Sorry to bring this back up again, I have checked the forum for an answer BUT

I am seeing everywhere that cambelt's should be replaced at 40k or 4 years, but my service schedule in my service book states that they do not need to be replaced until 150,000km for my diesel vRS?

Why the conflicting advice?

Changing the cambelt at 60k miles/4 years (which ever comes first) is recommended

Edited 5 September, 201015 yr by chrisw880

Yea I have seen that, but why does my service book say 150,000 km?

Sorry to bring this back up again, I have checked the forum for an answer BUT

I am seeing everywhere that cambelt's should be replaced at 40k or 4 years, but my service schedule in my service book states that they do not need to be replaced until 150,000km for my diesel vRS?

Why the conflicting advice?

40k miles seems rather over cautious to me. I usually change mine in the 60-70K miles range which takes me 4 years to reach.

I keep seeing different things online and different things in my service book!

All seems very confusing might just call skoda dealer tomorrow...

Edited 5 September, 201015 yr by Tom_R

Why does this always come up on all the forums?

Just go by what is in your book for your engine, nobody elses! If your book says 150,000km then that will be fine. They wouldn't put it in if it wasn't.

Because there's so much contradicting information!

Because there's so much contradicting information!

Why can't we put this issue to bed once and for all. When VW introduced LongLife service intervals it deprived dealers of a steady income stream. So the Cam belt replacement scam was invented to keep the money flowing in.. It only really affects the UK.

The Skoda factory have told me that time elapsed has no relevance to cambelt replacement intervals. I've been told 160,000 km for my engine. Dealers in Spain are thrown into total confusion if you tell them about the 4 year replacement time hoax.

If you feel safer changing your belt at 4 years go ahead. To feel even safer let me recommend changing it ever week. Must be better. Just as logical. You know it makes sense.

Why does this always come up on all the forums?

Just go by what is in your book for your engine, nobody elses! If your book says 150,000km then that will be fine. They wouldn't put it in if it wasn't.

I think the problem is that the books say what was recommended when they were printed and obviously (being paper) can't update themselves automatically if the recommendations change.

So somewhere around 2006, if you look at this thread here, as I understand it they added a rule that cambelts should be changed after 4 years, regardless of mileage. This advice, at the time, meant that some people needed to change their belts earlier than the schedule printed in their service books. So you can't always trust what the book says.

But I think the mileage rule does vary by engine so 150,000km may be right for your engine, as long as the belt is less than 4 years old. I know mine was changed at 80,000 miles recently, and the dealer assured me this was correct.

You best bet is to ask a dealer or Skoda UK, I think...

80 years ago tobacco was thought to be good for you and it said so in print :-). Personally £406 every 4 years is fine for me and my piece of mind. I have seen that AMD will do it for less. Its a rubber belt that will degrade so happy to change earlier rather than later. 80000 miles could be 10 years for us that imho is too long. Preventative maintenance. Still not sure i will stick with variable servicing as i prefer regular oil changes and so far dealers seem unable to understand variable servicing.

Dealers in Spain are thrown into total confusion if you tell them about the 4 year replacement time hoax..

Odd as I have a bulletin from Martorell saying cambelts should be renewed at four years.

Buit either way its out of normal warranty, so your not going to get help if it breaks so its up to yourselves.

Regards the paper not being able to update - If the dealer or the manufacturer can't update you if things do change then they are liable for any damage caused if you are servicing as per the book.

I had my Bora PD cambelt changed at 70k and 5 years old and the mechanic showed me the belt and you could barely tell the difference between that and the new one. If VAG put 150k km in the book then it means they have got to have tested it to at least twice that.

As someone said its all about the dealers scaring you so they can make more money.

Hi, I am new to this forum and have been reading this thread with interest.......I have a Octavia 2 VRS Estate 06MY with 89k km.

I am based in Sweden, and this 4yr / 60k whatever comes first rule seems to only apply to the UK., as I rang two UK dealers and they gave me the same answer.!!!

However, my local VW-Skoda dealer in Gothenburg confirmed 180k km or 5yrs (6yrs at a push as I spoke to one of the mechanics), and this was confirmed by another Skoda dealer in the region...

So I really don't understand why this affects UK market only, but conclude, as mentioned earlier in this thread, that this is only a scare mongering tactic to loosen those hard earned notes from your wallet..!

If this was a major issue for VW, this would be a TSB whereby ALL dealers worldwide would have to change cambelts on vehicles exceeding this mileage at their next service....and believe me, dealers are

dealers they are all out to make money, if there was a service update in 2006 this would of gone worldwide.!!

By UK standards then, I should be worried.....but its just had a "medium service" at 85k km which incl., oil, filters and fluids (I think), and they didn't say anything..!!

My car will be 5yrs old in Jan 2011, and I will start looking into the cambelt change, although not in a rush as it will still have well below 100k km on the clock....

Final point, the Swedish market has a harsh climate in the winter, so if there was any truth in this UK service interval, logic would dictate that this would apply to all marlets as I would of thought

rubber reinforced with nylon cambelts would deteriate faster than the UK....!!

Pradster