A bit of forward planning combined with trepidation about the MOT diesel emissions test!
Car is Audi A4 TDi 115 reg. Sept 2000. Mileage 35,000
Warranty until end of August 2000, first MOT due at same time presumably. My queries are:
a) Cambelt change for this model, as stated in service handbook, is 60,000 miles. Is this correct or optimistic? (Incidentally, other Audi engines have 80k or 115k intervals!)
b) Should I have the MOT test before the warranty expires in case the cambelt (or anything else) breaks? Would I be covered?
Car has been maintained to manufacturer's schedule plus intermediate (5,000) mile oil and filter changes.
Thanks
Pat
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a) I'm generally in favour of erring on the side of caution. Probably I'd get it done at the next service at 40k, but that's a personal preference and others would no doubt disagree.
b) If it is the manufacturer's warranty, you must have the MoT done before the warranty expires. It should indeed cover a cambelt failure in the test, but aside from that, once the warranty has expired, the car will be over three years old and must by law be covered by a current MoT.
Warranty cover is from the date of first registration, not from manufacture or delivery to the dealer. If you have the MoT done earlier than required, it can be extended to the date when the first MoT should have expired if done on the latest possible date, as long as you present the old certificate (up to a maximum of 13 months from the test date). In this case, the V5 registration document I guess the V5 would be an acceptable substitute.
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Mine was done at 80k cost £250 included replacement of tensioner which was breaking up..
madf
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David: thanks for the reply. I think I may be tempted to renew the belt/tensioner at 40k. Problem is it will have done about 37k for MOT.
Madf: Was that the first belt change? Done at an Audi dealers?
Cheers
Pat
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Yes at Audi dealer: Second change . First done before I bought car (from Audi dealer)
madf
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Personally, I think changing the belt at 40K is overkill, but I'm not going to denounce it.....it's your choice, your money!
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Difficult to decide if other factors aren't known, has the car been driven down motorways for 35k or is it all short journeys?
In 25 years of motoring I've never had a cambelt failure and have changed mine at the recommended mileage.
I know several folk who either didn't know, had bad dealer advice or baulked at the cost and took a chance and it cost them dearly (DAD!)
However, most of my mileage is long distance, SWMBO AX cambelt failed at 39k whilst I was driving (bad news), good news it failed safe and all it cost was a new cambelt.
Given the potential cost of cambelt failure, it's generally a sound decision (it's also a good selling point).
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Mainly counrty lanes/dual carriageway/motorway miles. Very little urban :-)
Also I'm a fairly gentle driver, and rarely use the full performance of the car. Would this make a difference? Perhaps 50k would be a compromise. It's not necessarily the cost of belt replacement but the thought that the engine will never be quite the same again! I know, it's illogical, but will the timing be correct, will the replacement parts be as good as the originals?
Thanks for the replies so far. Any tales of belt failures on VAG TDi engines?
Pat
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Pat L
No info on belt failures on VAG TDi engines. However, just had cambelt and full kit replaced on 97 Mondeo,1.8,51k miles. The engine is running a lot better, got rid of the slight flat spot, now pulls well through the gears. Used the garage in Monmouth as listed on HJ's 'good garages' on this site. They did a very good job. I think that is half the battle if you can find a garage that you can talk to and they install a feeling of trust in you and don't try and sell you 'other work.' This garage had no problem replacing the kit as well as the cambelt, other main dealers would only replace the cambelt and shied off replacing the kit when asked to do so. This was the first job I have had done at this particular garage but it won't be the last.
I can appreciate your trepidation at allowing some ' temple of sabotage' to work on your vehicle.
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Some time agao there was a recall on VAG TDi engines where the cambelt was wearing on the edge - leading to failure. Something to do with a guide roller or similar. That's all I do - is inspect the belt for edge wear every 6 months (at oil change time!) and replace it at 60K
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A bit off-topic but thought I'd mention that the garage doing the MoT on my Triumph this morning had an Astra diesel estate in for repair. The fanbelt had broken, gone through the timing case and wedged itself between cambelt and sprocket. Result: broken cambelt and ... well, you know the rest. I'm keeping to chain drives!
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The same engine fitted in a VW Passat required a cam belt change at 40k. Later engines (i.e. the 130 bhp tdi) require a change at 60k. Whether any changes have been made to the design to give higher mileage is unlikely. It's probable that VW have decided these engines can go to 60k without a change. Apparently there were considerable 'noises' from high mileage fleet owners about the expense of frequent belt changes.
Personally I would err on the side of caution and go for 40k.
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A4 TDi service schedule specifies 60K belt changes....
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Many thanks for the responses. I'll be having an oil and filter change done at the dealers shortly, so I'll double check the cambelt change recommendation.
Regards
Pat
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