Does this sound dodgy?

[Tekin]

As some of you may already know i might be viewing a car this weekend but i am a bit concerned about its service history.

The seller states the car has full audi service history including a cam belt change, the car in question has done 83k to date. After ringing Audi main dealer, i discovered the car only has service history up till 1st of sept 2005 recorded at 70k this wasn't a major service it only cost in the region of £300 audi said, so the cam belt couldn't have been changed in this service neither the service before as that took place at 50k cant imagine it being done so early.

Anyways cutting to the chase... apparently the seller has a receipt of when it was taken into audi main dealer at about 79k for a cam belt change and a water tensioner or water pump something along those lines but this wasn't a service.....why then?

does this add up? surely the cam belt etc would have been carried in a major service next time it was bought it or at 70k service?

this means since end of 2005 up till now the car has only done 13k over 2years and 7 months.

What is the best way of getting to the bottom of this and making sure everything is ok? can i check myself if the cambelt has been changed or anything?

Sorry if i have confused anyone and made no sense.

Any ideas are welcome.

Thanks

Tekin

 

[golf]

The cambelt and waterpump are not necessarily changed during a big service. The owner might have changed the cambelt afterwards because the water pump went to ****, and the car started overheating, meaning that a new water pump and cambelt would be required.

 

[alijames]

Give the garage on the receipt a call. They will have a record of the cam belt change on their systems, even if it does not come up as a service.

Also, if you are not 100% happy with what the seller is saying, walk away. There are plenty of other S3s out there which have a good history.

Cheers,

 

[Tekin]

i will ring up the garage today and get to the bottom of this, if it all sounds legit then i will go see the car. cheers alijames and golf.

 

[1animal1]

i know that all the dealer systems arent aligned.......... i checked mine with a London dealer who had recently changed their systems.....then checked with Audi UK who knew nothing and then my local dealer who had yet another different system.... Basically saying that it may have been done, id just do what James suggested and ring the garage on the receipt

 

[NHN]

Yeah just ring garage & get them to check the invoice number against the receipt, but does beg the question, if it had a fault which needed belt etc changed then why didnt they mention, sounds like they are kosher but ask the question why they had it done out of the service intervals which is normal unless fault occurs.

Be weary, very, cause after all its an S3 & some have been thrashed to feck, have you got VAGcom or someone local you know who can give it a scan to check for any faults?

Smiler.

 

[AndyMac]

Yes, the cambelt wouldn't have ben done as a matter of course on a 70k service, as depending on who you believe, Audi used to recommend the change at 80k or 4-5 years, so putting it off for 10k miles is fairly common.

 

[NHN]

I 2nd that, 80k is the one everyone says to do at, but as they had done outside service you should question it anyway why changed then, just so it gives you peace of mind.

But I seriously recommend getting it scanned by VAG or anywhere with 5052, even Audi would scan for a price & give you the print of with all the codes, but anyone with VAG in your area would no doubt do it for you usually free, ok maybe a McD Happy meal in payment, lol.

 

[mattyboy199]

i got my cambelt changed at 43k it did have a remap also so for piece of mind it was worth doing. On top of that my water pump made alot of noise & the impeller had broken but was still working.

 

[Tekin]

thanks for all the help guys.. so you suggesting that i should take the car whilst viewing it to any local small mechanics and get them to do a vag com also drop em a little srink money...and what will this prove?