Just a quick heads-up for anyone contemplating any big or expensive work on their Superb.

 

Today I was shopping around for a cambelt and waterpump replacement on my 5 year old / 100,000 mile CR140 Superb.

 

The local main dealer was sticking to Skoda UK's fixed price policy @ £485...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed/pages/default.aspx?gclid=COeL_NaOus0CFRFmGwod1OgBdg#

 

However I noticed on their website a price promise within 5 miles on production of a written quote. Found a small local garage and asked for a quote using genuine parts including VAT. They came back via email at £340.

 

Went back to the main dealer who agreed to match it.

 

Just saved myself £145.

Nice one.  Just shows it certainly pays to keep an eye on prices

Nice one..... My local VAG specialist does it for £295.... Probably just over 5 miles away from the dealer though..... Although he's an Ubergeek anyway so I'm happy to take it to him rather than the dealer.

That's changed because it's 5 years old?

That's changed because it's 5 years old?

Yes Skoda changed the cambelt time from four years to five years on cars built after September 2010.

Phew , I've got 110 on my 2014 model , thought I'd left it too long

The cambelt interval on my engine is 140,000 miles or 5 years, whichever is reached first.

 

I was going to leave it until next year but the other morning when I started the engine I heard the belt. It's hard to explain but I could hear the belt going round, not loud but more audible than before.

 

I took this as a sign.

A wise old sage once said to me, if you discuss/think about/hear funny noises from or otherwise have a cam belt enter your consciousness....change it, if not it will break shortly after. I thought this was just tosh till a mate asked me to look up the intervals for his Golf, he was overdue and said he would get it done the following month, you know the rest. Another mate bragged about how he would do his when he had a problem, 4 days later it snapped on the motorway destroyed the engine. Of course it is tosh....now mine is due next year........

I've read that the interval VAG gives will be different from country to country - it is dependent on the climate, dust levels, pollution levels etc. 

 

So, if you are in the temperate and usually not dusty environment of the UK/Ireland - 5 years and 140K will be a good figure for "normal" use.

 

That said - if you spend a lot of time driving your car abroad or on the beach or driving in clouds of dust or just drivin' it like you stole it - then you would be well advised to inspect it well before 5 years or 140K is up.

 

I think of these belts like a think of tyres - check them when they are getting older because wear depends on how and where they they were used, not just what the manufacturer or another driver says you should get.

Thanks for the tip Roy.

 

My cambelt is due in February so I may very well do the same when the time comes.

 

They originally did the cambelt and waterpump just before we bought the car so I trust their work.

 

Phil

Nice one.  Just shows it certainly pays to keep an eye on prices

 

Also shows main stealers arent tied to silly prices after all