Recently I had to change my timing belt. Manual says that for my 2.0 TDI CR it should be done after 180k km. I didn't want to do at the dealers garage (the price...) and I didn't want to do that at the first garage on the street. So I found a garage with good reputation and which could do that cheaper. Everything was fine. They changed the belt, tensioners, water pump, antfreeze etc. The only disappointment was the thing that tech guy said in the end - this timing belt is only for 60k km because it's not the first one, the car is used and this one won't work as well and so on...

Somehow I thought that it could be for another 180k km or at least something over 100k... (by the way, it's manufactured by Continental. If you need more information about that belt, I might try to get it from the garage).

So, my questions:

1) would dealer change the timing belt for next 180k km (and then next for another 180k) or in the 2nd time it would be less?

2) is there REALLY any issues that do not allow the 2nd timing belt to be as good as the first one? Like I said, tensioners have been changed.

3) could that Continental belt be that bad?

 

Somehow I get the feeling that this garage simply wishes to see me after 3 years to do this job again...

So either the garage is taking the mick or has fitted sub standard parts, ask them which it is.

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It was said to be some Continental (as I didn't do the job I can't t be sure what parts were used. You never know ). I'll try to find the receipt at home and try to get some information from the garage guy.

Contitech timing belt. Wasn't able to get more information but probably there aren't many choices for my car model.

 

Any comments?

http://aam-europe.contitech.de/pages/downloads/docs/Poster-Wechselintervalle-Meilen_en.pdf

I'm really surprised that your original change period was 180,000km as it's usually 90,000km or 105,000km. Your mech has read the change period wrong as it's 60,000MILES, not kilometres.

As it stands, you've got 100,000km / 4 years.

According to the manual it's fter 180k (dealer confirmed it as well). Maybe that's because it's CR. 90 or 105k is maybe for PD?

Unfortunately your link doesn't provide information for my engine (CFHC)... but I really hope that your idea about misunderstanding measuring units is right

 

Sent a message to Contitech support, hope to hear from them soon.

Answer from Contech:

 

As said OE decide/recommend the change interval for timingbelts.
We recommend our customers to follow that. Our products recommended for the application in concern will function according to what OE has recommended if all is correct in the drive and it's fitted correctly according to what OE has recommended on this vehicle.

 

Now everything seems to be a little bit clearer. Ok, I won't reach 180k km for the next change (might take ~9 years with my average mileage) but change after 4-5 years seems to be better thing than after 3 years...

Cars manufactured after September 2010 have a 5 year belt interval. So by the sounds of it you won't have to worry about the mileage as you will reach 5 years first.

 

Contitech are the original brand of belt I believe. I know my auxiliary drive belt was also a contitech.

 

Phil

Seems like that garage simply wants to see me after 3 years

OK, now it's more or less clear. THanks to everyone!

According to the manual it's fter 180k (dealer confirmed it as well). Maybe that's because it's CR. 90 or 105k is maybe for PD?

Unfortunately your link doesn't provide information for my engine (CFHC)... but I really hope that your idea about misunderstanding measuring units is right

 

Sent a message to Contitech support, hope to hear from them soon.

 

Where I am (Australia), it's 105,000km.  VW Au say it's because of our hot weather but I think it's more about profit.  They do a lot of things differently from the "International schedule".

 

Glad you got it sorted.

Latvian dealer said that their recommended changing interval is 150k km because of the poor quality of our roads and probably of the weather as well (up to +30 C in summertimes and it can be even -30 in wintertime).

Probably everything depends on your driving style as well but that's up to you.

The current recommended timing belt service interval for CR engines is 210.000 kilometers or 130.000 miles.

 

Your car is not going to need a new timing belt in the rest of ist life.

 

For PD's its 125.000 kilometers or 75.000 miles.

Edited 2 October, 201510 yr by Tranberg

Thanks for the information, but... I must admit that time kills everything and timing belt isn't an exception. I'm not ready NOT to change it for 15 years (in case I owned the car for so long)

But probably 4-5 years I'll live without thinking about possible belt change (and those expenses).

Also from Latvia here. Just did a timing belt change (due to a major belt failue and therefore engine rebuild), but yes, I was also told that I should change it next after 60k kms. It sounded more of a "good for their business" type of a recommendation, but nobody really knows when the belt will go. I would rather do the change every 60k kms rather than risk an engine rebuild which the dealer quoted 5200 EUR for.

Also from Latvia here. Just did a timing belt change (due to a major belt failue and therefore engine rebuild), but yes, I was also told that I should change it next after 60k kms. It sounded more of a "good for their business" type of a recommendation, but nobody really knows when the belt will go. I would rather do the change every 60k kms rather than risk an engine rebuild which the dealer quoted 5200 EUR for.

 

 

Yeah, that's bad. I understand that this belt SHOULD be good enough for 5 years but that 60k km thing worries me a bit. Anyway, I'll worry about that when I will have those 60k gone

May I ask you, who told you that 60k km is the changing interval? Was it dealer "Karlo Motors" or other independent garage?

Edited 10 October, 201510 yr by Jevpls

It was a fairly well known independent garage in Jelgava, but there was no decent answer as to why only 60k kms - they just said that usually that is when it is done. And yes, they did agree that the first factory belt can go for 150k kms.

You must have very convincing dealers in Latvia to buy that kind of

 

If the cam belt enclosure is damaged by a rock, the introduced debris can break the belt, but that can happen after 1 km or 210.000 km.

 

A pump and belt kit is nearly 200 € and then a couple of hours labor if the mechanic knows what he's doing.

 

I'm going to do it myself, with the help of a friend who's done some belt changes on his own cars and this kit, bought on Ebay for 50 € including shipping:

 

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Motor-Einstellwerkzeug-Audi-VW-1-6-2-0-TDi-PD-Pumpe-Duese-Zahnriemen-Werkzeug-/291498958677?ssPageName=ADME:X:DERP:DE:1123

Edited 10 October, 201510 yr by Tranberg

You must have very convincing dealers in Latvia to buy that kind of

Well, I forgot to ask about the interval before changing the belt - my bad. And somehow I wouldn't even think that instead of 180k I would get 60k...