1.9 TDI Cambelt - definitive time to change
- Thread starter palebluestar
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- cambelt change definitive tdi time
some people will see no harm in doing earlier as it will mean the biggest cost if things go wrong has less chance as looked at well in advance.
i'm happy paying 300 to get fixed every 60k rather than hope it will last another 20k and snap costing me a shed load more to fix a lot more broken bits.
i'm happy paying 300 to get fixed every 60k rather than hope it will last another 20k and snap costing me a shed load more to fix a lot more broken bits.
palebluestar
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Well, I've picked it up and am struggling to get the smile off of my face since driving it home, nice grin factor 
thanks all.... just putting together a wish list now!!!
thanks all.... just putting together a wish list now!!!
Kev M
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I'm about to pick up an 04 with 35,000 miles so it's a long way off cambelt change with regards to distance but not timewise if it should be done every four years. What would you recommend?
Well, I've picked it up and am struggling to get the smile off of my face since driving it home, nice grin factor
thanks all.... just putting together a wish list now!!!
Did they do the belt change for you ?
That's a great price for a cambelt change and full service.
Also as far as a can tell the cambelt change is not time limited, granted after 10 years it will more than likely need doing, but as for four years that,s not what my stealer told me. Also they should check the belt on an inspection service anyway which is every two years or 20k miles.
palebluestar
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No although a negotiation on price was agreed,
, also they said that this would be covered under the 3 month guarantee so I have three months to sort it.Just spotted this a bit late, congratulations on the purchase. If you can get to Bulwell, there's a guy called Dave Bothwell (DSB Autocare) who I've just taken my TDI to for an 80k service and was very impressed with both the price and the service (he was £160, I'd have had to pay £195 at Nationwide Auto, £260 at JBS and god knows what at a local VW dealer). Glynnd from here has used him a lot and pointed him out to me and I'm satisfied if my first visit was anything to go by.
Whereabouts in Derby are you from? You'll have to keep an eye out in the Central Meets section, there's usually one every 6 weeks or so I think down on Pride Park
That sounds good, may well look them up, was that a cambelt change as well as a service?
I actually contacted Seat in Derby (GK Group), they advised that they had recently (2/3 months ago) brought in a blanket policy whereby the belt needs to be changed every 4 years regardless of mileage.
VAG Group as a whole has a 4 year time limit on timing belts (reduced from 5 years a while ago). One dealer not knowing about it is no surprise at all. In fact I'd be surprised if half of them were aware of the correct time and distance requirements for servicing and cambelts.
Czech-m8
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I'd go along with the 4 years OR 60,000 miles, whichever comes first.
And its cheap enough to change the water-pump at the same time. Not essential, but recommended.
John.
And its cheap enough to change the water-pump at the same time. Not essential, but recommended
.John.
Just as a follow on from this, would a worn cambelt affect injector timing possibly leading to smoking?
If your hand book is like mine, it "only" gives a mileage (IE. 60k). But if you check with SEAT, they will say "60k, or 4 years" (as previously stated by others). I also checked this with my warranty company last year (got an extended warranty with Warranty Direct)... and they confirmed "60k, or 4 years" else "warranty void". A bit of a bummer, as mine had only done 25k at 4 years old!
And to make it a bit more expensive for you... they recommend that the water pump is changed as well. A decent independent can do both jobs, I got National Autocentre to do mine (still not exactly cheap though).
And to make it a bit more expensive for you... they recommend that the water pump is changed as well. A decent independent can do both jobs, I got National Autocentre to do mine (still not exactly cheap though).
Mine's 4 years old in August, and I estimate it'll be on 14k by then...yes, 14k. I bet my belt will be as fresh as a daisy!
Rubber degrades with time. 4 year old tires will be developing cracks in the sidewall etc, and so will your timing belt.
I've bought 13 year old cars before that have never had the cambelts changed and the belts were only slightly cracking, if the covers secure and sealed then the belts last longer but if they're exposed to the elements they fall to pieces.
I'm not saying I'm going to leave mine, I'm in the trade so parts and labour are nice and cheap...it'd be silly not to!
I'm not saying I'm going to leave mine, I'm in the trade so parts and labour are nice and cheap...it'd be silly not to!
To be honest... you are probably right. I got them to put the old parts in the boot after doing the job on my car (that way you have some idea that they've actually done something) and the belt, tensioner and pump looked fine. But as viking says "Rubber degrades with time" and better safe than sorry.
The age/mileage is only based on the statistical probability that it may fail, MTBF (Mean Time Between failure) and all that. Plus I expect SEAT (like a lot of manufacturers) err on the side of caution. I think after the high failure rate of belts on some earlier Renaults a while back, manufacturers pulled the time limit in a bit.
Life as usual is an expensive thing. And doubly so when cars are concerned.
Sorry to bring this up. I went to my dealer and they told me to change my cambelt after 4 years. My car has done 56k and will have reached 60k before its 4 years old. I anticipate my mileage to be 65k when the car turns 4 years old. I am planning to leave it till then. Is there any truth behind the 80k or 4 year statement?
Do you have an owner's manual? If so, what interval is recommended?
TDIs sold in North America used to have a 60k mile interval, until 2001. Then an improved belt led to an 80k mile interval; this was followed by the introduction of an improved large idler pulley and a 100k mile interval.
The new 2009 Jetta TDIs with a 2.0-liter common-rail engine have a 120k mile interval.
If this is a bit confusing, just imagine how confused the dealers are. They are not very bright to begin with. If they don't know, then they tend to make up a short interval instead of a long one, because that means more business for them. And then, unless you tell them exactly what you want done, they tend not to replace everything that should be replaced; if one of those unreplaced parts should fail later, that means even more work for them.
The bottom line: follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. If a dealer tells you something else, he's ignorant, dishonest, or both.
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