1.4 COD Cambelt change. Anyone done one?

Steve D

Steve D

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As above. Has anyone done one on their own vehicle yet? My 2017 is on 42,000 miles but according to what I read, it's now due at 5 years. I've bought the timing tool kit but I don't think they'll all be needed. I'm thinking I can do it the same way as I do the Ford Zetecs. Pin the crank at TDC, lock the cams with a universal cam locking tool, replace the belt, tensioner and jockey pulley and retension. Job done! So, anyone done one?
 
I would personally never attempt it. I have just had mine done and when I had a 2.0 TDI it looked a nightmare with no room and the engine mount in the way.

Plenty of room on the LHS on these smaller engines so should be easier. But to answer your question. No. I haven’t done it


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We also have a 1.9 TDI Golf. Had it so long I've changed the belt and water pump on it twice!
 
I have had mine done buy a Vag specialist garage i always use, they had to buy a specific timing tool for the COD engine as its different to normal ones. Don’t ask me how though.
 
Steve D said:
As above. Has anyone done one on their own vehicle yet? My 2017 is on 42,000 miles but according to what I read, it's now due at 5 years. I've bought the timing tool kit but I don't think they'll all be needed. I'm thinking I can do it the same way as I do the Ford Zetecs. Pin the crank at TDC, lock the cams with a universal cam locking tool, replace the belt, tensioner and jockey pulley and retension. Job done! So, anyone done one?
Click to expand...
5 Years according to Audi UK. My car is a 2016 on 49K and I am not planning on doing my cam belt until 80K. Audi (Global), My local VAG specialist and my handbook say differnt.
 
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Well, a year later but I’ve just bought the cam belt kit today (Gates) and I plan to fit it next week. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
It's not due.

Audi UK's marketing team created the '5 year' (con) rule to increase their revenue.

The actual service schedule for the A3 in Europe shows 210,000km with no time limit...and that includes climates far more diverse than ours.

A3 service sheet
 
An interesting thread.
My mum has a March 2018 A1 TFSI with 1.4 COD engine and when it went into Audi at the beginning of last month they advised that the cam belt soon needed to be done as it was nearing 5 yrs of age….despite only having covered 13.5K miles.
 
Nessy said:
An interesting thread.
My mum has a March 2018 A1 TFSI with 1.4 COD engine and when it went into Audi at the beginning of last month they advised that the cam belt soon needed to be done as it was nearing 5 yrs of age….despite only having covered 13.5K miles.
Click to expand...

They will do, they just do what they are told by Audi UK, if they didn't they could get into trouble I guess or be questioned why they didn't as it could have just lost the dealership £500.

If you go into a dealership in Europe or any other part of the world they will tell you the official Audi line, before Audi UK manipulated the information, and that there is no time limit on a cambelt just mileage.
 
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Just wondering if those that poo poo Audi's recommendation on cam belt changes also poo poo Audi's recommendations on service schedules, air filter, cabin filter, spark plug and brake fluid changes, air-con servicing etc? One thing I will be ignoring is the recommendation to change the water pump and drive belt as they won’t cause serious and immediate engine damage should they break.
 
Steve D said:
Just wondering if those that poo poo Audi's recommendation on cam belt changes also poo poo Audi's recommendations on service schedules, air filter, cabin filter, spark plug and brake fluid changes, air-con servicing etc? One thing I will be ignoring is the recommendation to change the water pump and drive belt as they won’t cause serious and immediate engine damage should they break.
Click to expand...

If you follow the servicing schedule posted above which is the manufacturer (Audi) guidelines (not the Uk marketing version (Audi UK) please be aware they are two different entities in this matter) then that’s the way to go. Your AC level can be looked at on your DIS, when its low and its not cooling as effectively, get it regassed.

Fairly simple, i didnt think that would need further explanation tbh but heyho.
 
