Superb cam belts question

[dorsetcoast]

I have been busy driving my 10 plate skoda superb ii and done 160k

No one has suggested cam belts to be rerplaced so I made enquiries.

I have been told its overdue and skoda dealers want £500+ without water pump.

Should water pump be replaced.

Engine has just staryted to loose oil and water after 2 years ownership. Is this going to be a problem

[United 11]

160,000 without a timing belt change? surely its had at least one change but defo get it in soon for another one, as for the oil, water leaks get them fixed too, but the belt change should be a max of £350, with a water pump too maybe £470 would be my guess

[dorsetcoast]

From main dealer

The price for the cambelt replacement without water pump change would be £550.32 including VAT, we would need to have the car in for a whole day for that work, we do have loan vehicles availabl

[Royrover]

I got my 2.5v6 diesel done by my main dealer for £390 inc . water pump & VAT. Oh and they gave me a loan car too!

Edited 23 May, 2013 by Royrover

[silver1011]

160,000 miles on the original cambelt? You are living on borrowed time!

Has the car been serviced by Skoda, it's very difficult to follow the service regime and forget the cambelt service?

It's normally the opposite, dealers are usually falling over themselves to get youto replace the belt sooner rather than later.

You can't blame them judging by the amounts some people are being charged.

Never pay more than £349 for a cambelt change at a Skoda main dealer, or £449 for the cambelt and waterpump.

Skoda promote their national pricing policy so there should be no reason to pay more...

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/maintenance

[Mayor of Newark]

The Service Schedule lists an incredible mileage to cam belt change - which I don't trust!

[United 11]

yep get it serviced soon, my january 2013 superb will be going in for its 1st service next month at 18,000, and i will get the timing belt changed at 50,000 due to my excessive millage being a taxi driver and all, i laughed at my cousin the other day, he always boasted how his vauxhall vectra 58 plate 1.9 CDTI, has a timing chain rather than a belt so they last much longer (supposedly last the life of the car). anyways last week the chain snapped and it wrecked the engine, thats karma for you

[bryanp]

What engine is it? I've got a 2.0TDi 170 4x4 and had the cambelt done at 80k, Skoda recommend 120k or 4 years but I thinks thats pushing it with the mileage, I took mine to the Lion Garage, a VAG specialist, they recommended the 80k as theres such a variety across the VAG range for cambelt recommended change times on this engine and I went for a bit of piece of mind, As its a fairly new engine no pattern parts are available so they had to fit all OEM parts, I had the Cambelt, water pump and roller and tensioner kit all done for £380 and they also said they would do my Haldex oil for the price of the oil, Final bill came to £381 and a few pennys, someone there obviously wasn't to good at using a calculator but I wasn't going to point it out!

[ksr]

thats karma for you

That's not Karma, that's ignorance. He didn't have a chain, he had a belt. Z19DTH engine, which he would have in his Vectra, is a belt driven cam

[2SkodaFamily]

For some reason I can't quote in my replies. Silver1011 - do DM Keith keep to national pricing?

[Devon Wanderer]

Out of interest, is it age, mileage or driving style that affects cambelts more? Mine's done 120k in 3 years, and I'm getting it changed, but was just wondering what actually wears out and why?

[wokwon]

The rubber decays over time and with use, so the answer is both mileage and time. I'm not sure driving style is enough to affect it.

[Devon Wanderer]

The rubber decays over time and with use, so the answer is both mileage and time. I'm not sure driving style is enough to affect it.

It just struck me that 'change every 110k miles' (for my engine) covers a very broad spectrum. For example my car's previous owner was a leasing company, so it was almost certainly a company car and those 40k miles per year were almost certainly mainly cruise-controlled motorway driving. Compare that with a 3-y-o taxi doing the same mileage in an urban setting, where the additional time spent in lower gears would mean the engine had completed significantly more revolutions in travelling the same number of miles. Or ten years of 11k-a-year private mileage. Notwithstanding inspections, it's all the same, so far as the service book is concerned.

[silver1011]

For some reason I can't quote in my replies. Silver1011 - do DM Keith keep to national pricing?

