Cam Belt Change Interval Bulletin

[Darrenm72]

Been told by the Salesman who I bought my car off, that all 2010 cars have been changed from 4 to 5 years or 110,000 miles via internal mail from Skoda. Sceptical about the news I rang service department at Lightcliffs in Warrington and asked him if the rumour was true. He said I was well up to date and informed as he had just received the same news this weekend.

[philbes]

For what engines?  Petrol, diesel, capacity?

[john2horn]

Hope this is true, I bought my 2010 Octy in November and as it was only 3 years old the cambelt did not need replacing. Few weeks ago I got a call from the dealer saying it needs doing. So 6 months into ownership I need to lash out £360 or £460 with the water pump. Ouch.

[Paulvrs200]

Skoda have taken their time to follow vw but I'm glad they have now as I was planning to have mine done in September as my vrs cr is four years old now I can save my money until September 2015!! When it is five years old.

[Darrenm72]

For what engines? Petrol, diesel, capacity?

Sorry forgot to ask but will be asking after the bank holiday weekend, but the Skoda sales guy knew I'd bought a vRS. So why tell me if he didn't feel it relivent.

[philbes]

Sorry forgot to ask but will be asking after the bank holiday weekend, but the Skoda sales guy knew I'd bought a vRS. So why tell me if he didn't feel it relivent.

Is your vRS petrol or diesel?

[Paulvrs200]

Petrol fl vrs have a chain.

[Darrenm72]

Diesel

[Budgie]

Is this true for all diesels, my 2010 vRS would have been due this September even though it will have done less than 30K. Good news if it's true. 

[IdioSyncrasy]

Just had confirmation from Beadle's Maidstone that the cambelt change time for my 2ltr TD DSG has changed to 5 years or 100K.

[hatchy]

They will last if lucky. My old Vectra GSi (before I owned it) was taken to 80,000/4 years before it was changed and the vrs I have now hadn't been changed before I went to buy it 107,000/5years. I insisted it was done and the w/p too before I handed over any money though.

[john2horn]

I've just called Mitchell's in Cheshire Oaks and the have confirmed it is 5 years too!

[silver1011]

I wonder how many of us with cars built since 2010 that have already had their belts changed at four years will get a partial refund!?

[Armegatron]

I changed mine last week, with a service, MOT and water pump costing me £680. Can't help but be a little annoyed that I could have waited another year  

[franek]

Its so strange that cambelt change intervals are different between countries and are changing. I can understand that they can change interval for new cars, but for old cars to say that from now on its not 4 but 5y its strange.

 

Here in Croatia there is no time limitation (which is strange for me as belts are made from reinforced rubber I supose and rubber decays with time).

There is only km limitiation, I think 120t km if I remember correctly for 1.9tdi pd engine.

 

For example my car has 8y, but not so many km (only 80t), and every time when I go to the shop (Skodas dealer) they are refusing to change the belt and the water pump saying its not yet time. But Ok, they do visual belt inspection so I suppose it should be OK.

 

Price with Skoda dealer for belt+pump+work is cca230EUR.

[IdioSyncrasy]

 

Its so strange that cambelt change intervals are different between countries and are changing. I can understand that they can change interval for new cars, but for old cars to say that from now on its not 4 but 5y its strange.

 

Here in Croatia there is no time limitation (which is strange for me as belts are made from reinforced rubber I supose and rubber decays with time).

There is only km limitiation, I think 120t km if I remember correctly for 1.9tdi pd engine.

 

For example my car has 8y, but not so many km (only 80t), and every time when I go to the shop (Skodas dealer) they are refusing to change the belt and the water pump saying its not yet time. But Ok, they do visual belt inspection so I suppose it should be OK.

 

Price with Skoda dealer for belt+pump+work is cca230EUR.

 

I queried this with Skoda UK some time ago, they stated that it is due to different weather conditions,IE: Spain is normally hot & the UK has plenty of cold & rock salt to contend with. 

Edited 23 April, 2014 by IdioSyncrasy

[bucksoctavia]

I've been playing CamBelt roulette ( 6 years @ 55000 miles).

Are the Octavia VRS 2008 PD engines the 'interference' type, bits will clash if it goes?

I wonder what the longevity record is!

 

Guess I should book it in, any good offers on at the moment? (maybe I should drive to Croatia & get it done for 230 Eur)

[phillip]

Mine's a '09 2.0 vRS TDi CR and has done 55,800 miles, so I finally bit the bullet and had the belt and water pump changed by a mate on Saturday. It cost me £120 for the bits and the same in labour.

On examining the old parts, the belt looked fine, but the water pump had just started to weep very slightly, although there had been no visible loss of coolant in the reservoir.

[santoz]

I just bought a 2010 vRS CR TDI with 70k and the dealer changed the belts, tensioners and water pump before I got to pick her up 

[ChrisRs]

I was told in February that VW had changed the Cam Belt service interval from 4 to 5 years (Employee at a VW dealer)

I spoke to my dealer and was told that this was NOT the case for Skoda and mine was 4 years old and should be replaced..irrespective of its low milage

I then spoke to Skoda and was told that they knew nothing of any change from VW.......LOL

I told my dealer I would wait 12 months due to VW changing theirs to 5 years...on the identical engine.

They advised me against this decision...I laughed and walked away!!

So at just 30000 miles it didnt get done in February 2014....insteadit will be changed  in February 2015

So surprise surprise Skoda!!

[mx49]

Sorry, is this for 2010 models only? Seems a bit strange to change it for one year or do they mean 2010 models onwards? I've got a 2006 model and just had the cambelt and water pump done along with a minor service.....£633 kerching :-))  As someone else posted it's a bit of a game of Russian roulette as to when you change it but if you do it to their original intervals (40k and/or 4 years?) then they have less of an argument if the engine goes pop due to failure or the belt slipping. Thats gotta be worth way more than the £349 it costs for them to replace it?

[skodacarman]

PD cam belts have to work the mechanical unit injectors (Pumpe Duse) in each cylinder as well as the valves, so they work harder than the belts in the later CR (Common Rail) diesels; hence they need to be changed more often.

 

PD motors are also 'interference' designs, so they will trash any valves that happen to be in the open position when the belt lets go.

[YetiSteve19]

On 29/04/2014 at 09:12, bucksoctavia said:

I've been playing CamBelt roulette ( 6 years @ 55000 miles).

Are the Octavia VRS 2008 PD engines the 'interference' type, bits will clash if it goes?

I wonder what the longevity record is!

 

Guess I should book it in, any good offers on at the moment? (maybe I should drive to Croatia & get it done for 230 Eur)

That emoji is called "cheeky" (was not obvious to me)

[mr_awol]

6 years/55k is amateur cambelt roulette.

 

I kept putting mine off and finally got it done February 2021 - on a car registered September 2009 and with 120,000 miles on the clock.  The guy who replaced it for me was shocked id pushed it that far and i asked what condition the old (original from new) one was in.  He said it was 'pretty worn'.