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I purchased a second hand Ford Focus LX 2004 (Sedan) and it is now getting close to 200,000km. I was wondering if this car needs a timing belt replacement or not?

I looked at the maintenance guidebook and there is nothing mentioned about changing the timing belt. However, under the hood, it looks like the car has a timing belt, as there is a plastic cover on the right side of the engine (left in the picture), next to the water pump. But I am not sure, as I cannot open that plastic cover myself.

Is there any way to find out? Does anyone have the experience with this car?

P.S. It seems that the previous owner has not changed the timing belt at all. There is nothing about it in the log book. Here is a picture of the engine from top:

enter image description here

orezvani
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Zetec with belt cover removed

From what I have read, the Zetec engines of this period using a timing belt. The image attached shows what looks to be pretty much identical to your engine but with the plastic timing gear cover removed and it's clearly a belt.

You can prise the cover back slightly and peer in with a torch to confirm yourself but if there is a chain under that plastic cover, I'd be very surprised.

Steve Matthews
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