I've just booked our SE 1.6 CR TDi Roomster in for its three year service and MoT.  It’s done just over 12,000 miles.  I’m on the IW and this will be the first time I've used this Skoda dealer as they've only recently taken over the franchise.   They come across as more professional than the previous lot though.

 

Talking to the Service Dept about the cost of servicing the woman who I was talking to said that next years’ service will be an expensive one as the cam belt will need replacing, depending on whether it’s a belt or chain driven camshaft.  I didn’t think that this was correct for the belt but didn’t say anything.

 

Looking in the service schedule booklet it says ‘In addition every 210,000 km. Replace toothed belt (diesel engines).’  That’s 130,488 miles!

 

I contacted the garage and told them what the service booklet stated.  They said that they would get back to me.  They did, and said that my engine is belt driven and according to the Skoda Electronic Service Information Database, the belt will need changing at 140,000 miles or January 2022 (whichever comes first I assume)!  Incredible!  Are cam belts being made out of a new material now, how can they last this long?

 

Strangely, the service schedule also states ‘At 90,000 km, then every 30,000 km, inspect toothed belt (4-cylinder petrol engines, except 1.6 ltr./77kW engine)’  That’s 56,000 miles and 18,640 miles respectively.  I wonder why it’s less; rpm difference between petrol and diesel engines I suppose.

 

Denis

Edited 7 November, 201312 yr by skodaiw

Hello Denis, My understanding is that your 1.6CR (later, common-rail  injected) diesel engine makes less demand on its cambelt than does my earlier 1.9PD ("Pumpe Duse", or unit-injector) engine;

 

With mine the cambelt powers the four individual injectors up to a very high fuel pressure, whereas on yours there's a single pump that pressurises a reservoir of fuel inside a thick-walled metal tube, from which high-pressure fuel is pipe-fed to the four (smaller) individual injectors, which then electonically meter and release the multiple and precise and rapid pulses of fuel, as dictated by your right foot and the ECU. 

 

My service book states 120k miles for cambelt change, or about 74.5k miles, Skoda UK dealers seem to be trying to scare us owners into getting it changed at 40k miles or 4 years; Mine's done 60k miles and 6 years, I'll be getting it changed (and the waterpump and all the idler & tensioner pulleys) in about a year.

 

Not sure how your High Pressure fuel supply pump is powered, gear or belt or chain; someone here will know!

Richard.

Hi Richard.

 

Thanks for the reply, I'd not thought about the CR standing for Common Rail.

 

What you say makes sense.  If the cambelt is only turning the camshaft, that won't require much power, so less strain on the belt.

 

Denis

I was also advised that my cambelt on my 1.9 TDI required changing at 4 years, despite only having run 15,000 miles.

I believed them, so reluctantly sanctioned the work which included replacing the water pump. It appeared to stir up all sorts of vacuum pipe problems, and visited the garage 3 more times to sort it all out! Hopefully I will have changed the vehicle by the time the next cambelt is "due"!

 

Peter

Sorry to hear you have been having problems ,hopefully they put the faults right for no charge.

The only consolation besides peace of mind is the mechanics have to work fot their money as it’s a big job, unlike a service which is money for old rope.

Regarding the cam belt change frequency World War 3 nearly broke out in a previous thread. There are some of us who go by the Skoda Handbook ie by the length of mileage ,and not the UK thing every 4 years regardless of mileage. Whilst others say with very strong conviction every 4 years no matter how low the  mileage.

Trawling around the internet it seems to suggest the rest of the world does things differently, i.e. roughly 6 years or 60,000 miles for the 1.9 PD engine.

But I cant be sure, and it would be interesting to have input from overseas forum members on the subject, i.e. what happens in their country.

Mind you some Fords  for go for 10 years,before a cam belt change!

The 4 year cambelt change is a UK only revenue earning scam. PD engines in the rest of the world run to the equivalent of 80 or 100k miles, generally without incident and without an unreasonable time to change limit.

 

The CR engine shows this to be the case - consider:

 

Both the PD and the CR engines use fuel at about the same rate and at about the same pressure. Energy = force x distance x time. The stress on the belt is therefore much the same for the CR as it is for the PD as the work done pressurising the fuel is about the same. On the PD, more effort is required to turn the camshaft and on the CR, this work is transferred to the pump. The belt drives the fuel pressurising devices in each case and carries the loads involved in doing this.

 

I wish VAG would operate their business to something approaching my own standards of trading integrity.

 

rotodiesel.

I wish

 

I wish VAG would operate their business to something approaching my own standards of trading integrity.

 

I wish people would accept one of two options...

 

1) Ignore Skoda UK's blanket four year interval and accept that there will be no goodwill gesture in the event of a failure.

2) Change the belt as per Skoda UK's requirements and get on with enjoying the car.

Gosh I don't know about goodwill gesture in the event of failure?We have seen legitimate claims for other items under the 3 year warranty thrown out by Skoda,like the chap who,s turbo failed due to ingress of oil.He had to buy another car!

Just cant see it myself on a car out of warranty.Mind you if you know of any please lets us know.

Me! I had an Octavia vRS that was buggered by the local dealer (incorrectly fitted / adjusted injectors).

 

Outside of the three years warranty I got 4x injectors, wiring loom, turbo, oil cooler, set of glowplugs, re-painted rear spoiler and bootlid, oil and filter change and many, many hours of diagnostics. I reckon easily in excess of £5K, which far outways the £349 a cambelt cost.

 

My wife has an Octavia Scout, which had three of its alloy wheels replaced just outside the warranty period.

 

Granted, this was down to a mixture of loyalty (2x Skoda's) and full main dealer history plus being able to build up a good relationship with the customer services team.

 

May be I've been lucky or perhaps Skoda UK are now far less generous in the recent months.

The dealer confirmed that all 1.2 tsi petrol engines are chain. Saves a bit of money, I hope

Why ?-it makes them money. RE a post I made elsewhere about one main dealer. I went in with a small fuel leak fro the pump return flexi hose , to be told I'd need a complete filter to pump set at £160, plus two hours labour. I pulled out ,went round the corner and did what I should have done first -called out my breakdown.  -50p length of flexi hose and job done. Few weeks later I had a call from their customer service to ask about a service.I told them in light of their  past performance, no more work .

Edited 16 May, 201511 yr by VWD