I'm toying with downsizing from my Octavia vrs petrol to either a Fabia vrs or a Polo gti with same engine.

Does this engine have a timing belt or a chain?

If it is a belt what are the intervals for changing it.

Thanks in advance.

I am fairly certain it is a chain and thus no belts to replace, just a wrorn chain possibly in the distant future.

I definetly seen a belt in the engine bay but cant say wether it was the timing belt or the supercharger pully belt

chain driven

Edited 5 March, 201214 yr by skoda1982

Yup, chain driven. It's mentioned on Honest John's site as a problem area if you don't change your oil and filter frequently enough. Can stretch and give a tinkling noise.

Yup, chain driven. It's mentioned on Honest John's site as a problem area if you don't change your oil and filter frequently enough. Can stretch and give a tinkling noise.

Given the nature of this engine, I reckon there'll be more than a tinkling noise if the oil / filter isn't checked frequently ......

I'm unconvinced on chains... (which I know the vRS has for a fact) as my friends merc was chain driven, and the chain snapped at 70k and ate his engine.... and the car was out of warrenty and mercedes refused to pay! 70k is not an acceptable engine life if you ask me, I've run all my cars over 100k...

my fiat was belt driven, and had 90,000 mile belt change intervals! if you can make them that long, a belt is fine (and I changed it at 90k without issue)

this engine has run high mileage in other VAG cars though right?

anyone come accross any chain related issues? or are we fine

...my fiat was belt driven, and had 90,000 mile belt change intervals! if you can make them that long, a belt is fine (and I changed it at 90k without issue)

..

LOL that must be the only part of a fiat that would last that long. From bitter experience I would't own another fiat if you gave it to me for free

I'm glad it's chain driven.

They don't use belts on Mountain bikes, so I guess a chain is the better option.

LOL that must be the only part of a fiat that would last that long. From bitter experience I would't own another fiat if you gave it to me for free

well my fiat grande punto sporting, replaced my fabia I vRS, and was was faultless (WAY more reliable than the fabia it replaced) I mapped it at 4,000 miles, and sold it at 110,000 miles, and it NEVER let me down... it was cheaper than the fabia, just as fast, handled better, and was better equipped....

so I would have to say they did a better job than skoda had....

you must have had a bad experiance, but look at some of the people on here taking their vRS's back to skoda... check out my thread with the 30% of new vRS's having faults that cause them to be unusable (it would be way more if I included smaller things that didnt effect the cars ability to be used as a car)

my fiat never needed anything doing to it, that wasn't normal wear and tear (brake pads ect) and it still drove "as new" when I sold it, without any faults at all.

I would definatly buy fiat again, I went away from skoda (after a new gearbox and a million other faults I wont bore you with here) when they refused point blank to replace the suspension bushes under warrenty on the vrs after they failed (the infamouse console bushes) at 60,000 miles while still under the 2 year unlimited mileage warrenty....skoda later released a "revised" part after being forced to admit they were not fit for purpose... I still got nothing but fobbed off, saying it was "normal wear and tear" ...

when buying the fiat, I explained the crap customer service and warrenty issues to the manager, who promptly rang fiats warrenty department, and put it on speaker phone and said "hyperthetical situation, drivivng instructor , whos car has 60k on it, still under the unlimited mileage warrenty, front suspension bushes failed, would you replace them.... ?

they replied "Of course we would. its under warrenty and they have failed, there woould be no question of them not being replaced...."

and you know what? of course it didnt need any suspension bushes at all during its 110,000 miles with me, not even a knock or creak...

Thanks everyone.

One other question,does this engine run on super unleaded like my octy vrs or standard unleaded?

