you wreckon at 167k mine needs to be changed then? hehehe

please also be aware that skoda now recommend replacement at 4 years even if mielage is not reached !!!

Can anyone help I have just bought a 2003 skoda octavia 1.9tdi 110bhp and havn't got a clue when the timing belt is due a change??? everyone is telling me something different? cheers guys

Garfy

4 years or 60000 miles.

I've just had a full service on my 2001 Octavia 1.9 TDi it's done 47k. The cam belt was changed, tensioners and water pump changed all fluids changed and front brake pads changed this came to what I thought was very expensive £800, what do others think? The garage did say they couldn't belive how expensive the cam belt & tensioner kit cost, they did seem surprised them selves how much the bill mounted up and stated they would give me a free MOT when it is due, but was I cond ?

Depends on how the costs were split. When my water pump broke independent ford garage (couldn't get to skoda with engine like that) charged me just £220 for changing water pump and they also changed the belt as car had done just over 50k miles whilst they had the engine in pieces.

Thought at the time this was a bargain, even more so now

£800 for a cambelt change plus water pump, with a service and front brake pads seems not too unreasonable.

The dealer rate for a cambelt is over £500 and the cheapest I have found down here for the belt, tensioners and water pump is just shy of £300 using genuine parts.

Alex Lawrie (Skoda dealer) has quoted me £290 inc on my 01 Octavia vRS including timing belt/pulleys and waterpump/

I bought a 2000 model Skoda Fabia Comfort 16V last year in April from a Skoda dealer for around £3.5K. Everything was fine with the car until... This weekend I was driving to Birmingham and the car broke down. It had to be taken to a Skoda dealer since it was under Skoda dealer warranty. The garage replaced the cam belt kit and water pump, but the problem didn't get resolved. They had to open the engine to find out that the engine was completely damaged and the valves were bent. The engine needs to be replaced which would cost around £4K. Only £500 is covered by the dealer warranty and the rest will have to come out of my pocket. My insurance of course doesn't cover this since it is a mechanical fault and hence not covered. I am not ready to spend another £3.5K on the car since I can buy another car in probably less than that amount. The reason for the extensive engine damage was given as tensioner failure. How that should happen in one year's time after the dealer had fully serviced the car before selling it to me is an enigma.

What I want to find out is whether checking the tensioner / timing belt is mandatory when performing a full service? I want to find out whether the dealer is at fault for this and whether I have a case of negligence against him.

Any quick help will be greatly appreciated.

I bought a 2000 model Skoda Fabia Comfort 16V last year in April from a Skoda dealer for around £3.5K. Everything was fine with the car until... This weekend I was driving to Birmingham and the car broke down. It had to be taken to a Skoda dealer since it was under Skoda dealer warranty. The garage replaced the cam belt kit and water pump, but the problem didn't get resolved. They had to open the engine to find out that the engine was completely damaged and the valves were bent. The engine needs to be replaced which would cost around £4K. Only £500 is covered by the dealer warranty and the rest will have to come out of my pocket. My insurance of course doesn't cover this since it is a mechanical fault and hence not covered. I am not ready to spend another £3.5K on the car since I can buy another car in probably less than that amount. The reason for the extensive engine damage was given as tensioner failure. How that should happen in one year's time after the dealer had fully serviced the car before selling it to me is an enigma.

What I want to find out is whether checking the tensioner / timing belt is mandatory when performing a full service? I want to find out whether the dealer is at fault for this and whether I have a case of negligence against him.

Any quick help will be greatly appreciated.

not a direct answer to your question, but a good friend of mine owns a garage and refuses to "check" timing belts and tensioners as part of a service as listed in the schedules (not just VAG, but all makes), he expressly notes that this is not done if called for in a service sched. - on the grounds that there's no way of just "inspecting" these components and offer any form of guarantee that they will be OK until the next service "check" interval. The only way he will offer this is to actually replace the parts. The only benefit of checking is to see if there is anything imminently obvious which needs immediate rectification, ie. changing the parts anyway.

