Tracked down previous owner

[Gavin G]

I got my car with 83500k on the clock about 2 months ago. I bought it without a FSH so i nor the dealer knew if the previous owner did the timing belt etc work at 80k hence i got a few quid knock of the price. :thumbsup: I was planning to get the work done along with a major service and have the money ready to do so but I took a brain wave the other day (doesn't happen very often) and decided to track down the previous owner and ask them about service history of the car before i parted with my hard earned money. This wasn't easily done as it turns out they had moved house twice since selling the car to the dealer (but i have ways and means of hunting people down). Anyway it turns out the reason it doesn't have a FSH is because the guys a mechanic and did all the work himself. He confirmed the timing belt work etc was done at around 80k. Happy Days! So my question is should i take his word for it and spend the money on something else for the car apart from a major service which im going to do anyway? Surely he has no reason to lie to me he had already sold the car to the dealer or am i being nieve?

 

[hades-]

Hmmm hard 1 that
no reciptes invoices etc
i would change the belt just me for peace of mind

 

[s3dave]

£250 V £2500....

 

[sportstractor]

Personally I would trust him, has no reason you lie. Although mechanics do tend to be the worst for maintain their motor

 

[ScottD3]

replace it. at least you have a record of it being done for resale value and you covered your ***. Just in case he has lied.

 

[bengal]

Although mechanics do tend to be the worst for maintain their motor

^ This is true.

If I were you I'd change it anyway, as mentioned for peace of mind more than anything else.

 

[finesse]

hmmm just redo it:

genuine cambelt kit - £60
labour - 3 hours

 

[JS1500]

If it's only done 3,500miles it should look pretty new - if it's done 83,500 it won't, i'd imagine.
But yeah, maybe change it regardless for resale purposes and peace-of-mind.

 

[DaveA3]

change it mate. might have been lieing for the sake of it.

 

[666markyboy]

Odd that there's no receipt for parts or anything even though he did the work himself.... still as you say he's got no reason to lie... on a side note for those that do their own work I'm an Aircraft Fitter by trade and do all my own servicing too and what i've started doing is taking photo's of the parts i buy along with their receipts and a copy of a recent newspaper, then i take a few photo's of the work in progress and couple of the milage next to the newspaper, then once finished I burn them onto a CD which i keep with all the old service history and receipts, to me this is better than any Audi service,,, i mean you buy stamped up service books off Ebay for gods sake and half of it aint worth the paper it's written on..... Personally i would change it the Belt.... did the previouse owner mention changing the water pump and tensioner at the same time ?? both really should be done at the same time..... perhaps take the belt cover off and see if they look new ??? mine still do after a few months of use