Cambelt change after fuel leak?

[LordRaiden84]

Evening all

Had my car serviced by an indy over the weekend that resulted in a fuel filter leak. It's been repaired but I am concerned fuel may have gone onto the aux belt and the garage will neither confirm nor deny it may have been contaminated. What's more, I was assured they'd clean the engine bay thoroughly and do an inspection of the belt drive but this wasn't done. I know this as jet washing the car resulted in diesel remains on floor.

To be honest, the whole experience was a joke and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Was without my car for two and a half days as had to leave it at a mates the leak was that bad and couldn't take the car home. What's more, I feel strongly, the onus for the filter leak was being 'swayed' towards me as it was apparently "corroded and needed a new housing anyway". Pfffffffft.

I spoke to Skoda Warrington today to raise my concerns and they got back to me saying I should seriously consider getting the aux belt and the cambelt done. It was due in December anyway when the car reaches it's 5th birthday.

If you were in my shoes, would you get it done asap? Are they just after the business as I didn't go to them for my service? Deffo egg on my face scenario ringing them up to say I think diesel has leaked onto vital parts.

I've noticed Skoda's fixed pricing has changed and a cambelt change is now £485 when I believe it was previously £459. Skoda Warrington added that an aux belt is in the region of £90 with a 'goodwill no labour charge' included but only for the aux belt.

So, I'd be paying £575+ for the above. However, after the ridiculous experience I'm really wondering whether I should go with Skoda as you get the 2 year warranty and be safe in the knowledge if it failed, they'd sort it.

I am 100% certain, if I got the same indy to do it and it failed for what ever reason, I'd have a dispute on my hands as well as a wrecked motor.

Really sorry about the waffle suppose I'm just venting. By the way, all this happened over the bank holiday weekend. Hope yours wasn't as bad as mine.

[seriesdriver]

Its nice of them not charge extra for taking off the old belt and putting a new one on instead of the old one.

[wiilydog]

£90 sounds expensive for an aux belt as I'm pretty sure when I got my cambelt changed my Skoda dealer charged no more than £10-15 for aux belt and they said it very quick to replace.

[Phil-E]

£90 for an aux belt!?

 

The cost of a belt for you car is £11.99 from euro car parts (ContiTech who manufacture them for VAG). Then 30% off with code holiday30 brings it down to £8.39... so I'm struggling to see why they would want to charge £90 with no labour!

 

I think it would be worth having the aux belt and cambelt inspected for signs of fuel contamination. If there are signs it is then it needs replacing and the garage who undertook the work originally and caused the leak need to be coughing up something at least (not the total cost as it's due in December anyway).

[mikey vrs]

If this was my car i would get the belts changed now & not wait until december,the aux belt asap as thats the one that seems to fail once it has diesel on it then it wraps itself round the crank pulley & gets into the lower cambelt cover & wrecks the cambelt causing engine damage,usually what happens is the mechanic prises the fuel filter top cover off & distorts it so it doesnt seal up correctly hence the fuel leak.After the way the indy garage treated you i would bother going back there,£90 for a aux belt is madness,there is no extra labour when doing the cambelt anyway as they have to remove the aux belt to do the cambelt,id go back & see if they can do a better deal price wise if they want your money.

[LordRaiden84]

Thanks for the replies chaps. Your absolutely right and there's no way I'm ever going back to that particular indy as the trust has gone. What's more, I think they know it.

My mate even told me pictures were taken of the alledged 'corrosion' to the filter housing. Bet they would make an appearence if the cambelt/aux belt did fail if I pursued them for the leak/further damage.

Queried Skoda Warrington today about the £90 odd aux belt and the ahem 'free' labour even mentioning it's all in one area. Got a bit of a shirty reply stating 'I'm not a technician and I asked the parts department for a price as you requested. You are getting the full cambelt kit and fan belt done at a very reduced price and we should be charging you £720'.

What?!?

Edited 31 August, 2016 by LordRaiden84

[mikey vrs]

You need to speak to a different dealer....the person you spoke to clearly doesnt know what their on about,£90 to supply a aux belt as part of a cambelt job is mental (it could be £90 to supply & fit from a dealer just for this job only),i have just priced up a cambelt kit & water pump for my car (2008 petrol vrs) at my local Andrew pages & its £90+vat for all those parts(oe spec but not genuine skoda parts). Im fitting my own so no labour charge. £720 shows they clearly dont know what they are doing as im sure skoda dealers do fix price services,brakes,clutches & cambelts. 

