Gog_32

I've just had the timing belt replaced on my wife's Citigo ( 2013 model with 36,000 miles ) and asked my local independent garage for the bits that they took off. I had inspected it a few weeks ago and it looked perfect - no gaps between belt and pulley teeth and no fraying, etc. The work was done as the car was 10 years old and local Skoda dealers recommended every 5 years, independent of mileage (which is a bit odd) I knew they were original parts because we bought it at one year old with 16,000 miles (an ex-hire company car) The original belt was in excellent condition - no visible wear on the teeth (tested by pressing the belt onto itself so the teeth engaged with each other) or signs of fraying. splitting, etc. I recall my old faithful VW Passat B2 1.8 litre showed small gaps between pulley and belt teeth - but that was at 175,000 miles and umpteen cambelt changes. The tensioner and idler pulleys were also in fine fettle - not loose, rough or rattly - just smooth with a slight tightness to indicate that the bearings were largely unworn and lubricated. The charge was £454, of which £180 was labour - a lot of money for something I used to do myself, but I suppose that is the cost for peace of mind ?