cambelt change MK 111 VRS

[wurly]

Can anyone please tell me an exact and 100% when the cambelt  and waterpump should be changed on a diesel MK 111 VRS, as dealers all have different ideas, some say o yes 4 yrs then say hold on they have extended it to 5yrs,how can that be,its the same engine,but in a flash they can extend it by a year,which rings bells and tells me they tell you what they want,my local independant garage tells me take no notice its a money makeing exercise my car has done 26000 and had all the services,so has anyone got a 100% positive answer to this and not what dealers tell you Thank you

[Ootohere]

There is no definitive answer, there are cars that people own and know how driven from new and the 'recommended schedule' can extend as no 'Warranty Claims' 

are appearing after 4 years etc.

When vehicles / engines are introduced nobody know how they are after 4 years until after 4 years.

While Audi, Skoda, SEAT might say @ 4 years, VW might say at 5 years, or any of the other brands might say different from the sister brands.

Same Engines, same components, maybe engines introduced in one model / brand before another.

 

There are different 'Schedules' for different countries, and to suit 'fleet users', where all that matters to manufacturers is they can tell Fleet Users there are longer service intervals.

If you buy a Used Car, privately owned or a Ex Rental / Lease car out of Manufacturers Warranty or Extended Warranty you might want to do the Cam Belt  / Water Pump sooner rather than later.

 

If you drive like Driving Miss Daisy and trust your vehicle maybe you feel you can extend service intervals by miles or time.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, wurly said:

Can anyone please tell me an exact and 100% when the cambelt  and waterpump should be changed on a diesel MK 111 VRS

 

As per above - after 4-5yr, no two belts will be in the same condition. The recommended interval was changed throughout the VW group - I was under the impression it was because the specification/quality of components changed.

 

It was recommended cars built before 2007 (or was it 2008 ?) had the timing belt changed every 4yr, after that it was 5yr. So whether you decide to have it changed or not, you were incorrectly advised it's 4yr on a mk3.

 

In theory the waterpump should last much longer than the timing belt - the reason they suggest changing this at the same time is because replacing it involves dismantling the belt mechanism, therefore if you're already changing the belt, it's more cost effective to change the water pump at the same time. Again it's only a recommendation, it's your call.

 

I'm one of those who adheres to long-life servicing - I can't see the need for an annual oil change given the type of driving I do. I don't even subscribe to the 2yr brake fluid change which I believe is totally unnecessay for me. But I'll change the timing belt at the recommended intervals because you don't get any pre-warning when that's about to fail - it's simply a loud bang and at the very best a hefty bill to repair the engine or more likey a replacement engine. Replacing the engine on a 5yr old Skoda? You wouldn't be far from writing the car off. 

Edited 24 August, 2018 by Guest

[Saints92]

Just now, Scot5 said:

 

As per above - after 4-5yr, no two belts will be in the same condition. The recommended interval was changed throughout the VW group - I was under the impression it was because the specification/quality of components changed.

 

It was recommended cars built before 2007 (or was it 2008 ?) had the timing belt changed every 4yr, after that it was 5yr. So whether you decide to have it changed or not, you were incorrectly advised it's 4yr on a mk3.

 

In theory the waterpump should last much longer than the timing belt - the reason they suggest changing this at the same time is because replacing it involves dismantling the belt mechanism, therefore if you're already changing the belt it's more cost effective to change the water pump at the same time. Again it's only a recommendation, it's your call.

 

 

I'm not sure that's right. Ive seen far more timing belts fail due to water pump failures than belt failures.

 

Oil changes in modern cars should be done yearly or every 10k miles at worst. Most have turbos which need clean oil, and petrol VRS' have timing chains which need clean oil too. 

 

I'd be recommending folk still do belts and water pumps every 5 years/80k miles. Anything else is taking a risk which would be more expensive than the job. 

[Ootohere]

^^^ Great stuff. 

If you own and pay for your car and servicing people can do what they want, and oil changes every 10,000 miles might be what suits.

Engines and components should not be made of chocolate though. and engine oil no better than it was decades ago.

(Now VW Group are filling with VW 508 / 509 to get the WLTP results required.  Now that will be Sh!te.)

 

 

If people lease cars drive around 20,000 or more a year and there is a Service Plan or an Owner like Motability then the Oil Filter Changes might well be only done at 18,000 - 20,000 miles and then someone might be buying that car 3 years on.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes 

 

PS.

