Hi there. Finding it hard to get a straight answer so I rang my dealer

4 years?????? That's hardly any time at all. Especially as my car will only have about 45k on it when it's due. I'd be inclined to not bother changing it but I'm with warranty direct who require the car to be serviced to spec.

Dealer has quoted £740 including major service and brake fluid.

That's an awful lot of money. I'd probably be better off cancelling the warranty and keeping the money to pay for any repairs that may not even happen.

Or... Would I be stupid not to get it done?

Yup 4yr.

I went to an indy to get it done. You could take the chance on leaving it but some have broken.

Plus if you are having it done you're as well to get the water pump done too.

Edited 26 January, 201214 yr by Aspman

Sounds like a money spinner to me.

Surely a visual inspection as all that is needed on such a young car

My wife's car is 10 years or 100,000 miles I think. Surely vauxhall cam belts arent that much better than a VAG one?

Rubber in ALL cambelts will degrade over time...as ALL rubber does, so if your missus vauxhall is 10 yr old with 100k and on the original cambelt I'd get it booked in for a new one! Sharpish.

Tyres now have a 4 year life I believe, O-Rings have a shelf life, rubber repair patches have a shelf life, etc etc and a cambelt is under pretty high duty (and expensive when it goes)

Sorry, just re-read OPs last post..

I'd be very surprised/ concerned if vauxhall were recommending 10 yrs on a cambelt!

4 years is now recommended across the VW/Audi group there have been reports of these breaking so VW have reduced the time down. There is a thread on here from an Audi tech who has seen a few failures from going over this.

Plenty of reports of them going both sooner and later.

Prices vary and plenty of debate about water pumps at the same time in here.

I paid £400 at Skoda for the belt, pump and coolant. Best price I've seen on here is £350 at Skoda but that was a long way away and not worth the trip for me.

This will come with a 2 year warranty from Skoda which is why I went for it.

Cheapest option is to get the belt kit from Eurocarparts with the BRISKODA discount and pay an indy for 2 hours work. Best price I've seen on here is £220 all in. But not much comback if you have a problem.

You pays your money etc.

I've gone done the fully dealer serviced route (after haggling each time) rather than the warranty route. If anything pops it will be a fit for purpose argument with Skoda UK for a meet in the middle cost.

Edited 26 January, 201214 yr by Web Ferret

Just called vauxhall main dealer.

10 yrs or 100k. And they do it for 250 quid.

Maintenance on this car is turning out to be quite expensive. Its lucky I love the car.

Got a 4yr Octavia 1.9PD TDi Elegance

Water Pump and Cambelt Change £360, From my mechanic in West Drayton

Brilliant guy, been Servicing my 2001 Golf TDI for 6 yrs, 2 cambelts done at 60k & 120K, its just had 140K service

Runs like a dream and no black smoke from Exhaust,

If you live near there can send you his details

Sounds like a money spinner to me.

Surely a visual inspection as all that is needed on such a young car

My wife's car is 10 years or 100,000 miles I think. Surely vauxhall cam belts arent that much better than a VAG one?

Is that a belt or a chain?

When I worked for Vauxhall, the cars back then were around the 40-60k mark for cambelt changes, or 3 or 4 years.

They did start introducing chain driven though, as they had a reputation for failing! On some engines they started off at 80K and then reduced it to 40K after failures prior to 80K.

Been quoted an eye-watering £ 532.86 including water pump at Willis in West London (for a VRS Mk2 petrol).

With 'discount' they'd do it for £ 485.00.

Are they having a laugh?

Been quoted an eye-watering £ 532.86 including water pump at Willis in West London (for a VRS Mk2 petrol).

With 'discount' they'd do it for £ 485.00.

Are they having a laugh?

Yes - that is at least £100-150 too much.

Shop around, try a VW dealer

I paid £375 main dealer and full service, no brake fluid but new pump. I would be wary of warranty Direct, they did a runner from my claim

£425 at my dealer (1.9tdi) including pump and stretch bolts for engine mount.

Been quoted an eye-watering £ 532.86 including water pump at Willis in West London (for a VRS Mk2 petrol).

With 'discount' they'd do it for £ 485.00.

Are they having a laugh?

It is high but remember prices vary around the country as labour rate changes, gets higher the nearer you get to London. Plus there is more work on a petrol than a diesel.

I paid £375 main dealer and full service, no brake fluid but new pump. I would be wary of warranty Direct, they did a runner from my claim

This. Seems very cheap for a service and cambelt with waterpump.

This. Seems very cheap for a service and cambelt with waterpump.

Price match :wonder:

I paid £375 main dealer and full service, no brake fluid but new pump. I would be wary of warranty Direct, they did a runner from my claim

What happened with Warranty Direct?

Engine warning light on, told warranty direct, oh bring it in to main dealer as you are covered premium, two days later still not had car back, so rang up dealer, we are waiting on authorisation from wd. The tumble flap motor needed re-setting, if the tumble flap motor was broken, £475 they would pay for that and fitting and diagnostics total £675. As it was not and needed a reflash ,no parts broken, I had to pay for diagnostics and flash £125 ! I rang wd and played hell, I said I rang you first and you said everything was covered including diagnostics, they said only if it is broken, I said so if me and the service manager were dodgy we could say it was faulty and you would be none the wiser and we could split the money, and because we are honest you will not pay. Put me through to cancellations I have paid a year for £295 for sweet Fa , waste of paper they are

Found out after can be reflashed with vag-com, ( yes it happened again!)

Engine ECU can't be flashed with VAG-COM. Can however re adapt the manifold flaps (got a 2.0 TSI doing the same thing in bits at work at the moment as it goes).

Well re adapt or flash got it done with vag-com :yes:

The belt is due on my Octy based on miles last done in 2010 at 36k and now due at 116k in 2012 currently on 105k.

Having read a few forum threads I used the VW £399 offer to gain the same price from Autosales Bilston.

It's not due immediately, but recon end of March 110k (will do early, just in case) ; but I have the price now and the VW offer will not expire until mid 2012.

FYI, the price started quite high and with a briskoda discount and pricematching it came down to £399 for waterpump, belt kit and coolant and stretch bolts.

gav thats somemileage you've racked up since 2010!

£399 is what I paid at Skoda after some price bartering. You get the 2 year warranty too. I had mine done a little early (57k miles) in Dec in case the VW offer ran out at the end of 2011.

The kit is 112 , or 161 if you buy direct from Skoda the pump is 37.14, so why are you all paying so much are dealer prices so much where you are?

The kit is 112 , or 161 if you buy direct from Skoda the pump is 37.14, so why are you all paying so much are dealer prices so much where you are?

They quoted me £ 236.00 for the parts only, including pump.

I'm certainly going to be shopping around - otherwise I'll do the job myself. I've done Audi V6, 1.8T and Audi 5 cylinders before - can it be much harder than those?