I'm after a little advice before I spend a lot of money and get the cambelt changed and either forget something or get the wrong parts.

Car is a 2.0 litre '07 PD140 (BKD) engine and the car is on c.125k miles at the moment. The 'toothed belt' & 'toothed belt-tensioning pulley' were replaced at 80k miles, but not at 40k miles.

First question - is the recommended change interval 40,000 miles or 80,000?

There is a funny noise that has always been in my engine bay on cold starting that comes from the driver's side of the engine bay (Off-side - it's a RHD car). It sounds like something is wrong, but not seriously as it has not changed noticeably in four years of owning the car. No issues with the clutch - replaced along with release bearing at 68k miles - or flywheel (as far as I know - as there is no juddering, noise or other problems pulling away in first or second).

Second question - Is this where the tensioning belt and pulley is located?

I have seen the genuine '03G 198 119 A' cambelt kit for a cheap price (I think) of less than £120 (no water pump though). Apparently dealer price for the genuine kit is about £210!

Or I can get a Dayco one (genuine OEM supplier?) with the water pump for less than £120 from ECP or less than £105 from carparts4less with discount code 'CP15LESS' (saving £15 on orders over £100)?.

Thirdly - Are these really good prices, especially the Dayco ones if they are the same as the OEM kits?

The cambelt tensioning kit '03G 198 119 A' consists of the following (see list and picture - some parts listed twice as they have different part numbers)):

• Toothed belt;
  
• Tensioning roller;
  
• Hexagon collar nut;
  
• Relay roller;
  
• Hexagon collar nut;
  
• Relay roller;
  
• fixed bolt, hex head;
  
• threaded pin;
  
• 
  

Fourth, is this the correct kit or anything missing?

Finally, is there anything else that should / could be done (e.g. water pump) at the same time as having these bits out to try and save a bit of time & money by having two jobs done at once?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree by saving c.£100 on the kit and getting an independent garage to fit it saving some more (but no idea how much)?

Thanks for any advice on this issue and sorry for the long post.

First question - is the recommended change interval 40,000 miles or 80,000?

At the moment Skoda say 40,000 miles or 4 years.

There is a funny noise that has always been in my engine bay on cold starting that comes from the driver's side of the engine bay (Off-side - it's a RHD car). It sounds like something is wrong, but not seriously as it has not changed noticeably in four years of owning the car. No issues with the clutch - replaced along with release bearing at 68k miles - or flywheel (as far as I know - as there is no juddering, noise or other problems pulling away in first or second).

Second question - Is this where the tensioning belt and pulley is located?

Yes. In fact if you take the engine acoustic cover off, you can see the cambelt cover on the left side of the engine (as you look at it...so drivers side). You can then easily remove the top part of the Cambelt cover and inspect the belt.... it's only held on with 2 or 3 spring clips. If you are getting noise from there, it could be one of the bearings in a cambelt roller, or it could just as easily be a Auxiliary belt component making the noise.

I have seen the 03G 198 119 A cambelt kit for a cheap price (I think) of less than £120. Apparently dealer price for the genuine kit is about £210 (+VAT? - not sure.) Or I can get a Dayco one (OEM supplier?) with the water pump for less than £120 from ECP?.

Thirdly - Are these really good prices?

The only cambelt kits I would use are VAG genuine kits (last time I looked I found one online for about £150) or a Gates kit. The VAG kits are just reboxed Gates kits so you can get exactly the same kit as genuine for a little over £100 (I paid £110 for a Gates kit last year for my 2.0 PD).

Fourth, is this the correct kit or anything missing?

That looks like the correct kit. There are 2 kits for the 2.0 TDI PD depending on year.......pre 2006 models have a slightly different size bolt for one of the rollers. Your car obviously firmly falls into the post 2006 model category.

Finally, is there anything else that should / could be done (e.g. water pump) at the same time as having these bits out to try and save a bit of time & money by having two jobs done at once?