Plenty Mk3 Octavia TDI Water Pump Failures. Premature Failures.

Those are because of Fundamental Design, Manufacturing, Materials or procurement issues, 

as after Decades the VW Group never got the hang of keeping H2o in Engines and out of Passenger Compartments. 

of Chains, Tensioners, Seals including gaskets or door, hatch sunroofs rubbers.

(They even blame Euro 6 1.4 TDI Water Pump Failures on 'the wrong coolant'.  The Wrong Coolant, really after decades of filling with Coolants.)

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/426322-recall-on-diesel-cooling-issue 

No Recall actually, just a TPI and Service Campaign and maybe a call saying , 'there is a RECALL!', or maybe no call.

 

They bother more about useless plastic tat and 'sporty' trim levels and advertising than actually quality components to engines and drivetrains.

Edited 24 August, 2018 by Offski

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Saints92 said:

 

I'm not sure that's right. Ive seen far more timing belts fail due to water pump failures than belt failures.

 

Oil changes in modern cars should be done yearly or every 10k miles at worst. Most have turbos which need clean oil, and petrol VRS' have timing chains which need clean oil too. 

 

I'd be recommending folk still do belts and water pumps every 5 years/80k miles. Anything else is taking a risk which would be more expensive than the job. 

 

Why is it that no matter what anyone writes, there's always someone who'll come along tell you you're wrong?

 

Are you suggesting it's the waterpump that's first to fail therefore it's good practice to replace the water pump (every 5yr) and it's a case of might as well replace timing belt at the same time? I've never heard that one before.

 

As for oil changes - there's many a debate elsewhere so lets not go there but in summary - if you believe it's every year or 10k at worst, why not take that up with VAG, BMW, Mercedes, Renault and every other manufacturer who subscribe to longlife servicing. Might as well cc all the oil companies as well telling them they've wasted time, money and effort producing long-life oil. I've owned many a car from those that had an oil change every 5000 miles on my first car, to those that I've only had to those I've changed the oil twice in five years (as recommended by the car's sensors). Never had a problem yet so why change my oil every year on your recommendation and ignore what the car is telling me?

 

3 hours ago, Offski said:

They bother more about useless plastic tat and 'sporty' trim levels and advertising than actually quality components to engines and drivetrains.

 

1st question is why have you bought / drive a VW group product?

 

2nd question is if a manufacturer doesn't care about components and drivetrains, how come the public continue to buying their products?

 

I'm on my 5th and 6th VWgroup product. As with any car they've all have their positives and negatives, but if it was the components and drivetrains that were questionable or had let me down...  why do we buy their products?

 

Same with oil changes - if long-life had caused me a problem, why am I still on long-life regimes?

 

Next someone will be telling me my engine is about to explode because like the majority of the British public, use Sainsburys forecourt rather than Shell's.   

 

 

[Saints92]

19 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

 

Why is it that no matter what anyone writes, there's always someone who'll come along tell you you're wrong?

 

Are you suggesting it's the waterpump that's first to fail therefore it's good practice to replace the water pump (every 5yr) and it's a case of might as well replace timing belt at the same time? I've never heard that one before.

 

As for oil changes - there's many a debate elsewhere so lets not go there but in summary - if you believe it's every year or 10k at worst, why not take that up with VAG, BMW, Mercedes, Renault and every other manufacturer who subscribe to longlife servicing. Might as well cc all the oil companies as well telling them they've wasted time, money and effort producing long-life oil. I've owned many a car from those that had an oil change every 5000 miles on my first car, to those that I've only had to those I've changed the oil twice in five years (as recommended by the car's sensors). Never had a problem yet so why change my oil every year on your recommendation and ignore what the car is telling me?

 

 

I've worked at a VAG specialist for over a decade. In those cars, the most common failure of a timing belt, by far, is the water pump or tensioner failing and bringing the belt off, I've literally never seen it happen when a belt breaks.

 

I regularly moan about this 20k service interval with 5-20 oil that's appeared, its farcical but works because you're topping up the oil every three months anyway. 

 

Things I've said are just a recommendation, if you want to service your car three times a decade fire ahead, but it would be reckless to start telling everyone to do the same, as not everyone has the same car. It's generally worth being safe, as servicing a car isn't going to harm it. 

[SWBoy]

47 minutes ago, Saints92 said:

It's generally worth being safe, as servicing a car isn't going to harm it. 