Should cambelts be replaced simply according to mileage, or does age play a part too? My wife's Felicia (2000 on a V) has covered only 21000 miles, but the car is 7 years old (we bought it 2 yaers ago as an amazing second user bargain with only 11000 on the clock). Should we wait for 60k before changing or mgiht the age affect it too?

Age counts to, rubber perishes as it ages. At 7 years old, it should have already had a change by the previous owner and another one due soon. If it has not been changed yet, I would get it done as you never know.

I had the cambelt on my 1998 Felicia 1.6GLXi changed at 6 years and 43915 miles at a cost of £88.48 (small independent garage). Having since had the cambelt on my Octavia 1.8T changed at 4¼ years and just 18738 miles following VAG's introduction of a 4 year maximim life for cambelts regardless of mileage, I think I will get the Felicia's cambelt changed every 4 years in future.

hi any idea when the timing belt on my 2000 fabia should be replaced,its coming up to 60,000 mls

hi any idea when the timing belt on my 2000 fabia should be replaced,its coming up to 60,000 mls

I would say three years ago tbh:eek:

I shall certainly look for a engine with chain drive on my next car, so Skoda take note, change from cam belts to chains or lose customers

Our Octavia is booked in for one - 53,000 miles and 5.5 years.

To answer a (much) earlier question - yes, my old 1997 Mazda MX-5 has a non-interference engine. When the belt snaps you fit a new belt and off you go, although of course you may be left stranded somewhere. Supposedly it's impossible to design a non-interference petrol engine that will meet Euro IV emissions regulations now, and it's always been impossible with a diesel because the piston practically touches the closed valves anyway.

Is this type of replacement a warranty isssue if the car is under 3 years old ?

Seems like at three years , many who buy a car new , either exchange at that point or , if it has been a " good " car decide that they want to make up for the initial depreciation and keep it for another 3 years .

For the latter , replacement of the cambelt , is probably most wise at the three year mark ..... is it a relatively simple exercise and should there been any other work carried out whilst part of the engine is dismantled for this replacement .... ?

hey guys just bought an 02 octy vrs at 40000 miles its never had a new cambelt should i have it replaced???????? any advise would be much appreciated thanx.

hey guys just bought an 02 octy vrs at 40000 miles its never had a new cambelt should i have it replaced???????? any advise would be much appreciated thanx.

hi ppl im new on here asive just bought an 02 octy vrs. its done 40000 miles im being told i need a new cambelt is this right guys????? any advise would be much appreciated thanx

It could be down to the age of the car

4 years should be due

Sarah

If it were me having just bought a new car of that sort of mileage/age with no obvious evidence of a recent cambelt change, I'd be getting it done regardless, then you know it's ok.

How much can I expect to pay to have my cambelt replaced on my 2001 Fabia which has 24000 miles on the clock?

I just phoned my local dealer and they quoted me a special offer of 200pounds all in and and extra 40pounds (I can't get the pounds symbol to work) to replace the water pump if done at the same time. Is that a good deal, excuse my slowness of brain, but, it's been a long day at work.

Bring back the vw air cooled engines, nothing to snap there!

Hi

That does not sound too bad price wise

Sarah

Hi im quite new hear,

I have had first hand cam belt failure experience. I had a 306 GTI6 and they are the worst killers of cam belts, mine went while approching a round about in a 60mph zone, it made a right mess of the head, i still have all 16valves in a box, no one of them is straight. That came out to be around £1800 to get the head rebuilt. I had an extended warrenty on it so i did`nt have to pay for it thank god!

I found the finantial side was bad but the being without your car for 3weeks is a right pain in the ****.

I would say to anyone who is in any doubt about if their belt needs changeing, get it done, for peice of mind alone its worth it.

Hello from North Wales. I'm due a 60k service, how much approx would I expect to pay for a service inc cambelt replacement? Also, there was an ad on here other day, for servicing, where they pick up your car!! diagnose, then ring with a price for whatever work is required. Can't remember the name & cannot see the ad now, anyone know of them and has anyone used them??

Thanks.