V6 cambelt replacement

[dan_b]

I've got a scheduled replacement for my V6 cambelt due in a couple of months time (based on age, rather than miles driven). Have just been quoted £760 by an Audi garage to do it. Is that "reasonable"? Does anyone have a suggestion for somewhere good to go that will be cheaper than that, in the West London area?
I haven't got that sort of money at the moment!

 

[AndyMac]

Find a good VAG specialist and it'll be half that price. The bulk of the work is labour and Audi charge £100 per hour so that's where the costs spiral totally out of control.

 

[arthurfuxake]

I had mine done at a specialist recently, and all in it was around £400, which included a new water-pump. As andy said, 90% of the cost is labour, so find a specialist that only charges £40-£50 an hour instead of the £90-£100 per hour dealer rate.

 

[dan_b]

@Arthur - thanks, £400 I can stomach just about, I know it's a big job for sure. What other things do people recommend are done when this is being done?

 

[AndyMac]

Water pump & tensioner/damper, but if the VAG specialist doesn't know this already then they are to be avoided.

 

[ScottyP45]

heh, in scotland, garage labour charges are £20 to £25 per hour, and dealers £35 to £50, come up here laddie and get yer car sorted.

 

[rashpal1]

Dan_B...

Whats the mileage on your car?? I too have 3.0 V6 and had concerns about the cambelt change interval etc... I spoke to Audi Customer Care, they told me i don't need to worry about the Cambelt till 80k miles and that dealers should not be telling me it's 80K or every fours years...

I have someone in East London who used to work for Audi nut now runs his own business... I can give you his number, but you would need to come and drop the car to him for a day.. Seeing as you are on West London this may be a problem for you...

 

[ScottyP45]

I would change the belt every 60k. The belt manufacturers will say the same thing and its their product we're depending on after all.

 

[dan_b]

According to the manual it's 80,000 miles or 5 years, which ever comes first - rubber will degrade over time regardless of whether it's whizzing around under tension, I guess that's the issue.

 

[ScottyP45]

at least you will only see two or three timing belts in the whole entire lifetime of the car.

A new engine x 3 will be a whole lot dearer....

 

[Grae]

£450 from my local audi garage...ok thats not including the water pump, but that would have just put it over the 500 mark!