Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts

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Sun 1 Dec 2013 17:51
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - privateinvestor

Went to wto different VW dealers, one said it needs a cam belt change whilst looking up on a computer at 5 years or 140,000 miles. (Surrey)

The other in South West London said 5 years and 50,000 miles.

who is correct? Conti tech on thier web site seem to suggest that these belts last 100,000 miles plus? I know its wise to suggest a change after 5 years but 50k? if you a Golf and keep for 100k thats 1000k for 2 cam belt changes? profiteering?

any thoughts..............

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Sun 1 Dec 2013 18:32
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - john farrar
What is the cam belt change interval written in your service book?
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Sun 1 Dec 2013 19:29
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - Collos25

Conti now produce long life belts I doubt if yours will have one it may have and the change intervals do not take into consideration the water pump and the belt tensioner.As above what ever it says in the service book.

Edited by Collos25 on 01/12/2013 at 19:32

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Sun 1 Dec 2013 22:38
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - jacks
I have this exact model/engine .......... The service book doesn't say what the cambelt change interval is.
There is a tick box for the dealer to mark when the belt is changed but no actual mileage or timescale is mentioned.
The dealers are useless - each one gives a different answer to the same question.
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Mon 2 Dec 2013 14:28
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - Ordovices
Cambelt change Why does my cambelt need to be changed?

The cambelt is one of the hardest working parts in your engine, driving major parts of the engine and keeping everything synchronised. Changing it prevents snaps, cracks and tears which in turn minimises the risk of major engine damage.

What happens if it's not changed?

The belt can go slack, making it snap or jump. This can cause severe damage to the engine. Your car will break down and could be very expensive to repair.

What do we do?

We strip down the relevant parts of the engine and renew the cambelt and cambelt tensioner. Then we reassemble the engine and road test your car.

How often does it need to be changed?

4 - 5 years (4 years for cars registererd before September 2009, 5 years thereafter). This may need to be changed sooner for high mileage drivers.

From the VW UK web site

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Tue 3 Dec 2013 00:38
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - jacks
How often does it need to be changed?

4 - 5 years (4 years for cars registererd before September 2009, 5 years thereafter). This may need to be changed sooner for high mileage drivers.

From the VW UK web site

I read that on the VW website

That information has been on their website since before the Mk 7 (which has the so called long life belt) was introduced this year.

2 dealers I spoke to contradicted the 5 year referred to on that website advice.

I'm still not sure !

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Mon 2 Dec 2013 17:03
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - privateinvestor

Have had it confirmed by two VW dealers that it os 140,000 miles or 5 years and they go onto say its for the life of the car. Conti tech seem to back this up with on thier web site. Better to change around 70-80 k mark to be safe.

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Tue 3 Dec 2013 10:22
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - skidpan

There is confusion at Seat, Skoda and VW about the new engines in the Leon, Octavia and Golf (no idea about the A3). Different garages are quoting different intervals, some brochures say the belt will last the life of the car, others don't.

The current common line appears to be an inspection at 5 years with annual inspections after with no specfic date to replace.

When I bought the Leon I budgeted for a replacement at 4 years (as per the outgoing model) at the menu price of £279. That way I will not be disapointed if it actually needs doing.

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Tue 3 Dec 2013 13:37
Mark 7 Golf 1.6 tdi (105ps) cam belts - Ordovices

My Passat handbook "Service Schedule" states that the cambelt should be changed at 100,000 miles and makes no mention of time constraints. This is of course against the information on the company web site. I queried this and was not given an answer as to why there are contradictions.

It would be interesting to see what a court would make of this in the event of a claim being made.

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