No, didn't mean me, I meant it sounded like the dealers only tell non mechanically minded people that they need a cambelt. As I said, 4 dealers and no mention of cambelts. Guessing it's a similar story around the country.

A different example of this is when I was waiting for the tyres to be checked on the fabia a woman come in 'with an orange light on dash' which was clearly the dpf light. She clearly hadn't looked in book and dealers first response was to book it in for diagnostics rather than even taking the 30 seconds to look at to say it's the dpf and take it for a blast then come back if it's still on.

 

My point exactly. It's far easier for them to take £80 off her for a diagnostic check rather than nipping out, taking a look at the dash and offering to take it up the motorway for her. 

 

I can sympathise a little with the dealers though. The DPF light might have been on due to her driving style or it may be a duff sensor etc. which would only be picked up with a scan.

 

This is why I'd say it would be more likely for a dealer to promote the four year cambelt interval rather than ignore it. After all its another potential £350 for them. The OP in this thread is a prime example. He's come on here for advice, I imagine most would roll over, take the dealers advice and pay it - rightly or wrongly.

 

But then we all know how bad dealers are at covering the basics, let alone something as potentially complicated as a cambelt service.

Edited 17 February, 201412 yr by silver1011

I have a 2011 vrs and been told I have a chain not a belt so it does not need changing.... Can anyone confirm this???

 

Petrol or diesel?

Petrol or diesel?

Petrol???? Any ideas....

Petrol???? Any ideas....

It will be a chain on a 2011. 

Great news... Why didn't they use chains on all ... What about the water pump how often does that need changing.....

Great news... Why didn't they use chains on all ... What about the water pump how often does that need changing.....

Might want to get your tensioner checked out then... :wonder:

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/266114-18tsi-and-20tsi-engine-failures/

 

You can add a 59reg Golf GTI to that list too...My Mate had his go last year.  Took VW 3 months to replace but in the end did it for no charge (second hand from a indy, out of warranty and 75k on the clock).  He was a day away from filing a small claim against VW before they agreed to ship a brand new crated engine to the dealer. 

 

It is an inherent fault which in my opinion needs a recall.

My 2010 Octavia VRS diesel has 44k on the clock and is due it's major service in 700 miles.

I rang the main dealer yesterday to book it in and they told me my car is four years old in June so will need a cam belt.

The price for the service is £249 and the cam belt alone is another £500!!!!!!

If i have them done together they'll do it for £700.

I have no problem paying out for this because if it needs doing it needs doing but is this price the average cost or will I be wasting my time shopping around?

Edited 18 February, 201412 yr by Scottyh

Guessing you're on variable service? If so there is no such thing as a major service. See the posts by silver1011. It's all fixed price.

what you've been quoted is a rip off. It's out of warranty anyway so now is the time to find a good vag specialist indy and stop getting ripped off by main dealer. Mine is 4years old in April and won't be seeing a main dealer again unless my indy can't do the dsg oil change at 80k but I am sure that they can.

Well, spoke to dealer this morning, £349 cambelt and £100 water pump.

Spoke to VAG Technik in Manchester, very impressed, very knowledgable. They said a lot of people same concussion on. 4 or 5 years. They work to 5 years or 75,000 miles. Anyway, booked in next month, £310 all in for timing belt, pulleys etc and water pump... Happy with that and they come highly recommended too!

Fixed pricing for timing belts

 

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

 

They're trying to nail you with £500

 

IMHO I'd go to an indy, I got water pump and belt done for £320.

Edited 18 February, 201412 yr by Aspman

That's what I've gone for mate. I cannot believe skoda price is belt only!

Well, spoke to dealer this morning, £349 cambelt and £100 water pump.

Spoke to VAG Technik in Manchester, very impressed, very knowledgable. They said a lot of people same concussion on. 4 or 5 years. They work to 5 years or 75,000 miles. Anyway, booked in next month, £310 all in for timing belt, pulleys etc and water pump... Happy with that and they come highly recommended too!

 

Water Pump £100!! robbing b*stards, the pump is approx £40 - 45 exchange item, and with the belt off is a 2 min job, how can they justify additional £100 for that? saying that its an extra £60 labour for a 2 min job?

 

 

Shocking!

Thank you very much.

I'll be making a few phone calls.

Just an update.

I rang an "indy" as you put it which is I presume a reputable garage and they wanted £400 for the cam belt + water pump

so I rang another main dealer 30 miles away from me and they'll do my cam belt + water pump for £449 so I've booked it in purely because I'd rather a main dealer did it because I like to have a full dealer history stamp in my service book as we all would if we were buying a second hand car as well as my own peace of mind.

Spoke to my local main dealer about the difference in price and they said they couldn't do it for that as they'd be loosing money but offered me my big service for £249 (which I realise now is the going rate for main dealer) and they'd do my brake fluid for free which should be another £49 on top so I'm happy.

Again, thank you for helping me save the best part of £250! :-)

Scottyh.

Thanks guys!

Just to clarify, I bought the car Private, last month on 39k! It's my fault for not checking! Just never owned a car that needed timing belt done at 41k which is where the car is at now, all be it also 4 years old!

