120k, no time limit. It's detailed in the service book

130.000 miles

Ah, the good old cambelt debate.

 

Moneyspinner or not Skoda UK state a 4 year blanket rule.

 

Due to the conflicting advice the best thing to do is ring Skoda with your reg or VIN on 08457 745745, option 4.

 

Ask them to email you the mileage so you have it as proof if required.

 

A two minute phone call and all is done.

 

The cambelt change should cost a maximumof £349 (plus another £100 if you want the waterpump doing too)...

 

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

 

What's the average life of a car? 10 years, 15 years? Three or four replacement rubber belts over a cars life doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Ah, the good old cambelt debate.

Moneyspinner or not Skoda UK state a 4 year blanket rule.

Due to the conflicting advice the best thing to do is ring Skoda with your reg or VIN on 08457 745745, option 4.

Ask them to email you the mileage so you have it as proof if required.

A two minute phone call and all is done.

The cambelt change should cost a maximumof £349 (plus another £100 if you want the waterpump doing too)...

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

What's the average life of a car? 10 years, 15 years? Three or four replacement rubber belts over a cars life doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Not a two minute call when they didn't know themselves and had to call me back.

It also does not answer why only uk models have had the change.

It's the same across the VAG range. We have an Ibiza and the book says 60k miles, no time mentioned. At its 4 year service at just 16k miles, the wife was given a scaremonger story about destroyed engines, massive bills etc if she didn't spend nearly £700 on having the belt changed.

Personally I am going by what is printed in the book that came with the car.

Their website says

The maximum recommended interval for a cambelt change is stated in your vehicle handbook (varies depending on model, year and engine type.) We recommend your cambelt is changed every four years or recommended mileage, whichever occurs soonest.

The cambelt is one of the hardest-working parts in your engine. Any component working this hard will eventually show signs of fatigue; a worn or damaged belt could become slack or snap, often causing severe and expensive internal engine damage.

Our cambelt change includes stripping the relevant parts of the engine, replacing the cambelt and tensioners, the reassembling of the engine and finally road testing your car. SEAT trained technicians will carry out the work using specialist equipment and approved parts covered by a two-year warranty.

So the wording is, do what the book says but we would prefer you to change it every 4 years.

Edited 24 September, 201312 yr by Metblackrat

I would think they state 4 years because the material the belt is made from will degrade over time, regardless of use. Just as the rubber your tyres are made from will do the same whether you drive the car or not.

I do however think that if you should change it every 4 years then to only give 2 years warranty for the belt is a joke. They should warranty it for the duration of it's intended life.

I would think they state 4 years because the material the belt is made from will degrade over time, regardless of use. Just as the rubber your tyres are made from will do the same whether you drive the car or not.

I do however think that if you should change it every 4 years then to only give 2 years warranty for the belt is a joke. They should warranty it for the duration of it's intended life.

But then the argument starts that SUK along with vw audi llfitted conti "long life" belts. Hence the 120 odd k

I would think they state 4 years because the material the belt is made from will degrade over time, regardless of use. Just as the rubber your tyres are made from will do the same whether you drive the car or not.

I do however think that if you should change it every 4 years then to only give 2 years warranty for the belt is a joke. They should warranty it for the duration of it's intended life.

it's a continental lifetime belt. Continental even state on their website it's a 'lifetime' belt. This to me means more than 4 years.

My question yet again is why do these only fail after 4 years in the UK and nowhere else in the world with much harsher climates. You can't compare them to tyres at all.

is there actually any evidence of a contitech belt failing on a cr?

doubt it somehow through degradation.

They might state it's a lifetime belt but.... they only give maximum 5 years warranty on this lifetime belt

See extract below from conti website.

.CRP Industries Inc. warrants that the ContiTech Timing Belts and Timing Belt Kits sold by it are free from defects in material and/or workmanship when subject to normal and proper use for the life of the goods as specified in the current version of the CRP Import Belts & Belt Kits Catalog or the CRP Belts & Belt Kits Catalog or for a maximum of 5 (five) years after the date of shipment, whichever occurs first.

So with this information I think SUK are justified to limit the life to 4 years.

Off topic slightly but I've just replaced the seal on my washing machine drum and with the top off I could see the drive belt. A contitech rubber belt. 11 years old and still looking like new

I'll go by the handbook. VAG have had years to include this in the service schedule or include a supplement but they haven't. Possibly because it's only vag UK that thinks it's an issue

I'm pretty confident that if it were to fail I would win in small claims court if it went that far. Particularly as I paid the deposit on my credit card so section 75 would also apply.

