cambelt - when to replace and with water pump?

[muso man]

Hello I am a newbie so excuse me for resurrecting a topic, I don't know how to do a search yet

My Octavia 2 (08 plate) is in for a variable service at around 28000 miles.

The dealer says that by May, I should be thinking of changing the cam belt AND the water pump because that would be recommended at 4 years old (the car is 4 yrs old then).

He reckons about £600 for the two. The cam belt kit is about £200 and labour about 3 hours, seems a lot of money!

I wonder whether he is right or over cautious. Any advice?

Muso Man

[Gizmo]

Welcome

VAG do indeed recommend every 4 years (only in the UK mind :think: )

BUT £600!! ...really?? you could nearly half that price.

EDIT: or was that for the service and belt/pump? (still a bit dear IMO though)

[gadgetman]

I got pump, belt and variable service for 600.

VW will do the belt, and I think pump, for 399.

[silver1011]

Hello I am a newbie so excuse me for resurrecting a topic, I don't know how to do a search yet

Just type 'cambelt' into the search bar at the top right hand side of the screen, plenty of results.

Here's a recent one, £600 is very expensive...

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/223093-whats-the-going-rate-for-cambelt-change/page__hl__cambelt

[Aspman]

Unless the £600 includes the variable service too it's far too expensive.

[muso man]

Unless the £600 includes the variable service too it's far too expensive.

Thanks, my variable service only today will be around £350

The quote for £600 was for doing the cam belt and water pump in May.

It is a Skoda agent in Brighton Sussex.

Any ideas on where I could get it done at a more decent price?

[Gizmo]

Thanks, my variable service only today will be around £350

For reference a variable service in Kent for a 170CR Superb is around £239, I would be looking elsewhere as they do seem expensive.

[Guest Noelsagan]

Thanks, my variable service only today will be around £350

I got my 2nd variable service done by an independent VAG specialist for £120 - and ,yes, that was with long life oil. The main dealers here in NI were only quoting £230. £350 sounds pretty steep. It sounds like your dealer is getting his arm in.

[Anddenton]

3rd variable service on my Scout, including all parts, labour and VAT etc. came to £338.45 at DM Keith, however this was more than I had paid for the previous service so I guess that the variable service costs fluctuate a bit depending on the service.

However as they also recommended several hundred pounds worth of unnecessary repairs, I won't be going back.

[Web Ferret]

Cambelt, water pump and G12 coolant £399 inc VAT at DM Keith Leeds in December 2011.

HAGGLE!

Independants will be cheaper but that negates any future out of warranty goodwill claims form Skoda UK.

Got quoted £650 by Bickertons Sheffield so I think thats the going rate.

Mind you I do have a slight judder at idle so looks like DMK stuffed up the idle fuel mix setting.

Edited 9 January, 2012 by Web Ferret

[cbr600]

My local dealer quoted 350 for cambelt plus 270 for 4 year 40,000 mile service ,but said they don't replace waterpump unless bearings are u/s and this would be extra,so can't make my mind up whether to get cambelt done at indy and service at skoda or just bite the bullet and get both done at main dealer.

[Web Ferret]

My local dealer quoted 350 for cambelt plus 270 for 4 year 40,000 mile service ,but said they don't replace waterpump unless bearings are u/s and this would be extra,so can't make my mind up whether to get cambelt done at indy and service at skoda or just bite the bullet and get both done at main dealer.

I had the same dilemma.

Get the pump changed if you intend on keeping the car when the cam belt is done. If the pump goes its a strip down to replace a £ 30 part.

If you get the cam belt done at an indy you may as well get them to service it as well as if you have any problems Skoda will charge you full price to rectify. If you go to Skoda you have a 2 year warranty on your cam belt.

Get the best of both worlds, haggle the dealer to match indy prices or look at the VW website and get your Skoda dealer to match these. If you dealer won't contact the next nearest dealer.

[muso man]

I had the same dilemma.

Get the pump changed if you intend on keeping the car when the cam belt is done. If the pump goes its a strip down to replace a £ 30 part.

If you get the cam belt done at an indy you may as well get them to service it as well as if you have any problems Skoda will charge you full price to rectify. If you go to Skoda you have a 2 year warranty on your cam belt.

Get the best of both worlds, haggle the dealer to match indy prices or look at the VW website and get your Skoda dealer to match these. If you dealer won't contact the next nearest dealer.

VW quoted me £548 so £100 cheaper than localSKODA franchise. Would a cambelt and water pump fitting go in my SKODA service book?

[andyvee]

I had the same dilemma.

Get the pump changed if you intend on keeping the car when the cam belt is done. If the pump goes its a strip down to replace a £ 30 part.

If you get the cam belt done at an indy you may as well get them to service it as well as if you have any problems Skoda will charge you full price to rectify. If you go to Skoda you have a 2 year warranty on your cam belt.

Get the best of both worlds, haggle the dealer to match indy prices or look at the VW website and get your Skoda dealer to match these. If you dealer won't contact the next nearest dealer.

You have a 2 year warranty against defective materials on a cambelt kit if you purchase genuine VAG parts from TPS AFAIK. Doesn't have to be fitted by VW or Skoda, it is the parts that carry the warranty. IIRC the full cambelt kit for a PD140 was about £120, so a dealer quoting £200 for parts is taking the mick. My cambelt, waterpump and coolant change at an Indie was about £250 all in with genuine VAG parts from TPS.

[silver1011]

3rd variable service on my Scout, including all parts, labour and VAT etc. came to £338.45 at DM Keith, however this was more than I had paid for the previous service so I guess that the variable service costs fluctuate a bit depending on the service.

Cough , which branch of DM Keith?

DM Keith in York have been running the two services for £299 for more than a year now, the deal changes slightly, it used to come with £100 of Skoda vouchers and now it comes with two free MOT's.

I have the service plan on my diesel Scout and will get another for my vRS before it's next service is due. The cambelt kit and labour is extra but still I'm paying £100 / service.

£340 for one service is madness.

[andyvee]

£340 for one service is madness.

It is, the genuine VAG parts include LongLife oil cost me less than £100 last time round for a PD140, including fuel, air and pollen filter.

As the next variable service is due in 1100 miles, as Maxidot keeps reminding me, I will fond out how much this time round in the next month, but I won't be paying anywhere near £340!

[Anddenton]

Cough , which branch of DM Keith?

Huddersfield, don't really trust them any more as they found loads of work that supposedly needed doing that an Indy later said wasn't required at all.

[CorridaVRS]

I'd say shop around, I had my cambelt, aux belt, waterpump and coolant flush & replace done for £379 at a VW specialist. £600 is mental!

[Photoemt]

I've seen Skoda main dealers offering a special on cam belt and water pump for around 380 euro over here. Most charge around 200 to 250 euro for a service. In my calculations (altough I could be wrong as I'm not Chuck Norris) around £530.

Edited 15 January, 2012 by Photoemt