Cambelt and manual?

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

I'm very close to getting my s3. Found one which suits the bill exactly.

My only question is though:

I've read many a time on here that the cambelt and water pump are normally changed every 50-60k or 5 years. Some are done at 80K becuase i was told this is when Audi say it's actually due.

When i went to view this car i asked to look at the service history to see it hasn't been done even though the car is 7 years old and done 52K.

I asked the sales man and he looked in the service book, and according to the serive guide it doesn't need to be done until 115K???

Can anyone shed some light on this please??

 

[666markyboy]

sounds like someone mixing up kilometers and miles to me..... 60,000 miles or 5 years is what i would go off

 

[metricspaces]

I think your 50-60K miles or 5 year figure is a good guide to be safe with. I can check the S3 manual to see what it says.

I've got the Haynes manual for an A3 and it says:

Audi specify timing belt inspection after the first 60K miles and then every 20K until the renewal interval of 120K miles.
​

So the service guide (maybe an outdated one?) may say the service interval is over 100K miles for the cambelt. But are you willing to take the risk of such a massive repair bill, considering some of the horror stories?

If you search the forum here, you'll find many threads about the cambelt. The general opinion would seem to be that you'd change it around the 60K miles mark.

People change the waterpump at the same time. Reason being, firstly that when you are paying to get all the work done for the cambelt the only extra cost for changing the water pump is the part itself - the cost of the waterpump is negligible in comparison to the price of the cambelt job (£35 for waterpump). Secondly, the waterpump could seize up and snap your belt - fixing up that mess could cost you a small fortune.

My S3 was a 1999 and had 66,500 miles on when I got it last year. It didn't have the timing belt done either. So, the first thing I did was drive it 5 minutes down the road and get the job done straight away. Better safe than sorry.

If you are going to keep the car any length of time then you're going to have to get the cambelt job done anyhow. So, why take the risk?

 

[abdus]

even at 52k, i would ask to get it done before buying due to the 7 years already gone

 

[jesters3]

Audi say 115k - god knows why but they do. Had my 70k service done and asked for the belt to be changed, but they came back to say it will be fine to 115k - so anyway I cracked on and the waterpump went at 93k meaning a new engine at £6k. Luckily I had the service sheet which I argued about and got a new engine paid for. I had the second cambelt done at 150k to be safe. If I were you I would asked for the cambelt to be changed as it is over 5 years old before you buy it so at least you have it in mind that it has been done or ask for £500 off so that you can go and get it done.

 

[MintyS3]

My cars now on 27k miles but I will be having my cambelt done at 30k as the car is an 03 plate so about the max age for the cambelt.

 

[Nilz]

Get it changed, it should be done between 50-60k now they say, its a good bargaining tool mate, get them to do it, or knock the money off it....Also worth ringing a few specialists and a few dealers (Audi not drugs) to get their opinion as they may be able to back this up for you.

Oh and make sure it is the waterpump and cambelt that are done and also might as well do the fanbelt while its all off...

Hope that helps.

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

Well i have gone ahead and bought the car, pick it up on wednesday. I did raise th isue of the cambelt and the sales man just said

''well the manual states 115k and i have no reason to believe otherwise''

Working i my favour though i paid slighty extra for a ''lifetime warranty'' which covers the car the entire time i own it. So under this, if it does go wrong, i should have a leg to stand on i would imagine. Does that sound right?

Or wi they say ''well cam belt is a serviceable item therefor not covered?

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

Im trying to find a PDF of the service book online

 

[Nilz]

On your head be it.....LOL...

Only joking mate, congrats on the purchase...listen mate, just to be on the safe side, make sure you do get it done, as you dont want to go down the route and hassle with the warranty, unless you have it in writing that it will be covered.

Also if you do a search, you will see ALOT of people have done there cambelts way before the recommended listing.

Good luck with it and get some pics up

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

Yeah i will get it all done at the next service anyway. But i think for abit of peace of mind, if it does go wrong i am covered

 

[oat]

Congratulations, tell us the spec?

 

[jesters3]

Well i have gone ahead and bought the car, pick it up on wednesday. I did raise th isue of the cambelt and the sales man just said

''well the manual states 115k and i have no reason to believe otherwise''

Working i my favour though i paid slighty extra for a ''lifetime warranty'' which covers the car the entire time i own it. So under this, if it does go wrong, i should have a leg to stand on i would imagine. Does that sound right?

Or wi they say ''well cam belt is a serviceable item therefor not covered?

Get it changed nonetheless. Also with the 'lifetime warranty' check the small print as I bet it does not cover wear and tear such as cambelts....

 

[oat]

Also do you mind telling me how much did you managed to get it for? PM me if you like? (just interested as per my thread)

Cheers and enjoy!

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

I havent yet looked at the warrenty document as i pick the car up tomorrow.

But i did ask before paying for it. I used brake pads as an example:

he said brake pads arn't included as they are a serviceable item, but calipers and discs are.

I will double check tomorrow when i pick the car up.
I did look at websitesthat offer warrenty and looking at them, they both included cambelt drive belts as a warrentied item.

As said i will check tomorrow, but i can only assume

If service book states 115,000 miles and it breaks before this, then it hasn't lastest the due course that it was designed to i nthe first place.

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

oh and i have just been quoted £349 for cambelt and water pump service at my loca Vag specialist. Does this sound fair?

 

[MintyS3]

oh and i have just been quoted £349 for cambelt and water pump service at my loca Vag specialist. Does this sound fair?

Its reasonable. People seem to pay between £250 - £600.

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

Just went to another VAG specialist and booked my car in for:

Xambelt and water pump chnage
brake fluid change
longlife oil change and filter
Haldex oil and filter change
Spark plug change

Can't think what else is going to be done, bu i beleive thats the jist of it.

All in will be £575...

I thought i would get a major service done now out the way, then i don't have to worry about anything going wrong in the near future. So should have some trouble free motoring for a few years.

Im scared to drive anywhere though, the guy said the c/belt could go at any time

 

[Leon]

Make sure they are also changing the tensioners and rollers. My invoice from AMD had the following for the cambelt parts:

Cambelt £24.98
Belt tensioning Damper £74.06
Belt (?) £24.10

Good way to start ownership of your car doing all the main services.

 

[rich-hill@hotmail.com]

Yeah thats what i thought, get it over and done with.

Well i think the quote had cambelt kit on it? Does this include tensioners etc?

 

[frumpy_pigskin]

Im a tech at VW and we do the timing belts for around 250 all in, plus you can blag the dealers down no problem