My A4 multitronic has a 2 litre petrol engine. (1984 cc indirect injection introduced in late 2001). My handbook says the cambelt should be changed at 120,000 miles or eight years. My (non-Audi) garage also confirmed these times.
It is now approaching eight years. A fairly brief web search could not find anything about belt damage on this engine. Do any of you have knowledge of belt breakage on this on this engine ? either caused by belt wear or other accessory failure?
Audi must have been pretty confident of its longevity to have originally stated such a long replacement period. Has it proved good in practice?
Many thanks.
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The short answer is rubber deteriorates with age, hence the recommendation to change at 'x' years OR 'x' miles.
Not sure if the following applies to the A4, but I thought VAG moved the goal posts and suggested 4 yrs OR 40,000 miles.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=37741
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I am perhaps frugal and I hear the argument about rubber deterioration, but I am not sure it always makes sense to me.
1. New cambelt can have been in a box in storage for 8 years, but it's OK
2. Ah but it's not OK in an engine bay, why not if the car hasn't done the mileage
3. Some cars will have given the cam belt a much harder life, some will have been garaged
The ageing argument is a difficult one to reconcile, but the mileage one is not. I and a lot of my friends have always changed them on mileage, but not for age and it's worked out OK so far...."but you pays your money and you takes your choice".
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1. New cambelt can have been in a box in storage for 8 years but it's OK 2. Ah but it's not OK in an engine bay why not if the car hasn't done the mileage
But in its box, stored on some dark shelf in a warehouse or accessory shop, it's not subjected to the heat from the engine and drying out the natural oils in the rubber.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 22/09/2009 at 20:29
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Not only the cambelt but tensioners and other auxilliaries driven by the pump should be replaced or RIGOROUSLY inspected.
Failed tensioner = wipeout.
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The VAG (UK) recommendation for a 4 year cambelt change is, in my opinion, a scam. There is no proper documentation to this effect - the maker's recommendations are clearly printed in the service book with no reference to a time period. The Milton Keynes version appears on scrappy bits of paper when you buy the vehicle.
Other than some of the smaller engines with plastic tensioner wheels, the majority of VAG engines (and all of the diesels) have well designed drives which should be good for the maker's stated life.
In your case though, I would say that after 8 years' use, you are entering a high risk area of operation due to both belt degradation and lubricant deterioration in the tensioner wheels.
A full cambelt kit and water pump (if driven by the same belt) would be a worthwhile investment if you are keeping the vehicle. It's unlikely that you would need to do this a second time, given your presumed annual mileage.
659.
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Thanks for all your useful and interesting replies.
However, still no-one who has had a belt problem on this engine?
Your comments, 659, about high risk are understood. If half a dozen people replied having had a problem I wold change it tomorrow. But it is a £400 job that is a bit like a high insurance premium and I haven't decided yet whether to pay it.
Mileage is 51,000
Edited by Aretas on 23/09/2009 at 10:25
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Let's look at the facts: You 'can' follow the advice given on this page AND by your Audi dealership and get the belt changed. This would give you a lot more useage out of the car and probably trouble free motoring from the engine.
Or: You 'can' choose to ignore all the good advice given on this page AND your Audi dealership and suffer the consequences. Let's assume the belt goes in say, 10,000 miles on a dark, rainy sunday and have to endure being towed in. The repairer then tells you that the engine is wrecked and it'll cost you circa 2k for all the replacement parts etc which is a bit more than the 400 quid for the original belt quote you were given. A car with a wrecked engine is worth next to nothing whereby a car that is serviced in accordance with the manufactures recommendations (and still running) is worth considerably more.
It's your choice........
Robin the Technician
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However still no-one who has had a belt problem on this engine?
I suspect because they've changed it at the recommended interval and thus had no problems.
it is a £400 job
Is that through a main dealer or independant?
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why ask a question if you are going to ignore the advice, failing to replace a cam belt is crazy, audi engines will self destruct if belt is not changed but the choice is yours to make,
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no you dont *have* to change it. you will *have* to change the engine if it goes tho.
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i recommend this belt is left alone
there
happy now
ive never seen a broken one
ever
ever
ever
ooooooooooo look at my nose...............
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Thanks, all. I'll get it done! £329 inc VAT at Audi dealer.
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dont forget tensioners, pulleys and water pump (I assume this engine runs the t/belt over the water pump?
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Glad to see you've seen sense. We don't like to patronise on these pages and our advice is given in YOUR best interests. We (the Technical advisors) seek only to ensure your enquiry is answered correctly and in YOUR best interests. You can trawl these pages and see where people have said 'I wish I'd followed your advice'...and have ended up with a huge repair bill rather than the considerably smaller preventative bill - and cambelt changing is a classic throught this thread.
I sincerely hope you enjoy your trouble free motoring after your cambelt change.
Robin the Technician
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