[langers2k]

I've just booked my car in for a new cambelt and waterpump at a main dealer. Asked about the aux belt and they said it would be £20 for the part with no extra labour.

 

Is it just the aux belt or the tensioner too as £90 is far too much for just the belt... Not sure of your exact engine code but for my CR140 it looks to be this: http://www.skodaparts.com/product/octavia-a5-2-0-ltr-diesel-fan-belt-cega-50792

[silver1011]

Find a better dealer.

 

With 30 minutes effort I got the Skoda fixed price of £489 down to £340 for a cambelt and waterpump...

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/403324-cambelt-waterpump-%C2%A3340-at-a-main-dealer/

 

My local Skoda dealer offers a price match within 5 miles. I found a small local garage and asked for a quote using genuine parts. Forwarded the email to the Skoda dealer and car booked in.

 

£149 in my pocket for two phone calls and one email.

[Paulvrs200]

I had my cam belt and waterpump replaced last year at a Skoda dealer I asked the same question about the aux belt and they charge me £17 for the belt no extra labour

[aubrey]

No extra labour for the aux belt makes sense on a cambelt change because you have to take it off as part of getting to the cambelt. Hence there is no extra labour you are just putting a new one on when replacing what would be removed anyway.

 

In a way this is why the water pump replacemnt is so much cheaper when done as part of a cambelt change too. This time although there is not the need to remove the current water pump it is only held on by 3 bolts which are only accessible once all the cambelt is removed. So how much extra labour is undoing 3 bolts, pulling off the old water pump, put new pump in and replacing the 3 bolts again on top of all the work down as part of the cambelt access.

[James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale]

On the subject of the diesel leak - when the seal for the canister is not lubricated and tightened down correctly it catches and tears resulting in a leak.

Those canisters do corrode but you can still replace the filter inside without inducing a leak. This is achieved by doing the job correctly.

[LordRaiden84]

I'm unsure if any local skoda dealers (can only think of Chester) participate in a price match that you mention. I could always ask. Will probably not bother with Warrington as they are taking me up the garden path, obviously.

I could buy a cambelt/water pump kit direct or from ebay but then your asking the dealer to provide labour only and they'd probably up it to claw money back as you've supplied the parts. Maybe I'm wrong.

As I see it I have a few options:

1. Try Silver's approach and ring around local garages (entirely dependant if the dealer participates).

2. Go to Skoda and cough up the full price including parts and labour, just not Warrington ha ha.

3. Buy the parts myself and negotiate with Skoda to provide labour.

4. As point 3 but go to an indy (unlikely after bad experience - please understand this really did put me off.

I'm probably making this more complicated than it is but I just want something sorted as the leak has convinced me to get it done and I feel it needs doing quickly.

Oh, did I mention the original garage approached me during the service and told me I had an electrical fault on my lights and the DRLs and side lights were not corressponding with the dial?

Basically, they confused themselves about how the lights operate at all. Berks.

[mikey vrs]

I doubt if a skoda dealer will do the job if you provide your own non genuine parts to fit,a local independant garage might however the risk with this is if you provide the parts & they provide the labour & say after a few weeks there is a issue with the job (cambelt fails,tensioner fails) then it will become a drama proving if it was faulty parts or labour,if the garage supplies the parts & labour should something go wrong then its up the them to sort the problem at no cost to you,if its faulty parts then they claim of their supplier.

[dara85]

Don't see any reason to have it done in the dealer. Some independent garages (proper ones) will do the job, with warranty, but for much less. Few years ago my Fabia VRS had new cambelt, aux belt and water pump, oil&filer and gearbox oil changed, brake fluid changed and replaced seals on leaking power steering unit (+ fluid top up) all in for £540 with 2 years warranty. Shop around, £720 is pure archness to quote.

[LordRaiden84]

Bit of an update. Skoda Crewe want £485 all in and will do the aux belt as part of the cambelt change. I'm waiting on an indy to get back regards a quote but been a bit of a while so may ring back.

I totally get where some of you are coming from regards the risks if I were to supply the parts. Incidentally, I did some maths and worked out Skoda Warrington must have a labour charge of £112.50 per hour. Basically, if the job takes about 4 hours on average and they want £450 just for labour, then it's obvious their intention is to make up on the labour, where they haven't provided the parts.

Not that it matters as I won't be going there!