chain? If it is a cambelt what mileage would it need changing?

Asked on 26 April 2011 by KG64

Answered by Honest John
Belt. It's a Peugeot/Ford engine. About 60k miles. BMW switched to its own chain cam diesel engines for the MINI in autumn last year.

Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.

Honest Used Car Prices

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....
Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
    Select a few terms below
Similar questions
I am thinking of buying a Skoda but I'm aware from reading Honest John's column regularly that the issue of timing belts/cams is important. Before I buy, does the model I prefer have a chain cam engine?
My wife and I test drove the Hyundai i30 Comfort 1.4 petrol and 1.6 CRDi diesel last Sunday, and preferred the diesel for its power, lower emissions, taller gearing and motorway cruising. The problem is...
At present my wife and I are sharing a 53 Honda Stream 2.0 auto (super gearbox) and a 04 FIAT panda Dualogic. We wish to reduce to one vehicle and are considering the new KIA Soul. The auto is a 4 speed...