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Steve D said:
Just wondering if those that poo poo Audi's recommendation on cam belt changes also poo poo Audi's recommendations on service schedules, air filter, cabin filter, spark plug and brake fluid changes, air-con servicing etc? One thing I will be ignoring is the recommendation to change the water pump and drive belt as they won’t cause serious and immediate engine damage should they break.
Click to expand...
Personally I'm following Audi Germany's recommendations for all of the above which, as Dubjam said, aren't the same as Audi UK's recommendations for everything. That said, it's always going to be a controversial topic, a balance of risk vs reward (risk both in terms of belt snapping from not changing it, and also risk of belt snapping or something else going wrong from incorrect fitting). I'm not going to judge anyone else for coming to a different conclusion to me about the most sensible way forward.
 
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What is perhaps even more astonishing about the European maintenance chart for the Timing Gear/belt intervals is that the footnote to the 240,000/210,00 km (149,000/130,000 miles) intervals says 'Timing belt inspection', not replacement. To do a proper 'inspection', which I'd say includes the condition of the toothed gears and the tensioner pulleys, at those mileages means you may as well replace the belt. It is also impossible to assess the condition of the internal cords of the belt visually either and it is those that carry the load on the belt. Even so, the variation between Audi Europe's recommendation and Audi UK's is surprising.
I'm old enough to remember timing belts being introduced. The usual statement then was that they 'last the life of the engine'. Regrettably the quality of the original belts was such that the usual consequence of timing belt failure was a very expensive coming together of the engine's internal components, so they often did 'last the life of the engine'. Before long these stories got round and careful owners decided that an occasional replacement was a good idea and car manufacturers started including regular timing belt changes in the maintenance schedules.
 
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I changed the cam belt & pump on my sisters 2011 A3 1.6 TDI convertible in early 2021 after I’d nagged her for ages to get it done.
I’m fairly certain that the UK specified belt interval for the common rail diesel is much longer than other models (though ISTBC on that) , think it’s 10yrs/130K miles?
Anyway, when the covers were off, the original factory belt was in very good nick
03A83FFA CEBA 4C86 A321 3420E2EB39C9
considering it had done 134K miles at that point , IIRC it was a Continental one as I made a mental note to use Conti next time!
Suffice to say , my mums 5 year old A1 with 14K miles on the clock will not be having its belt done for a long time to come!
 
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audi upgrades
Mazman said:
What is perhaps even more astonishing about the European maintenance chart for the Timing Gear/belt intervals is that the footnote to the 240,000/210,00 km (149,000/130,000 miles) intervals says 'Timing belt inspection', not replacement. To do a proper 'inspection', which I'd say includes the condition of the toothed gears and the tensioner pulleys, at those mileages means you may as well replace the belt. It is also impossible to assess the condition of the internal cords of the belt visually either and it is those that carry the load on the belt.
Click to expand...

In the past, I’ve had cars come in with broken belts that had I looked at a week previous, I would have said they looked fine. I’ve also taken heads off for head gasket replacement/valve work and when I uncovered the belt, I found them to be shredded beyond belief and I’d have said they only had a couple of revolutions left in them!
 
Nessy said:
I changed the cam belt & pump on my sisters 2011 A3 1.6 TDI convertible in early 2021 after I’d nagged her for ages to get it done.
I’m fairly certain that the UK specified belt interval for the common rail diesel is much longer than other models (though ISTBC on that) , think it’s 10yrs/130K miles?
Anyway, when the covers were off, the original factory belt was in very good nick View attachment 265200considering it had done 134K miles at that point , IIRC it was a Continental one as I made a mental note to use Conti next time!
Suffice to say , my mums 5 year old A1 with 14K miles on the clock will not be having its belt done for a long time to come!
Click to expand...
I've changed the belt kit and water pump on out 2008 Golf TDI twide in our ownership and it’s overdue for a 3rd but that ain’t happening as we are in the proposed expanded ULEZ zone and if/when that goes through, we'll have to get rid of it in August.
 
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