Don't worry, Martin - my Passat 2.0GL has done 224,000 with the original belt, but I did have to change the tension pulley as it started whining a bit at 160,000. It's easy enough to check if you unclip the top cover, look at the teeth, check the tension. If you are very enthusiastic unbolt the tension pulley and see if it spins OK.
Cambelts are strong - they usually only break if a seized pulley fries them.
[I'm running it till it breaks or until next summer as the aircon condenser has failed and it will cost more than the car's worth to repair!!]
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thanks for all the advice guys.
its a real dilema, i can probably get by for a while without using the car so am thinking that next month would be a good time to get the job done.
The belt has been changed in the past, at the specified instances as noted in the service guide, but this current belt has done 40k odd and i drive in cold climbs (the southern Alps).
What exactly do the garage change apart from the belt when they do this job, will i notice any improvment in driving?
many thanks again!
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when a timing belt is changed you should always spin any pulleys
tensioners etc. for noisey operation or wear,you would not hear any noisey pulleys in a diesel engine but a petrol engine quite often you can hear if ones away. Ive just done a 16v megane with 18,000 miles on, it was quite clear it had a bearing away behind the covers and sure enough a belt guide was away along with a leaking water pump. You will not notice any difference when the belt is changed other than peace of mind, unless of course the last belt change was a tooth out on the timing, and now ok. again i did a Vauxhall calibra 4 by 4 turbo which had its first belt done at Bristol street motors and came to me for
its second, when setting up timing marks prior to taking old belt off, the exhaust cam was 1 tooth out. When next i saw the customer he asked what i had done as its more responsive now.
I could never understand why he did not notice a difference when he got it back of Bristol street. Fords and Vauxhalls always get a full belt kit now when we change them. My advice to you is the same as above, do not use it untill you can have it replaced or bang goes the valves.
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I think it is possible to notice a difference after a belt replacement. If the teeth on the old belt are worn and the tension is incorrect you can almost end up being a tooth out , I've known it on several occasions, where performance and general running has improved.As far as belt renewal take HJ's advice too, you can never be too careful.
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The belt has been changed in the past, at the specified
instances as noted in the service guide, but this current belt
has done 40k odd.>>
That puts a different complexion on things. I would say you are probably ok to keep going for a little but still get it done reasonably soon. Change the tensioner too.
Andrew
Simplicate and add lightness!
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John,
Your advice is based on the lucky chance of a long lasting belt on a car you seem happy to scrap if/when it fails.
That is rarely the case for folks who are running cars that are worth too much to scrap, but could cost £1000 (or more) if the belt does go.
This year I've seen three families (1 Vauxhall, 2 Ford) who took a chance with this faced with head replacement and close to £1000 a time, they were gutted.
And did you really change the tensioner and leave the £10 belt in place?
Blimey.
M.M
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Some contrary adivce, i think it would be better if i used my car less often, i can probably get the job done next week or so.
Just so i know, can someone tell me what happens if the belt snaps whilst driving and what the likely garage bill would be for repairs? I heard that some motors have a disengaging device that can save the motor...true???
MG
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Martin
MM's £1000 seems about right.
It must only be a couple of hour's labour to change a belt plus the cost of the bits as well.
I would suggest that if you can't afford to have it done, then you can ill afford to take the risk.
It's a bit like driving without insurance really. The number of people I know that have taken the risk because they could not affor the premiums, then have faced a £3000 bill for repairs to someone else's car plus the loss of their own - some people never learn. BTW I'm not talking 30 yds to garage but regular uninsured driving.
H
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Approx £300 for a cam belt and tensioner change at VW near me.
I am currently looking at a new head on mine due to a failure of a cam belt (due to be sorted out in small claims court) after VW fitted them for me.
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M. M
Yep, just the pulley. Belt's a big job, beyond my capabilities. Anyway, at 225,000 the engine's past its best and we've had our money's worth. Also, it's not just the cost - it's the hassle of taking and delivering the car to the garage, being without the car for a day or more - and not knowing whether the job's been done properly - I would love to see a survey of cambelt failures to see how many had been changed recently.
[bought a Peugeot 309 for my son at auction for £250 2yrs ago - cambelt [98,000 - ?original] just needed tensioning a bit - still fine at 104,000]. It is more likely to suffer a crash than belt failure.]
John F
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Sorry John its not just the problem of having the belt go at an inconvenient moment, its the possible consequenses to other motorists when your barge with the busted belt becomes a sudden permanent road block in the outside lane of the motorway. What is your philosophy on brakes........
Andrew
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Andrew
Philosophy on brakes same as belt....if OK don't mend. Original front discs [de-rusted and de-lipped with Black'nDecker caborundum wheel evry 30K or so] changed at 205,000. Pads last 40K ish. Braking = burnt petrol = £.
John F
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John,
So, belts don't fail ?
Perhaps you would like to contibute to my new engine ! The cambelt on my VW T4 2,5TD failed at 54K miles, some 26K before VWs scheduled replacement. No problems with water pump or tensioner, and belt appeared in perfect condition in all respects apart from the actual area of the failure. No foreign bodies present. Full service history from new and belt "condition & tension checked" as per schedule every 20K.
As for driving until brakes fail, I am staggered, and just hope that I don't live anywhere near you.
Adam.
Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble.
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Adam,
V sorry to hear about your belt - clearly one can be unlucky when components fail long before they should for one reason or another. But had it been fiddled with from new, i.e. over-tensioned in the hope of imminent work creation - perish the thought?
I also wonder if diesels impart more multiple severe minishocks to the system than petrol - is there any evidence for a higher incidence of failure in diesels than petrol?
Re brakes, I assure you that an expert annually provides me with an MoT and I value my life at least as highly as yours!
John F
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John F:
I am broadly with you on this. I agree with the dictum "don't fox it if ain't broke" - subject to normal standard safety items, MOT, checks etc.
I am reminded of a collegue who is a heart specialist who always jokes "everyone he sees has a heart problem - so take care of your heart".
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I agree, to a point.
3000 mile oil & filter changes are OTT
Whereas 40K cambelt changes (IMO) are not
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I have posted after John F a few times because....
I'm quite OK that he has this personal mission to beat the system at any (potential) cost...but it isn't good sense for the masses.
And eMBe I'm surprised at you.
You may or not agree but I'm determined that anyone who wants to stay with me keeps to the "old fashioned" maintenance intervals. Oil changes at 6K or yearly at a very max (petrol or diesel), coolant/brake fluid two yearly, timing belt 50K, transmission oil 5yrs/60K...and so on.
That way 99% of my work is planned maintenance and folks almost never suffer breakdowns or unexpected failures. If they try and use me as a "repair when it breaks" service, while skimping on maintenance, I ease them out.
A typical example recently. I look after a family's cars, a while ago they bought a XXXX. Every time they get a vehicle they ask me to do a service and make a list of what needs doing to keep it in "really good nick"....then at each further visit they only let me do half of what needs doing..."to save money".
So I do the initial service on the XXXX and advise various things including raising the point of the cambelt of unknown age...."definitely get you to do that soon" they say.
So wind forward to last week..... call to say the timing belt snapped just after starting the XXXX. I talk through the likely damage/repair options and they're on the floor at the possibility of it costing around £1k for repairs.
I'm not gloating but I did warn them....as I do everyone else.
You take the chance if you have to.... but don't expect any favours from repairers to sort this self-inflicted damage.
M.M
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"Fluids and filters" should be the mantra. Change regularly. Look after your car and it'll look after you.
Running a rubber belt long beyond its design life is madness.
Best of all, avoid buying a car with a cam belt in the first place.
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