All my vauxhalls have been at 80k for timing belt.. It's just annoying as I buy a decent car l and. Warranty to get round unpredictable bills and now I need to find £399. But it won't Kai be that as common sense says water pump at same time!

Some angry people on here though? But genuinely, thanks for the help.

Mike

 

Vauxhall tried that at the start with the 'B' Mike but they soon changed it back to 40,000 because of premature failures. Got a feeling it was still 4 years though even when it was at 80,000. The GSi I had didn't get it's first kit change till 80,000 but it was after 4 years.

Think it was like that on my B GSIs as well. But defo on the C, 1.9 cdti it was 80,000 miles had the same on both ace I had

looking through the cars history I just bought last night a 07 plater

 

first 3 services all done as they were meant to

 

07 - car is born

08 - oil and filter

09 - oil and filter

10 - oil and filter plugs (should have been cambelt) wasnt

11 - oil and filter 

12 - oil and filter

13 - full service cambelt, water pump etc

13 - oil and filter

 

I cant work out why the owner would leave it 6 years to get the cambelt changed! unless he never knew. but they obviously can last 6 years, i wouldnt risk it though

Edited 19 February, 201412 yr by moanthebairns

Well, spoke to dealer this morning, £349 cambelt and £100 water pump.

Spoke to VAG Technik in Manchester, very impressed, very knowledgable. They said a lot of people same concussion on. 4 or 5 years. They work to 5 years or 75,000 miles. Anyway, booked in next month, £310 all in for timing belt, pulleys etc and water pump... Happy with that and they come highly recommended too!

MCD let me know how you get on with VAG Technik. Local to me too

I got an ex fleet 1.6tdi CR ELegance Estate in March.  Nov 2010 registreation 60 plate.  92,000 on the clock. 

 

Full Skoda Service History. 

 

Last service was in Nov 2013 (so bob on 3 years) at 91,000 miles.   No cam belt done.

 

Dealer Sticker in doorspace for next service due is saying Nov 2014 or 101,000 miles.

 

Timing belt is said in manual to be due at 150,000km - which is just about 94,000 miles - so should the main dealer have replaced during last service - as mileage likely to be passed before next interval reached.

 

If so, can I make the case they have diucked out of doing it in warranty period ?

Edited 15 April, 201412 yr by Folkdeejay

I cant work out why the owner would leave it 6 years to get the cambelt changed! unless he never knew. but they obviously can last 6 years, i wouldnt risk it though

They can last a surprising amount of time if you're feeling lucky. My OH has an '05 Galaxy with the VW 1.9 PD130 engine. I happened to ask her the other day when the timing belt was last changed. 'Er, never ' was her reply. So at 9 years old by VWs reckoning its already missed two timing belt changes......judging by the state of the aux belt (covered in tiny cracks ) the timing belt will be well on the way to disintegrating too before long.

In some VAG motors (the 1.9 & 2.0 TDI for instance) the water pump and timing belt are close together under the same cover at the front of the motor.  A leak at the pump's spindle or at its seat in the block will drip and you may not notice it tucked away under its cover.  The water/antifreeze mix will then get onto the cam belt and damage its reinforcing fibres, seriously weakening it. 

 

Also, if you're stripping the front of the motor down, it makes sense to replace the water pump at the same time, rather than repaying for the same strip-downprocess twice on different occasions (once for the belt, once for the pump).

 

Here's an interesting Wikipedia article on belts:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timing_belt_(camshaft).

 

Change the water pump when you change the belt.  Water pumps will leak as they get older. 

There is a guide here ...

 

http://www.mytimingbelt.com/Results.aspx?ModelId=356

I got an ex fleet 1.6tdi CR ELegance Estate in March.  Nov 2010 registreation 60 plate.  92,000 on the clock. 

 

Full Skoda Service History. 

 

Last service was in Nov 2013 (so bob on 3 years) at 91,000 miles.   No cam belt done.

 

Dealer Sticker in doorspace for next service due is saying Nov 2014 or 101,000 miles.

 

Timing belt is said in manual to be due at 150,000km - which is just about 94,000 miles - so should the main dealer have replaced during last service - as mileage likely to be passed before next interval reached.

 

If so, can I make the case they have diucked out of doing it in warranty period ?

 

It wasn't quite due so it wasn't done.

 

It would however have been nice for them to let you know it was immenent, that way you could have had it done 3,000 miles early at the same time as the oil change and likely saved some cash.

Thats what I thought - but as I bought the car in March, so it was the last service under the lease - I assume they keep costs down. :-(

 

 

Also - the link to the timing belt info page  http://www.mytimingbelt.com/Results.aspx?ModelId=356     suggests a 1.6tdi Octavia has an interval of 48 months or 140,000 miles (not km) ...  so my plan is to get it done in Nov this year - when the mileage will be around  95,000 I guess, and it will be exactly 4 years old.

 

Anyone know of a 1.6 tdi CR popping a belt below 100,000 ??

Edited 18 April, 201412 yr by Folkdeejay