My old Toyota had a two piece timing belt cover. It was very easy to monitor the condition of the belt. Getting a single piece timing belt cover can be a real fiddle, making routine inspection an unalluring prospect.

Shame really.

I always buy JAP cars too.Forget your AUDI'S,VW'S etc, especially the newer stuff

Mark 193

As the old saying goes "you need to know the rules before you can break them". I wouldn't advise anyone not to change a timing belt on time, but if you know what to look out for then it should be ok. I'm not quite as confidant as Big John about belt longevity, but I certainly wouldn't describe him as a troll.

If you cannot afford to or are not prepared to maintain the vehicle properly you should take a bus or taxi.

What a silly statement-and why the vitriol? Time/money spent replacing a perfectly good belt could for more profitably used for oil changes, new tyres, new springs, new shocks etc. that would actually be useful to the vehicle.

The catastrophic nature of timing belt failure means that most of us are very cautious about replacing it 'on time'. But if your oil pump or water pump no longer has a good seal and the timing belt is contaminated, or the tensioner is on the way out, John F will discover this within 10,000 miles whereas you'll be waitiung for some arbitrarily large round number to appear on the odometer before changing the belt.. Got a bus pass?

John F is a regular who has been with us for longer than I have, and he's entitled to his opinion. Personally, being risk-averse by nature, I would disagree with him, and certainly the OP is best advised to play safe. But disagreement is more effective if done politely.

Have you noticed that the person making the crazy statement disappered after making it.

Not crazy - back now after a delightful couple of days in Nuremberg [and their airport doesn't close when there's snow!] and busy catching up at work.

I've been called a lot of things in my time, but never been libelled as a 'troll'! Apart from the brainless insults [how many of you insulters have physics 'A' level?] I am delighted with the debate so far. The most sensible contribution [as usual..and I don't know him/her at all] has come from 'unthrottled' - I guess probably a male.

I appreciate toothed cambelts don't 'slip' but there are actually tiny 'slips' of sliding friction as the metal teeth engage and disengage, and I contend that a bit of belt dressing might help to keep it from getting less brittle and dry with age. It's worked so far.

One of the key posts in this thread was the observation that the old belt looked as good as the new one. Let's hope it was made and fitted properly - there are numerous reports of belts dutifully and needlessly replaced which then fail within a mere 30,000 or so.

The only problem I can foresee is a potential compatibility problem with the rubber. Oils can make go rubber go soft at elevated temperatures

My preference is to minimise potential contamination. When the engine is cold I'm very gentle with it; no revving or labouring. Make up for it when it gets warm though. :)

Quite so, 'unthrottled'. But I'm sure you know that cambelts aren't made of 'rubber' these days. I admit I don't know what the ingredients of my ancient can of Grako s***on belt dressing are but it doesn't feel very oily and I use it sparingly 'cos you can't get it now.

V good engine care advice, and ours have the additional protection of being mated to autoboxes which has saved them from the sharp rev changes of possibly insensitive previous drivers.

but if you know what to look out for then it should be ok.

But how many people out there are expert enough to know what to look for, most people who come on here with serious engine issues dont even bother to check the oil or water.

Add to that John F who stated this debate by stating he never changes a cam belt and never intends to says he checks his every 10,000 miles. Surely if you are going to follow his dangerous advice it would need checking way more frequently than that once the scheduled change date had passed.

If you cannot afford to or are not prepared to maintain the vehicle properly you should take a bus or taxi.

Brill answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very good advice

Mark 193

"Spray it with belt dressing"

Uhhhh? - belt dressing is used for stopping vee-belts and flat belts slipping, how on earth is it going to be necessary to spray it on a timing belt?

"I do not think you can change the tension on the cambelt."

Some you can, some you can't

VAG have used both manual and auto tensioners

Which VAG engines use a manual adjusted tension mechanism?

Mk1 and 2 Golfs (at least) had manual tensioners - I certainly remembering tensioning the belts with the good old-fashioned twist and tweak method!

Correct.

Thanks for the info must have been very rare .

Well they only made a few million. Fitted them in Audis as well.