As your car is on 125,000 miles I'd definitely replace the water pump. Most people advise replacing it at every cambelt change, but on my cars I only replace the water pump at every other belt change.

You might as well replace the auxiliary belt while you're at it.....it has to come off anyway and will only add £12 or so to the parts bill.

booke23 that is an awesome response. Thank you.

So as I've done over 40k miles and it's been over 4 years since the last one, I should look at getting it changed along with the water pump.

I will get the auxiliary belt done as well as there is no evidence that it has been changed since the car was new. I hope it has though...

Current Skoda national pricing puts it at £349 for the cambelt change and an additional £100 for the water pump = £449, so I could be looking at a decent saving if the kit can be had for around £100-120 and assuming that an independent will only charge around £200 to actually change them (I'm guessing on the labour costs at this stage).

Isn't the Dayco one an OEM kit as I am led to believe?

All I need to do is work out whether mine is the 16v version or not and which size of roller / kit fits...

Happy to help!

If your independent charges £200 for Labour and the kit comes in at £120, plus £35 or so for the water pump then the total price will be about £355 (maybe a little more as the independent will add coolant etc to the bill). So certainly at least £90 less than the dealer.

Although £90 is a good saving, I think it's worth taking into consideration the very comprehensive 2 year warranty on any work Skoda do. You read the odd case on here where Skoda have honoured this warranty with virtually no expense spared with no quibble. I didn't have this dilemma as I did my own belt change, so saved a lot more than £90.....closer to £300 saving in my case.

Dayco may well be the OEM supplier these days, I'm not sure. But when my car was built it was Gates, so that's the kit I used!

Your engine code will reveal if you have a 8v or 16v. I'm pretty sure you'll have a BKD engine, which is 16v. The 8v versions were only fitted to the Scout models AFAIK.

Just to clarify, the Dayco one on carparts4less is around £100 (depending on which kit I need) and includes the water pump.

If Dayco is the current supplier, then I'll probably go for that one.

I hear what you are saying about the 2 year warranty and it is certainly something to consider (especially as my car is well outside of any warranty period: Skoda or independent).

Engine code is BKD870763 if anyone can clear that matter up for me (or what size bolt I need on this engine).

Thanks again.

I'm in the same position, (well sort of) My Cambelt was changed 7/05/2009 at 46,307 miles so the service booklet says, Now 4 years on and at 88,900 i think it's time to change it, Also don't think the water pump was done so will be getting that done too, Only had the car a month too :think:

Just to clarify, the Dayco one on carparts4less is around £100 (depending on which kit I need) and includes the water pump.

That's very cheap for the pump and belt kit.

As long as you buy a full kit (including rollers/tensioner) then you won't go far wrong. I'm pretty sure the tensioners in all the kits are made by the same company in Canada. The rollers are probably the same.

Engine code is BKD870763 if anyone can clear that matter up for me (or what size bolt I need on this engine).

You've definitely got a 16v then. The change over date for the new roller bolt size was May 2006, So yours will almost certainly have a M12 bolt on the relay roller. I say almost certainly, as your car could in theory have had a replacement engine in the past from an earlier car. But this is highly unlikely without you knowing.....especially if you have owned the car for a long time.

Edited 2 June, 201313 yr by booke23

It's 80k. It always has been.

I'm the second owner and the previous (company) owner had a full main dealer service history which I have. So, I doubt that a new engine would have been fitted.

Here's the link to the two different kits I mentioned. Kit one: £111.60 & Kit 2: £119.94 both can get £15 off with the code mentioned earlier (both Conti/Dayco kits).

I stand corrected though that it does not include the water pump. This is about £31 from carparts4less (same thing but much cheaper than ECP).

This is the ECP Dayco HT kit that I had seen (minus water pump) - £117.90 with Briskoda discount.

It's 80k. It always has been.

40k / 80k / 4 years: There is much debate as to which is correct and why VW & Skoda used to differ (do they still?)

Do you have any links to evidence of current Skoda guidelines or guidelines that were in place in early 2010 when mine was last changed?

