My vRS is due for service, it is 4 years old with 31k on the clock. Been to local skoda dealer who informed me that service would be £200 plus brake fluid change @ £xx and that as it was 4 years old the cam belt plus water pump would need changing at a further cost of £300!!! I thought this was a little steep so rang a VW specialist. He said that service was £95 plus brake fluid change at £30. When i asked him about the cam belt change he told me that it was 'advised' (by Skoda) to change at 4years/60k but as the mileage was low i shouldnt worry and get it done next year. Can you wonderful people in the know please advise me on what is the best option. Thanks Mark

£300 for a belt and water pump is cheaper than an engine rebuild...

I agree with that but i want to know is it nesesary to have it done now or could i get it done in 6 months time once ive got a bit more cash.

Risk you take mate My car was on about 70k and nearly 5 years when i bought it, made them take off the cash for it to be done before i purchased as i couldn't find any proof it had been done. £300 for cam belt and water pump at a dealer is a decent price really. Indy would probably be cheaper

Personally I wouldn't risk it, but then I'm a wuss when it comes to things like this. Low mileage or not, 4 years of wear on rubber exposed to outside conditions... compared to the cost of it going tits up!

£300 for a belt and water pump is cheaper than an engine rebuild...

Only if the engine needs a rebuild........................

This is a quote I received just recently for my timing belt and water pump from a Skoda dealership this was his exact words which were sent to me in an email which i am keeping for future reference in case anything happens:Your timing belt is not due until 80k miles or 4 years (March 2010). To supply and fit your timing belt, belt tensioner, auxililary drive belt and water pump is £272.22 Inc VAT & Labour This price is supposedly saving me £68.05 which I am greatfull for but I am still wary of the miles he quotes even after I told him I was informed it was 60k.Best of all I have a mate who works for Audi who is actually going to do the job for me for £150 approx.

Hello, Getting garage to do them belts,water-pump etc, changed, is a priority. But do rest of servicing yourself easy-peasy, save yourself lots of pounds.Brake-fluid just under five pounds, for one litre get a mate to help and do-it-yourself, save yourself twenty five pound, maybe more. Skoda charged me thirty five pound plus of course VAT, bless them. If you do it once, you won't be so idle and allow silly garage prices, to rob you. Good luck.

Thanks for the replies. Its not that im lazy, have serviced all my previous car myself before, its just i want the service history stamped etc as this has been the only car that has had any history. Ill do the brake bleed myself as im changing the discs and calipers shortly.

Ill ring the vw specialist and see how much he would charge for the cam belt.

Thanks again

Risk you take mate My car was on about 70k and nearly 5 years when i bought it, made them take off the cash for it to be done before i purchased as i couldn't find any proof it had been done. �300 for cam belt and water pump at a dealer is a decent price really. Indy would probably be cheaper

I'm still annoyed with my poor negotiation skills - I was in a similar position but ended up paying on top of the price to get the cambelt done!! I'm usually quite hardball when buying a car but I was a bit below par that day (heavy night the night before and hadn't slept great!).

I'm now getting paranoid and thinking they could easily have taken the money and not bothered changing the belt - I bought it from a non-Skoda dealer (reputable as far as I know but you can never be too careful). Hindsight's a wonderful thing but in a re-run of the situation I would demand a couple of hundred off to put towards getting it done by a Skoda dealer (for the 1-year warranty). I was too keen on the car (FDSH) as I'd missed out on a couple - that'll learn me!

Bit risky of the mechanic telling you that you shouldn't worry as it's low miles.......the length of time the belt has been on the car under tension is also a factor, that's why it's 60k OR 4 years.

I'd get the belt done as a precaution, better than a rebuild!

Ben

I'm still annoyed with my poor negotiation skills - I was in a similar position but ended up paying on top of the price to get the cambelt done!! I'm usually quite hardball when buying a car but I was a bit below par that day (heavy night the night before and hadn't slept great!).

I'm now getting paranoid and thinking they could easily have taken the money and not bothered changing the belt - I bought it from a non-Skoda dealer (reputable as far as I know but you can never be too careful). Hindsight's a wonderful thing but in a re-run of the situation I would demand a couple of hundred off to put towards getting it done by a Skoda dealer (for the 1-year warranty). I was too keen on the car (FDSH) as I'd missed out on a couple - that'll learn me!

Any idea where they might of had it done? Only takes a few mins to drop a phone call I called about 5 dealerships trying to find if the one on mine had been done (based on the service log book)

Any idea where they might of had it done? Only takes a few mins to drop a phone call I called about 5 dealerships trying to find if the one on mine had been done (based on the service log book)

The previous owner had the car for four years and it was serviced on schedule by Dean of Dumfries during that entire period - the guy that sold me the car phoned Dean and put the phone on loudspeaker - they confirmed that the cambelt hadn't been done (it should have been done at the previous service - hit 60k and 4 years - but either they didn't recommend it or the owner decided to risk it).

Cheers anyway Cheese

Edited 8 December, 200916 yr by Wee Bri

Hello voodoojellybaby, Just pay-up for servicing and getting belts done etc, then sit back knowing everything that needed doing should now be done. Then start saving toward your next robbery (servicing) period. LOL