Should I change the cam belt on my VW Passat 1.8 SE earlier than the 80K miles shown in the service booklet?
Thanks, Phil
|
Phil - to avoid potentially unnecessary wallet-emptying (as a result of belt breakage) change this belt NOW!
VW/Audi/SEAT have always been a bit sketchy when it comes to belt renewal quoting 'Check timing belt every 20 000 miles, replace if required'
In my mind, this is just plain stupid
A visual inspection of a cambelt to determine its life is hit & miss - there could be fibre disintegration deep within the belt which the eye cannot see.
I would personally change this belt between 40 & 60K
Good news - the timing belt on the 1.8 engine is fairly easy to replace - it shouldn't cost the earth to have it done.
Come to think of it, I haven't come across a broken VW timing belt.....yet!
Regards
David
|
I had a Cambelt break on my VW Jetta 1600, at 125 000 miles, it was the original and fortunately the valves and pistons didn't come into contact with each other, whereas the cambelt on My wife's Passat also gave up the ghost at 140 000 miles and knackered the engine, fortunately this was nearly 18 years old and we were ready to get rid, so the moral of this is that they CAN break. albeit well past their useful lifespan.
this was a few years ago before this became a real issue, now we are much more careful with our cambelts.
|
|
|
|
Phil,
I agree with David, that VAG are strangely uncommited in their advice on this, certainly on the older cars. Personally, as I suspect that the majority of cambelts are all made by one of two or three manufacturers, I find it strange that some are recommended for renewal at two or three times the life of others. Many car manufacturers who originally specified as much as 90,000 for belt renewal have now more or less halved this. I recommend to all my customers to change the cambelt at 50,000 or 5 years (whichever sooner) *maximum*, unless the makers advise less. In my area too many people do only 3,000 a year, and end up with a ten year old belt still at less than the makers recommended mileage interval.
I have seen VAG belt failures, mainly without valve damage, but not always so, and sometimes due to a water pump or tensioner problem rather than the belt itself.
Regards, Adam
|
Adam Going (Tune-Up Ltd) wrote:
> > Personally, as I suspect that the majority of cambelts are
> all made by one of two or three manufacturers, I find it
> strange that some are recommended for renewal at two or three
> times the life of others.
Surely it all depends upon the load on the belt, eg Citroens with hydro-pneu suspenders and power brakes, all the pumps being run off the engine give it a hard and potentially shorter life.
Maybe David W would like to come in as its now on the double chevron in 5.
|
Fair point Stuart, but just as an example, both the Ford CVH engine and Nissan's earlier Micra have the cambelt driving only the water pump and the camshaft, with a separate tensioner. Ford advise replacement at 36,000 or three years, Nissan 60,000 with no time limit. Last month I replaced a Micra belt at 42,000 miles, but the car was ten years old - the owner was very pleased he had said 'yes' when he saw that belt, as several teeth were hanging on by threads.
Regards, Adam
|
|
|
Stuart,
Spot on there. With the BX diesel the hydraulic pump runs from a belt driven pulley on the end of the camshaft, opposite to the timing belt end.
So effectively the work done to raise the car in the morning is routed via the timing belt. And as my physics master used to say "with energy you don't get something for nothing, it always comes from somewhere". The load to pressurise the hydraulics to 2500psi then raise the car off the ground must be substantial.
Other models have better arrangements with many hydraulic pumps driven directly from the crank pulley.
David
|
|
|
|
|
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/f84d150ef8af6ffd63b1283755b6588d/e974ec3953c5d0806a5bc10704e430fb.jpg)