It's a money spinner pure and simple

My mates tsi golf is in the vw dealer with a broken engine at 65k and 4 years caused by faulty (design fault) chain tensioner. Again something which isn't looked at during a service. Vw refused to have anything to do with it as it is out of warranty, second hand and last service wasn't a vw one.

A simple threaten of court and they're replacing the engine at no cost to him (approx £6k bill).

I suspect the idler wheels/tensioner or even the water pump will fail before 120,000miles,the belt may last but im not prepared to take the chance for the sake of £400,i remember when ford bought out the 10 year or 100,000miles cambelt replacement interval,it was soon changed to 8 years 80,000miles max to those in the know as the tensioner started to break up around 75/80,000 miles & caused lots of expensive damage to the engine.It will take most people around 9 years to cover 120,000miles which is far to long to leave a timing belt & tensioners imo,I hope your belt doesnt fail but if it did i suspect you will get very little comeback when your car is 8+ years old with 90,000 + miles on it.Anyway mine was changed at 4 years old & i will change it again in 4 years time(will change it myself so will only cost £150 or so). 

They might state it's a lifetime belt but.... they only give maximum 5 years warranty on this lifetime belt

 

So Continental are confusing their customers in a similar way to Skoda?

 

Advertising their product as lasting a "lifetime" yet in the same breath saying that the lifetime is a maximum of 5 years.

 

It seems to me then that Skoda's 4 year change interval is justified.

Not a two minute call when they didn't know themselves and had to call me back.

It also does not answer why only uk models have had the change.

 

During another heated cambelt debate I rang Skoda twice to check for my cambelt intervals on both of our Octavia's.

 

Both times I was given an answer after I gave them my VIN. All she did was check on the computer.

 

Sounds like you were unlucky, or I was lucky twice.

Off topic slightly but I've just replaced the seal on my washing machine drum and with the top off I could see the drive belt. A contitech rubber belt. 11 years old and still looking like new

I'll go by the handbook. VAG have had years to include this in the service schedule or include a supplement but they haven't. Possibly because it's only vag UK that thinks it's an issue

I'm pretty confident that if it were to fail I would win in small claims court if it went that far. Particularly as I paid the deposit on my credit card so section 75 would also apply.

It's a money spinner pure and simple

 

 

 

I think we get the picture now that you're intent on not changing your belt after four years

 

Good luck  

Their website says

The maximum recommended interval for a cambelt change is stated in your vehicle handbook (varies depending on model, year and engine type.) We recommend your cambelt is changed every four years or recommended mileage, whichever occurs soonest.

 

So the wording is, do what the book says but we would prefer you to change it every 4 years.

 

I read it differently.

 

Change the cambelt at either the mileage stated in the handbook or at the four year old interval, whichever is reached first.

 

No where did I pick up on them saying that they would prefer you to change it at four years.

During another heated cambelt debate I rang Skoda twice to check for my cambelt intervals on both of our Octavia's.

Both times I was given an answer after I gave them my VIN. All she did was check on the computer.

Sounds like you were unlucky, or I was lucky twice.

Sounds like you got through to somebody who actually knows wtf is going on.

This is the reply I received.

 

Thank you for your email dated 24 June 2013, regarding the cam belt change for your ŠKODA Octavia, registration WK10***

 

I can confirm that for ŠKODA Octavia, registration WK10*** the timing belt interval is 100,000 miles or 4 years whichever comes first.

 

Maxine Jennings, Customer Relations Manager ŠKODA UK | Selectapost 34 | Sheffield | S97 3FA

Tel: +44 (0)845 7745745 | Fax: +44 (0)844 8267855 [email protected] | www.skoda.co.uk | www.skoda-auto.com

Is that for the 1.9 TDi 4x4?

yes it is.

100k in 4 years!!! my car will have around 15k after 4years, would you change the belt still? they always like to use the "which ever comes 1st" gag, I worry too much so will most likely get it done for piece of mind but I can't help thinking it's a waste of money :(

Mark.

Less than 4k a year? Wow.

it's going in for it's 1st free service next week with 3.7k on clock! I did buy it with high mileage though (1500miles @ 10 weeks old!).

My Yeti has done 100,000 now and is two years old, the cambelt is due a change at 140,000 miles according to Skoda, so I won't see it done.

it's going in for it's 1st free service next week with 3.7k on clock! I did buy it with high mileage though (1500miles @ 10 weeks old!).

 

Blimey. I think I'd have something with a V8 fitted if I did that mileage!

I do save a few quid on fuel, to be honest I was going to get a TSI until I was told there were non left new (I was lied to), so got the Blackline at a good price, it's a bonus that it does 50mpg and cheaper to tax

it's going in for it's 1st free service next week with 3.7k on clock! I did buy it with high mileage though (1500miles @ 10 weeks old!).

High?  I do that minimum each week!