Hi All
I have a VW Golf 1300 81,000 miles Mk2.
I had a new timing belt fitted at 32,000 miles and I have done 50,000 miles on this.
Is it time to replace this one? The VW dealer says it will last 80,000 miles although the haynes manual says replace after 40,000 miles. Who is right?
Thanks
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Given that this is an easy and cheapish job on the 1300, I would do it now: Don't forget to check condition of water pump whilst you have car in bits.
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Agree. Worth putting some anti-seize on the water pump and fan belt pulley bolts in case you still have the car in another 40k.
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My wife has a Mk4 golf TDI the handbook says belt change at 40,000 so like a good lad I booked it in but the main dealer tells me VW now recommend 60,000. May be different on yours though, give VW themselves a ring if you don't trust your dealer.
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Better safe than sorry, and I believe that HJ usually recommends replacement of these items well within the manufacturer's stated intervals.
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Inspect it - if ok, leave alone. I seem to hear of more problems concerning replacements not fitted properly than originals breaking!
Our Passat - 220,000, original belt - looks fine. Replaced pulley at 160,000ish as slight whine betrayed imminent seizure. [this is why belts break - seized pulleys fry them!]
Just replaced my Audi 100 [150,000, original everything xcept HT leads] with cheap A6 2.8, as 'needing a belt change soon at 80,000. I have no intention of changing it - it looks stout enough to drive a BMW motor bike. The engine rarely spins above 2000 revs - I doubt if it has done a day's work in its life.
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Last thing I want to do is hijack a thread, but please could I ask a question? (Some of you may already know that I'm useless at the mechanical side of things)
I've got my 406HDi booked in at a main dealer next week for the timing belt to be changed. Peugeot recommend 96k change, but I'm doing mine every 50k to be sure. If I don't change the pulleys at the same time, am I lining myself up for a fall? The bloke at the main dealer said that tensioners aren't replaced as they inspect them at the time. Is this normal?
On a different note, why are main dealer prices so different. Quote for replacing belt in Southport = £280 (4.3hrs labour). Quote for replacing belt in Chester = £120 (4.3hrs labour).
Guess where I'm going to?!!
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It's called Rip of Britain...
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406 HDi engine is a good 'un....not aware of any tensioners/rollers to change..
50K intervals seems sensible to me.
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£120 is very, very cheap for a belt and 4.3 hours' labour anywhere, let alone at a Peugeot main dealer. Is that maybe Express Fit? (Nothing wrong with it if it is - they offer excellent value).
Personally I'd have the tensioners done at the same time, although if you can get a belt change done that cheaply... If they fail, you're in exactly the same position as you would be if the belt broke, although they do tend to last longer than belts.
However, there is essentially zero extra labour in changing the tensioners at the same time as the belt, so given that you're only really looking at the part cost, I would do both at the same time.
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I was a bit wary of the cheap price and enquired further. Apparently they're doing a fixed price for timing belt changes at the moment. It's not Express Fit - I asked about that.
They're even giving me a courtesy car to tootle about it for the morning...
Don't understand the 'granny' question though? Am I missing something, apart from my marbles?
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It wasn't aimed at you but at the poster above whose cars are well into their second 100k on the original belts but the flat view thing isn't working too well at the moment.
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Did your gran live to be 103 and smoke 40 a day as well?
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JB.
My Passat TDi had it's belt replaced at 40K (18 months ago) and now that it's approaching 80K I rang around for some prices. The dealer who fitted the belt has now told me that the replacement belt they fitted was a "modified belt" good for 60,000 miles. A second dealer has confirmed that it's only the very early PD cars that needed the first change at 40K.
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In general, I subscribe to JohnF's attitude : "Don't fix it if ain't broke" - the exception being items listed as essential maintenance for a warranty to be valid. All the cases I have heard of where cam-belts have failed are those where replacement work was done within the previous 4 weeks of failure!
As to kal " It's called Rip of Britain...", I say its RipOfBritain (ROB) the mugs who can't be bothered to shop around.
However, reading the posts above, it makes you wonder where all the ROB dealers have gone. The ones above seem to be giving loss-making deals or, shock-horror, turning away willing customers by telling them work is NOT needed!
--
eM.Be. # Note: {P} means I am DECLARING that my profile can be viewed.
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Be aware that early TDI's DO have a cambelt and tensioner replacement interval of 40K, I have a 1998 TDI(90hp) and had to insist that the garage replace it. There should be a sticker on the front cross member by the bonnet latch that confirms the change interval. I have started going to a local SEAT dealer, they charge less per hour but still use VAG OE parts.
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I have an Audi Avant 1995. My nearest Audi franschise is 20 miles away, while my nearest VW franchise is just up the road. They will no longer supply parts for my Audi. THese two franchises used to one, before Audi decided it needed its own 'quality' showrooms. The VW franchise used to help me out with Audi parts, but cannot any longer do so, simply because they are no longer plugged into the appropriate computer, and demand for Audi parts is limited. I assume they could plug into that computer, since it is Vag computer, but to be fair, they are now a VW franchise.
Is your car an Audi or a VW?
Are you able to comment on why SEAT can supply original OE parts, and not VW, as in my case?
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