Ford Transit Wet Belt Problems: What We Learned (and Why It Still Leaks!)

Still Leaking… But At Least the Wet Belt’s Sorted!
An update from under Vangelina’s bonnet 🛠️

If you’ve been following our van journey for a while, you might have noticed something missing lately… yep, van posts! There’s a good reason (actually, a few), but the main culprit? A mysterious, steadily worsening oil leak that’s been keeping us on our toes since we bought her.

At first, we hoped it was just leftover oil from the wet belt replacement the previous owner claimed to have done. We crossed our fingers, ignored the odd drip, and hoped for the best. But the leak never stopped. In fact, it got worse (as did the ‘tch’ noise my husband made everytime he walked past the growing number of oil patches on the block paving drive 😅). We started suspecting the belt job had been rushed – probably not enough time left for the sump sealant to cure properly…

Now, if you’ve got a Ford Transit with the 2.0 EcoBlue engine, you’ll know exactly why we were stressing. These engines use a wet belt – which, while quieter and more efficient (apparently), is hidden away in the oil system. If it snaps? That’s your entire engine gone. Bye-bye Vangelina!

It’s also the one reason I didn’t want a Transit when we were van shopping (I even mentioned it in this post). But the previous owner had a receipt for the job, and we figured we were safe for at least a couple of years…

Fast-forward to now, and we finally handed our keys (and wallets) over to Smithfields Garage (who later fitted our towbar), who took on the mammoth task of inspecting and redoing the wet belt properly. Vangelina stayed overnight while they did the job – and it turns out, the belt had been replaced recently… but sloppily. They found bolts missing, old sealant still caked on, and a badly damaged sump. No wonder she was leaking!

They fitted a brand new sump and showed us photos of the whole job when we collected her. Fingers crossed, we thought – maybe that’s finally the leak sorted?

Well… not quite. Within days, she was still dripping. And after a bit of late-night Googling (never a good idea), it’s looking suspiciously like the turbo. Cue sobbing.

While we wait to get her back to the garage again, I figured it was a good time to share a reminder for other Transit owners about the infamous wet belt – and why it really does need some TLC.

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What’s a Wet Belt, and Why Should You Care?

The Ford EcoBlue 2.0 engine (commonly found in later Transits) uses a wet timing belt – which means the belt runs inside the engine, constantly coated in oil. It’s quieter, more efficient, and supposedly longer-lasting… but it comes with some important caveats.

Here’s what you need to know:

• If it fails, it usually destroys the engine. There’s no warning clunk – just a very expensive, very dead van.
• Ford recommends replacing the belt every 100,000 – 150,000 miles, or every 10 years – but many garages now say to do it closer to 80,000 miles, especially if your van does lots of stop-start driving or shorter journeys.
• Oil changes are critical. Since the belt runs in oil, dirty or degraded oil can wear it down. Stick to regular oil services (ideally every 10,000 miles or once a year – whichever comes first).
• Use the correct oil. Always use oil that meets the Ford specification (5W-30 WSS-M2C950-A for most models) – cheaper oil can speed up belt degradation.
• If you’re unsure whether your belt’s been changed, get it checked. Receipts help, but they don’t guarantee a job well done – as we learned the hard way!

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So, that’s the current van saga! We’re still chasing the source of the leak (and hoping it’s not the turbo), but at least we can sleep a bit easier knowing the wet belt’s now sorted properly. These unexpected costs have now eaten considerably into our conversion budget, but I do keep reminding myself that the idea of the van was first and foremost so we could get out on our bikes. Camping was always just a happy byproduct of the process 😍

Have you had any Transit engine dramas? Or can suggest any industrial driveway cleaners so I can cheer the husband up? I’d love to know we’re not alone in the oily chaos! 🫠