3.5yrs old 32k miles - shal I get the Cambelt changed?

[lordgibbness]

My car was born in Nov 2004, and how time flies, is now almost 3.5yrs old.

As we all know the manual says to change the belt at 60k or 4yrs.

It has only done 32k - but with a service due at 35k around early summer time - should I be looking to get the belt changed then?

Thanks.

 

[highguyuk]

You can never do it to soon, if you have the cash.

Personally, I wouldn't. You've still got many miles to go, and 6 months...

 

[lordgibbness]

My thinking was that by the time I service it in, say July, it will be four months off 4yrs old. I might then have to get it done four months later on anyway...

I wouldn't want to pay now if I didn't really need to - I'm just trying to stick to SEAT's advice as closely as I can.

Ideally, I'd like to change it a year later when it's 4.5yrs old with 45k on the clock.

Cheers.

 

[oldman]

I'm same as highguyuk.
If you have the cash now, i would do it and get the water pump changed at same time as easier to do all together.
You could wait for the 60k mark or the 4yr mark as ultimately the choice is yours.
They could possibly inspect the belt and see if frayed, or worn and you could base decision upon that is suppose.

 

[GREG_R84]

I had both my water pump and camp belt changed last wednesday. Car is 5 years old in june and has only done 43447 miles. My local garage done it as it was cheaper than the stealer 199.80

 

[lordgibbness]

Might wait for my next-next service when it'll be four and a half years old with probably 45ish on the clock. Just hope I wouldn't be tempting fate!

 

[GREG_R84]

Was at the stealers earlier and a cam belt change is 267 kwid

 

[CupraUK]

Those are cheap prices, mine came to £620 at TTS with a service as well

Had it done at 5 years, 65000 miles

 

[Stubbo]

I was reading somewhere that it said check the cam belt at 60k if it didn't look worn then just have it checked every service after that until it got to 120k then replace but i maybe wrong.

I would never do that, when mine gets to 50K next year it will be having a cam belt and water changed then.

 

[GREG_R84]

The cam belt cost 21.50 and the water pump was 28. The rest was on labour, though i think i got army discount on that

 

[lordgibbness]

Went in to SEAT today and they said that it should be changed after four years regardless of mileage so I'll get it done with my cars 4yr birthday MoT.

But yeah, if your cars less than 4yrs old - looking in the service manual about what should be checked/changed at each service - it says:

Cambelt should be inspected every 20,000miles from the 60k service onwards, and must be changed at 120k miles.

Edit: I thought I'd make it clear - this is for petrol engines. TDI engines have different intervals.

 

[lordgibbness]

In case anyone digs this up in the future...

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1889093&postcount=22

 

[garycupratdi]

You know what matey i wouldn't bother changing it as a quick inspection would be more than enough and thats what most garages would do.

 

[JamesL]

and if there's cracks in between the teeth? Do you think you'll be able to see them?

 

[garycupratdi]

Well if your telling me that because seat say change your cam belt at either 4 yrs or 120k that if you don't change it at 4 yrs it's gonna snap i don't think so, if it's made to last 120k i think it may be able to go a bit more than 4 yrs i mean come on there more reliable than that, i've just sold a honda which revs to 8k and i didn't need to change the belt until 72k and that was 7yrs old these seats are just money pits compared to that if you have to change a bloody belt every 4 yrs.

 

[CHRIS200]

Im the same too. Car is 5 years old and has only done 42k. So would people suggest that I get it done??

 

[J_Cupra210]

Got a 03 LCR. Just short of 40,000 miles on the clock.
Just awaiting quotes for 40,000 mile service + cam belt chnage. So far had a dealer quote of £640 INC VAT. That was from Barlows SEAT in Wolverhampton.

 

[lordgibbness]

Well if your telling me that because seat say change your cam belt at either 4 yrs or 120k that if you don't change it at 4 yrs it's gonna snap i don't think so, if it's made to last 120k i think it may be able to go a bit more than 4 yrs i mean come on there more reliable than that, i've just sold a honda which revs to 8k and i didn't need to change the belt until 72k and that was 7yrs old these seats are just money pits compared to that if you have to change a bloody belt every 4 yrs.

I believe that Honda use chaincams for these engines though.

Also, I would imagine that SEAT set the 4yrs figure as the lowest common denominator, so that no-one had to endure a belt failure. It is expensive (and an expense I would rather not have right now) but if I waited until I'd done 120k it would be 12yrs old by then!

 

[andy15star]

Just for info, on the Leon Cupra (petrol), my local SEAT dealer said the CAM belt is looked at on the 60k service and if it doesn't need changing then it is left. It is then checked after every 10k service up to 120k where it is advisable to replace.

regards,
Andrew

 

[lordgibbness]

Had the cambelt done yesterday in the end (at 4yrs and 39.5k) and I would just like to recommend that anyone who gets the belt changed to get the waterpump replaced as well.

I was getting the waterpump replaced as a matter of course (as recommended by some forum members), but when I went back to the garage they asked me if I'd had any problems with it. Wondering why he was asking me, he said that one of the impellors had snapped off so it was probably just a matter of time until it would have given up the ghost.

It's not too expensive either as they refund you for exchanging your pump with them.