It seems that the VAG M-K generated 4 year cambelt change scam continues.

I would recommend that you follow the belt change instructions given in the printed service book supplied with the vehicle - not an ad-hoc profit generating scheme which seems to apply only in the UK.

For what it's worth, here are my own recommendations for this excellent engine, some of which are additional to the following of the makers' instructions:

The camshaft drive is very highly stressed on the PD diesels but they are generally capable of running to the stipulated belt change mileage because the components are mostly well specified. The exception is, in fact the water pump which has two problems. Firstly, VAG in a fit of design dementure, put the water pump on the tight side of the cambelt, This imposes extremely high loadings on the pump bearings and I would personally never ever change a belt on a PD engine without changing the pump. The second problem is that the OE pumps have plasic impellers which are prone to either breaking up or becoming loose on the shaft. VAG in their wisdom have engineered a failure mode for water pumps which exists nowhere else. Pattern pumps with a metal impeller are freely available. A broken plastic impeller can jam the pump, throw off the cambelt and wreck the engine.

On my own PD engine, all belts, all camshaft drive idlers and tensioners + a pattern water pump are fitted every 60k miles. Inspect the aux drive belt tensioners very carefully and also the one-way sprag clutch in the alternator pulley. Fit a new alternator pulley every second belt change regardless.

Well lokoed after, the 1.9 PD will cover starship mileages - pity about the later diesel engines.

659.