VRS Cambelt Change interval etc

[Zoe]

Well cleaned the throttle body today, was filthy - started her up and Jason said 'whats that noise' had a listen and took the cambelt cover off - the belt is pretty loose and covered in silvery grease (like oil mixed with metal filings)

Looking into the service history, the cambelt was only changed at 123k!! As was a lease car previously (we bought from the owner who had it from his company) I don't have all the inspection sheets etc.

This was done 10k ago 14 months ago (1 month off turning 6 years old by then!)

Heard that the interval was changed to 60k so I'd expected this to be its second belt!(got AUQ engine, 2002 51 reg), have got one inspection sheet which says on the back check conditions 60k then thereafter 20k replace if necessary the underneath 1.8 petrol 120,000 (sheet rev date 05/2005 did they change the interval AFTER that?)

Anyway regardless! The cambelt bill says tensioner belt and roller were replaced but no a 'plunger' I think this has failed - surely at 123k they would replaced the whole kit including this plunger, especially on that mileage - so now 10k after it was replaced I'm looking at having to pay out for another cambelt change

Zoe

Edited 7 March, 2009 by Zoe

[Nath_j]

I had mine changed in august 08 @ a vw dealer and the bill was £354.98 for a cambelt kit , water pump & an oil & filter change

[Zoe]

Luckily its had water pump, but surely they should've changed the 6 year old plunger at same time , so 10k miles later looking like having to pay for another blooming belt change to fix the plunger prob, dont want to use it now as belt seem far too loose!

Zoe

[Zoe]

Not that you all really need to know! But the dealer that carried out the cambelt change shirked responsibility and said if it looked find at the time of work they wouldn't have replaced it.

So I took it to Frost Auto Services in Ipswich where the VW chap fitted me a new 'plunger' and water pump (which had a crack in it and no record of that changed at the time of belt), luckily the cambelt was ok to re-use, had the car back Wednesday. Top guys

Z