I know the cambelt change interval question has been done to death on here but what do you think about this one.........

I have a July '06 Fabia vRS (45,000 miles) that the dealer tells me is now due a cambelt change due to the 4 years lapsed. I have a current 12 month Skoda Approved Warranty that expires next March, by which time the car will be over 4.5 years old.

If the cambelt fails before the Skoda Approved Warranty expires - will Skoda pay for the repairs? I suspect they will try to argue that the 4 year recommended interval had lapsed and I hadn't had the work done.

As we are all aware, the supplied servicing handbook stipulates a mileage for the cambelt change but there is no mention of years lapsed anywhere. I think I could successfully argue with skoda approved that the servicing handbook does not state a timespan for belt life, just a mileage?

Any thoughts...

BA

Can't see it washing tbh, Skoda UK advise it now we have sheets telling us such at work, so if a dealer has advised it then its on you.

Unless for example the water pump was the cause, but even then you would have to check terms of the warranty, even a Skoda approved warranty is still a third party insurance so not everything is covered.

I know the cambelt change interval question has been done to death on here but what do you think about this one.........

I have a July '06 Fabia vRS (45,000 miles) that the dealer tells me is now due a cambelt change due to the 4 years lapsed. I have a current 12 month Skoda Approved Warranty that expires next March, by which time the car will be over 4.5 years old.

I don't understand. Are you suggesting you're going to ignore the time period altogether and just do it once 75,000 miles have arrived - or are you going to do it in March in any case. If the latter why not get it done now at the recommended time? OK so you're losing three months interest on the £300 or so. At my interest rate that's very roughly £1!

I believe the original interval was 60k/5 years. VAG revised it down to 60k/4 years (one assumes due to failures in the real world) and neglected to inform the owners. I got a little tetchy when calling to book a 4 year service and they insisted I needed the cambelt doing. Went looking down the back of the sofa for £250 but came out with an underwhelming 22p. Spoke to Skoda UK customer services to register my dissatisfaction and got nowhere.

I left it to the 5th year for financial reasons - in fact I skipped the 4th year service entirely and had it done at 5 years instead. My car isn't in daily use and had barely 20k miles on it and currently does 2500 miles per year so I figured it was worth the very low risk. The recommendation is for the cambelt only, the tensioner is optional. I opted for a proper job and got the water pump and tensioner done as well, so I figure it's good for another 4/5 years at least.

On average mileage cars (say 40k+) I wouldn't hesitate to get it done.

Edited 18 December, 201015 yr by MagicBoy

I believe the original interval was 60k/5 years. VAG revised it down to 60k/4 years (one assumes due to failures in the real world) and neglected to inform the owners.

"Original" ? My handbook seems to suggest it's the cambelt at 120k and the cambelt and tensioner at 240k without stating any time periods...

"Original" ? My handbook seems to suggest it's the cambelt at 120k and the cambelt and tensioner at 240k without stating any time periods...

I stand corrected - just found the book of words (November 2004 dated) :

120000 km - Replace toothed belt for camshaft drive (PD engines).

240000 km - Replace tensioning pulley for camshaft drive (PD engines)

No mention of time based-replacement on QG0 (non-variable servicing).

I recall asking when I purchased the car, and the dealer confirmed 60k/5 years. So why does the book of words come out at 75k miles and no time-based replacement. Hmm.

Always been something on my mind recently as mine is due its 4 year service early next year, the car has only just touched 24k on the clock and i cant justify getting the belt changed that early in its life.

It`s not "early" tho is it, its 4 years old? Thats its age, so its on time. :wonder:

matt

Always been something on my mind recently as mine is due its 4 year service early next year, the car has only just touched 24k on the clock and i cant justify getting the belt changed that early in its life.

I presume you've "justified" four annual full Inspection services at 6,000 mile intervals?

Always been something on my mind recently as mine is due its 4 year service early next year, the car has only just touched 24k on the clock and i cant justify getting the oil changed that early in its life.

Tryy reading that back now. Not changing the cambelt on your car after the recommended interval basically makes it into a ticking timebomb. Can you justify a new engine at, say 30,000 miles?

Low mileage does not mean low maintenance.

Tryy reading that back now. Not changing the cambelt on your car after the recommended interval basically makes it into a ticking timebomb. Can you justify a new engine at, say 30,000 miles?

Low mileage does not mean low maintenance.

I understand what you mean. I plan on keeping my car for a while longer so I changed the belt/tensioner and water pump for peace of mind (and a discount on the labour charge!).

Doesn't change the fact that the manual states 75k without a time based replacement. Are Skoda UK creating service work for themselves?

My point was that surely it is a wear and tear item, therefore the higher mileage the more wear. I understand it will wear the older it gets i just thought with it been low mileage it would be necessary until maybe a year or two later.

As for the comment with regards to servicing, always gets a yearly service, but that wasnt the point i was making.

It`s not "early" tho is it, its 4 years old? Thats its age, so its on time. :wonder:

matt

Nothing in my service book says its on time as it doesnt state age, its only based on Mileage in the book. It just seems like Skoda have just suddenly introduced it. The only reason i mentioned it was i have had several diesels which were different makes and never had to have the cambelt changed after 4 years, always been based on mileage.

As for the comment with regards to servicing, always gets a yearly service, but that wasnt the point i was making.

So why do you think it needs a yearly service? My previous motorbike SHOULD have had a yearly service - in fact the recommendation was for a service even more often than that - but since I only drove it around 1,200 miles a year over the 13 years I had it, during that period I changed the oil and filter about three times myself, had the tappets adjusted professionally once, changed the sparkplugs once, replaced the front pads once, replaced the rear caliper and pads, and had several tyres - and it was absolutely fine when I traded it in at over 20,000 miles apart from needing significant attention to the front brakes which had by then worn out and would have cost a lot to repair. If I'd had an annual service it would have cost me a lot more. Cars don't necessarily need annual services particularly at 6,000 mile intervals. But cambelts get old even if they're not going round...

So why do you think it needs a yearly service? My previous motorbike SHOULD have had a yearly service - in fact the recommendation was for a service even more often than that - but since I only drove it around 1,200 miles a year over the 13 years I had it, during that period I changed the oil and filter about three times myself, had the tappets adjusted professionally once, changed the sparkplugs once, replaced the front pads once, replaced the rear caliper and pads, and had several tyres - and it was absolutely fine when I traded it in at over 20,000 miles apart from needing significant attention to the front brakes which had by then worn out and would have cost a lot to repair. If I'd had an annual service it would have cost me a lot more. Cars don't necessarily need annual services particularly at 6,000 mile intervals. But cambelts get old even if they're not going round...

I dont think it "needs" an annual service, it is just something that i get done yearly as it allows someone to give the car a quick check over. I always thought cambelts didnt need changing for like 6+ years, or is that just me. Its just that i never come across cambelts needing changing every 4 years. All the other cars i have had have never needed the belts changing that soon.

My point was that surely it is a wear and tear item, therefore the higher mileage the more wear. I understand it will wear the older it gets i just thought with it been low mileage it would be necessary until maybe a year or two later.

As for the comment with regards to servicing, always gets a yearly service, but that wasnt the point i was making.

All the other cars i`v had have had a time length as well as a mileage. Skoda/VW reviewed the schedule for them, not recently might i add, but since i`v had the car, so at least two years ago, adding a time of 4 years didnt they? So that`d make it on time. :yes:

matt