Why do you think Alfa has changed the maintenance interval from 5 to 3 years
(100000 to 60000km)
Not to cash on customers fears.
A complete engine overhaul, when the belt fails, brings a lot more cash!
They just know for sure, like every other car manufacturer, that the failure
rate of timing belts increases dramatically above 3 years/60000km; the belt
manufatcturers simply can't get their products better!!
That's one of the reasons engineers worldwide expect that within the next
engine generation over 95% of the car manufacturers will return to the "old"
chain!!

Just happened that I called two places myself today to get a price for the
120 000 km service including replacement of all the belts. On the Italian
side of the border they gave a price of 720 euros and on the French side
~600 euros. When the car was in for the 100 000 km service (car 3,5 years)
the dealer said that it would be about time to have the belt replaced as it
should be max. 4 years. However another dealer just the other day said that
it should be changed every third year??
What amazed me as much as the the price was that here in France they said
they would need to have the car for two full days. I wonder if they need to
take out the engine (1.9 JTD) to replace the belt??? Well yes it's not only
the belt but anyway.

-br Bernt

Dans l'article <br51ih$6md$1@phys-news1.kolumbus.fi>, Esko Kauppinen
<e.kauppinen@kolumbus.fi>a écrit :

you usualy don't keep tires for 5 years because they are worn before, 40000 or
50000km is the max you can do and most people do that in 3 or 4 years. However,
if you can see old tires, 5 or more years old, you will notice that there is a
lot of little crack on the side and the rubber is hard, you can scratch it with
your nails. And yes, if it is too old, it can explose , my own experience in an
old MINI !!!
thereis a lot of additive in tires so it's not really the same as belt, .
rubber loose his efficience in time due to UV ray, hight and cold temp, etc,  
not on a shelve.
yes, rubber seals of the engine and chassis coulb be changed too, just take a
look under the bonnet, rubber seals between engine and chassis, and compare to
others on an old car, the difference is obvious.The same for ball joint, lower
and upper arm , all the bushes . Just changed mine on the 75 at the rear (De
Dion axle), they where in a poor statement, disintegrated. this dont mind that
you MUST change them each 5 years, but they are less efficient, you get more
vibrations from the engine, creaking noise from front arm , etc...
i don't know if it's 3, 4 or 5 years the best time to change these parts but
when it's for the engine, cambelt, i prefer earlier than later.