Yes and they also price match within a 5 mile radius which includes the VW garage on Clifton Moor so it's worth ringing them for a quote too.

However, neither me or my car will ever set foot on DM Keith's forecourt ever again. Their incompetence has forced me to sell my Octavia.

On the plus side I pick up my Superb on Saturday. Every cloud and all that!

[SB1962]

Congrats on the Suberb, Silver1011.  I may be getting one myself soon - certainly within the next 12 months.  The Mrs is going to have the Octy Scout if I can prise the Jeep keys out of her hand.

 

So what is the definitive on the cam belt?  80K/4 years?

[silver1011]

You'll have the same as us then, I have a Superb and the wife has our Scout

 

Not sure on the mileage but Skoda UK have a blanket four year interval on all of their models regardless of mileage.

[Supurbia]

For anyone quoting never pay more than £350 at Skoda that just doesn't happen unless there is a once in a blue moon fixed offer and then it won't include a water pump,

 

The cheapest option is to get a kit at GSF which will cost around £150 inc pump and aux belt as this should also be replaced, then another £150 for a good indy to fit it, that is the cheapest option, you should also be aware if it's not done right it will chuck the belt in a matter of weeks resulting in a dead engine,

 

Now for the whole cambelt issue, I don't generally change them due to age, I do for miles and I do also keep an eye on it's condition, the last two VAG ones I felt I'd wasted £430 having one replaced as the belt was in vgc, this time I let a 6 year old 72k PD equiped car go and checking the belt all the way around a few weeks before showed the belt to be like brand new all round, you just need to check it right the way around and examine the teeth for wear and the backing for fraying or splits, listen for squeals and coolant loss, if you have neither the pump should be ok, I feel the time and miles are safeguard things rather than needed myself and todays belts are a lot thicker and made better than those from days gone by.

[silver1011]

For anyone quoting never pay more than £350 at Skoda that just doesn't happen unless there is a once in a blue moon fixed offer and then it won't include a water pump,

 

Eh?

 

Did you click the link in post #5?

 

Whilst the Skoda franchised dealers aren't forced to follow Skoda UK's national pricing there are lots and lots of members that have had no problems getting their dealer to match the quoted prices.

 

In fact there are instances where dealers have undercut the national pricing.

 

This isn't a temporary promotion, these prices have been fixed and the website live for well over 12 months now, if not longer.

 

My dealer quoted a stupidly high price for a cambelt and waterpump change until I asked them about the national pricing policy at which point the lady on the phone instantly agreed to reduce the quote to match.

 

If you don't ask you don't get.

 

I'll say it again - there is absolutely no need to spend more than £349 for a cambelt change (£449 for the waterpump too) at a Skoda main dealer...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/maintenance

[Supurbia]

Point taken Silver but it's £450 if you have a pump as well and only a mug doesn't.

[silver1011]

True, and I'm sure it could be much cheaper at a trusted indy too.

[Supurbia]

True, and I'm sure it could be much cheaper at a trusted indy too.

 

 

Parts are £150 and allow £150 for indy labour and that's about right, so £300 all in plus the anti freeze and things are about right.

[Devon Wanderer]

True, and I'm sure it could be much cheaper at a trusted indy too.

I thought so too, til I started ringing round and found no one offering to do it cheaper than the Skoda price. Of course, we're a bit rural here, so YMMV (Google it, Mike), but in the end I'm quite pleased I didn't manage to find a cheaper indy. It's a potential catastrophe if it goes wrong and, rightly or wrongly, I feel happy in my own mind that the job's been done by qualified people using the right materials. To me, that's worth an extra fifty quid or so.

[mandp]

Devon Wanderer...

If you mean me...

I have done and thank you. It originates from America so for that reason I wont use it...there's too much Americanism creeping in to out precious language.

For the benefit of any other `Mike's` out there it means: `Your Mileage May Vary`

Regards

Mike.

[Devon Wanderer]

Devon Wanderer...

If you mean me...

I have done and thank you.

 

Good man

[skippy41]

Cost SWMBO £280 fitted last month for a belt and waterpump, for her mark1 only took 2 hours,

Mine will cost £300 all in when its due

Edited 17 July, 2013 by skippy41