Edited 6 March, 201214 yr by gord

I definetly seen a belt in the engine bay but cant say wether it was the timing belt or the supercharger pully belt

The supercharger isn't belt driven its electronic and sits on the top of the engine

Edited 6 March, 201214 yr by Kie

well my fiat grande punto sporting, replaced my fabia I vRS, and was was faultless (WAY more reliable than the fabia it replaced) I mapped it at 4,000 miles, and sold it at 110,000 miles, and it NEVER let me down... it was cheaper than the fabia, just as fast, handled better, and was better equipped....

so I would have to say they did a better job than skoda had....

you must have had a bad experiance, but look at some of the people on here taking their vRS's back to skoda... check out my thread with the 30% of new vRS's having faults that cause them to be unusable (it would be way more if I included smaller things that didnt effect the cars ability to be used as a car)

my fiat never needed anything doing to it, that wasn't normal wear and tear (brake pads ect) and it still drove "as new" when I sold it, without any faults at all.

I would definatly buy fiat again, I went away from skoda (after a new gearbox and a million other faults I wont bore you with here) when they refused point blank to replace the suspension bushes under warrenty on the vrs after they failed (the infamouse console bushes) at 60,000 miles while still under the 2 year unlimited mileage warrenty....skoda later released a "revised" part after being forced to admit they were not fit for purpose... I still got nothing but fobbed off, saying it was "normal wear and tear" ...

when buying the fiat, I explained the crap customer service and warrenty issues to the manager, who promptly rang fiats warrenty department, and put it on speaker phone and said "hyperthetical situation, drivivng instructor , whos car has 60k on it, still under the unlimited mileage warrenty, front suspension bushes failed, would you replace them.... ?

they replied "Of course we would. its under warrenty and they have failed, there woould be no question of them not being replaced...."

and you know what? of course it didnt need any suspension bushes at all during its 110,000 miles with me, not even a knock or creak...

So why go back to skoda? after dealing with the much higher end of the market vehicles

Edited 6 March, 201214 yr by Kie

So why go back to skoda? after dealing with the much higher end of the market vehicles

because it was the cheapest / best performing hot hatch for the money........ If It was for sale at the £18k + asking price I would have rather bought a 180bhp abarth essess for that money...

and I dont appreciate the sarcasm, my points are valid, and I am entitled to an "OPINION" as much as you are. I am making valid points that you cannot have a blanket opinion, everyone has different experiances.

How is Skoda - Fiat - Skoda going backwards?

The vRS with its 20% VAT offer was an absolute bargain!! I couldn't have afforded it at £18.5k otherwise, wedding and all that

The Punto is a nice car, and I like the Abarth Essesse versions, especially the Fiat 500! However, I am biased towards lesser marques so steer clear

Just had a look there and i 100% have a belt.....

There is a belt for alternator and iirc the charger which is at the back of the engine.

Turbo is under the silver heat shield thingy right in the front, bamg in the middle.

Have a look at this it will show all design and function service training on a 1.4 tsi twin charge engine

google type ssp359 1.4 tsi engine with duel-charge Then click. I tried to put link but it was to big.

Edited 6 March, 201214 yr by skoda1982

Here's the Honest John link on timing chain issues.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/skoda/fabia-vrs-2010/?section=bad

The supercharger isn't belt driven its electronic and sits on the top of the engine

It is belt driven off the water pump via an electromagnetic clutch and sits under the inlet manifold.

I'm glad it's chain driven.

They don't use belts on Mountain bikes, so I guess a chain is the better option.

Er they have had kevlar drive belts on bicyles for years...

http://www.bikebiz.c...ansmission/0849

I prefer chains...changing the Clio belt every 36k or 4yrs @ £400+ was a tad expensive..

Belt belt belt

http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_359.pdf

Belt belt belt

http://www.volkspage...ssp/SSP_359.pdf

Er-page 7 shows timing chain for camshafts,which is the info I was originally asking for.

Can't find anything about what grade fuel to use though....

You get a sticker on your filler cap for 98 or above. This is massively open to debate though if you do a quick search on here for petrol/fuel. Personally i'm a Tesco Momentum or V Power only user.

Er-page 7 shows timing chain for camshafts,which is the info I was originally asking for.

Can't find anything about what grade fuel to use though....

No belt?