Thank you.

Those kits are listed by VIN number, so it's probably best to get your VIN number and check it against the numbers they list.

I got my kit from here: http://www.vwspares.co.uk/octavia1z_belts.php

As you can see they list belts slightly differently.

The debate on cambelt interval is complex due to VAG issuing different guidelines in different parts of the world......so therefore pointless. With a car that is out of warranty, all you can do is read all the differing opinions/advice from VAG and make your choice as the owner.

40k / 80k / 4 years: There is much debate as to which is correct and why VW & Skoda used to differ (do they still?)

I thought it was every 4 years or 60k miles. That's when Skoda replaced mine.

Those kits are listed by VIN number, so it's probably best to get your VIN number and check it against the numbers they list.

I did check the VIN but it made no sense against their list. I'll have another look and also at the links you gave.

Thank you.

A word of warning, we changed a belt (kit & water pump) on one of these engines a while back, we even replaced the tensioner fixing stud at £2. The stud failed leading to a £6000 bill for a new engine. Though if the belt didn't get the engine it would have only been a short time before it ingested its manifold flaps.

Get VW bits, fitted by a reputable garage so that it can have the best possible warranty.

That's part of what I'm trying to ascertain: what are the VAG bits?

I've seen a genuine kit (minus water pump) for less than £120. But if it is made by Daycon or Gates then why not get a full kit (including pump) not branded 'VAG' for the same price?

Definitely going to a decent garage to get it fitted, and will be asking about warranty. Especially if I'm supplying parts.

I'm going to be getting a few quotes together for a full job (including parts) in the next couple of weeks and will be able to see just how much difference there is between Skoda an an independent and supplying parts myself and decide if its worth it.

I'll also be asking what interval (time or miles) they all suggest as well.

Thank you all (for now).

You'll find that the Gates kit even though they supply them to VW will have a one year warranty, those same parts from VW in a VW box will have a two year warranty.

The blanket 4 year interval is well known, but the only way to accurately ascertain the mileage is to ring Skoda UK on 08457 745745 with your VIN number.

Thank you all.

Research starts in earnest next fortnight to strike the right balance (for me) between cost and warranty.

I have just done the belt kit on my 2.0 pd 140 bkd octavia 2006. I used a genuine kit which included everything apart from the water pump. The part number from TPS in peterborough was S038198119E

The RRP was £155 but they usually sell to me as a taxi driver, even though i am not one and i bought it for £87.88 all prices plus vat. i hope this is of use to you.

Thanks. Always useful to know what options are out there.

Did you fit it yourself?

I've tried contacting our local TPS, but either get no response or no joy! They obviously don't like me...

Oh yes! Won't let just anyone loose on my car. Seriously though, I have been a mechanic for the last AHEM! years, and although not always on cars, they are not that bad to do. Obviously it helps to have the right tools etc but I think the worst part was taking the engine mounting off. Try an alternate TPS if there is one, they still might help.

Don't panic - I wasn't even contemplating doing it myself! I know my limits without the tools and right support.

I'll see where the next nearest TPS is and go from there.

Not sure I'd get any warranty from any garage if I supply the parts though. What do other people think? Experiences?

I was told today by Beadles Maidstone that the change for the belt on my CR Crs is 4 years or 60K miles. That is not what it says in the service book!!!

Why do I feel I am being had over by SUK!!!!!!

I was told today by Beadles Maidstone that the change for the belt on my CR Crs is 4 years or 60K miles. That is not what it says in the service book!!!

Why do I feel I am being had over by SUK!!!!!!

HAHA! Its 120k, no time limit on the CR's. They use Continental Lifetime belts.

http://www.atzonline.com/index.php;do=show/site=a4e/sid=206106134051ae3b2ba90fc728766500/alloc=1/id=9123

Skoda uk do say 4 years for the cr engine as i was looking at buying one & i asked about it,my tfsi had its belt changed at 4 years.Hopefully this wont turn into every other thread about cambelts & the 4 year rule. :think: