2008 Forester XT 2.5 Timing Belt

[GLFJ]

Hi guys.


I just bought a used forester. It's 2008, 2.5 Turbo XT 169kw.
I assume it was sold due to the next service being the expensive one. It has 160200km on it.

So need to get this service done which replaces the Timing Belt. There's no proof it was done anywhere.
There is service history till 150000km but it doesn't state the belt anywhere.

I am in Limpopo, the nearest Subaru is 150km away.
So not sure it's good to take a chance and drive it to Subaru.
I need advice, What do you think?

Rather buy the part somewhere and ask a local place to do it. (Do you guys know where I can buy a Timing belt kit and which one exactly?)

Or Just drive it 150km to the Subaru dealership and hope it makes it there?

By the way, if you know how much this will cost to do, please let me know.
I just know it'll be a LOT.

[Hennie84]

I have no experience with this vehicle, but I had an Impreza 1.5R, same engine as the 2.0R. The cambelt on that engine was due around 105000 km. Seeing as it's a 2008, it should have been done long ago.

Had the cambelt done on my Impreza at guys that specialize in Subaru's, no-one else was willing to touch the car. This was 11 years ago and it cost me R9500.

[Andrew V9X]

I have done the timing belt on an EJ25 before. I am not a mechanic but have a very sound mechanical ability. It was relatively simple. I removed the radiator for access turned engine to TDC and checked for cam marks.
I do remember the belt was also marked so it made the job quite simple. If I remember correctly I did get the belt from a normal spares shop. The full kit from Subaru was substantially more expensive though.
I never replaced the idler pulleys etc as it was my son’s car and the idlers and tensioner was still good. I remember it being a fairly long belt due to it being a boxer engine.

[Namakwalander]

Not a Subaru, but a few years ago I bought a vehicle that was way overdue on a cambelt change based on age and not mileage. I needed to drive the vehicle another 1000km and asked the owner to open the cam cover to have a look at the belt. Based on the visual inspection of the belt, I decided it was OK to take the trip without having the belt changed first. Then I had it changed soon after reaching home.

So if I were in your situation, that is what I would have done, but only you can decide what you are comfortable with (it is your car and your wallet at the end of the day).

[Commander]

My recommendation is always to use an expert for a specialist car, or become a specialist yourself. So don't take it to some oke to get it done. There are plenty of scoob shops around, so also probably not worth it to go to Subaru directly.

[SubieGirl]

we just had a major service done on our 2008 Forester XT 2.5, it was R25 000 Herman Nel Motors Roodepoort - also added some Liqui Moly Cera Tec - I advise you to get some to protect your vehicles engine.

[Veneficus]

For Cambelt they use to be massively expensive
But you could get the kits imported from America via Rockauto for allot cheaper
So check prices
SA's cambelt replacement period is nuts

Same engine with the lowest replacement period world wide (other than SA) is in Australia and they replace at 125,000 K's
In rest of the world same engine and belt is done 160,000 K's

SA the paperwork they showed listed cambelt replacement
100,000 Miles
100,000 Km
As though that is the same

When mine have been removed at just over 100,000km the belt still looked brand new

So my opinion do not stress over 150km to get it somewhere
These are not the light little belt some cars like the Opel's come with
Unless it is making a noise drive the 150km and get it replaced

But as stated compare prices

[tzrav]

We have a 2010 Impreza with the 2.0 non turbo.

Its getting close to the 200k KM mark and will be due for its cambelt service. I phoned around and i found this company https://www.autobax.co.za/product-offering

They can supply the Gates cambelt kit (belt, idlers, and water pump), they don't sell directly to the public but they referred me to a spares shop nearby (Centpart Motorparts here in Centurion).

The quote i received for the cambelt kit was ~R4500.

Seeing that the radiator needs to be removed when changing the cambelt, its also recommended to replace the thermostat (only use original from agents ~R350) flush the cooling system and replace the coolant with the correct pre-mix coolant, I only use the Liqui-moly products from the agents.