Provided the service is done competently and everything required is replaced and done up to the correct torque and leaks are checked for.

 

I know that should be stating the obvious but I've only had a problem with a timing belt related issue once - and that was on a Vauxhall one week after a main dealer replaced the timing belt - but didn't replace the tensioner pulley, the bearing of which failed due to the extra load of a new belt (a known issue I found out afterwards...) causing 12 of the 16 valves to hit the pistons and requiring a total top end rebuild which fortunately was paid for by the manufacturers extended warranty. So in that case the service caused the problem...

[Saints92]

4 minutes ago, SWBoy said:

Provided the service is done competently and everything required is replaced and done up to the correct torque and leaks are checked for.

 

I know that should be stating the obvious but I've only had a problem with a timing belt related issue once - and that was on a Vauxhall one week after a main dealer replaced the timing belt - but didn't replace the tensioner pulley, the bearing of which failed due to the extra load of a new belt (a known issue I found out afterwards...) causing 12 of the 16 valves to hit the pistons and requiring a total top end rebuild which fortunately was paid for by the manufacturers extended warranty. So in that case the service caused the problem...

 

Aye but it sounds like it was done a Peter Vardy, so my terms don't apply to them :lol: same with Arnold Clark "services" 

[Ootohere]

Scot5,  research and not buying the lemons. 

Makes all the difference.  Lease the dodgy ones, buy the ones that are fun, keepers, cheap because of internet stupidity and those that do not do their research.

 

Head for thinking, feet for dancing and gathering years of experience worklng with cars.

 

PS, 

I use Super Unleaded all the time from other than Royal Dutch Shell, but then i had a Mini Metro engine gubbed when Formula Shell was introduced.

Not a fan of Secret Detergents / Sodium, but love the Octane Boosters.

 

I do not use Long Life Oil with 97, 99 or 102 Ron Super Unleaded, 

i use any old diesel in VW Group diesels.  Leased cars and the VW 507 00 can be like clotted cream before a Oil & Filter Change even after 3 litres used in 18,000 miles.

Edited 24 August, 2018 by Offski

[Black_Sheep]

In response to the OP, as I do not believe that anyone has actually answered yet:

 

The timing belt service interval for the EA288 2.0 Ltr Diesel Engine in UK is 5 years or 140,000 miles - which ever comes first.  If you want to resell the car with FSH or Skoda FSH in UK then that is when it is required to be completed.  After a catastrophic failure of the water pump in my own vehicle at 50,000 miles / 3 years, it is the weak link on this particular motor.

[Stewart7]

I notice there is an easily removed cambelt cover on the octavia cylinder head, from all that's just been said, is it worth checking the belt through this cover or just get it changed at 4 years. If you do use this cover to check, would you rely on just the portion you can see, or turn the engine over to check the whole belt.  If the latter, how would you turn the engine slowly enough to see all of the belt?

Also, does it apply that if you drive hard, accelerate hard, the belt will wear sooner because it is being stretched more?

Thanks

Stewart

[Ootohere]

Black_Sheep,   Skoda, VW, Audi & SEAT sell 'Approved Used Cars', with Full Main Dealer Service History with some that have not had the DSG / S-stronic oil & filter if there is one changed at 40,000 miles / 38,000 miles with Audi, or the Haldex Serviced at 3 years / 30,000 miles or even @ 4 years.

So a FMDSH does not mean that Main Dealers have followed Manufacturers Guidelines or Spec / Recommendations, just there is a History of what they have done, 

which is handy as it shows what they never did.

Pity they sometimes forget to tell Owners / Keepers what is due when. 

[wurly]

10 hours ago, Black_Sheep said:

In response to the OP, as I do not believe that anyone has actually answered yet:

 

The timing belt service interval for the EA288 2.0 Ltr Diesel Engine in UK is 5 years or 140,000 miles - which ever comes first.  If you want to resell the car with FSH or Skoda FSH in UK then that is when it is required to be completed.  After a catastrophic failure of the water pump in my own vehicle at 50,000 miles / 3 years, it is the weak link on this particular motor.

Thank you very much i wondered where my question went till you replied Thank you

[wurly]

21 hours ago, Scot5 said:

 

As per above - after 4-5yr, no two belts will be in the same condition. The recommended interval was changed throughout the VW group - I was under the impression it was because the specification/quality of components changed.

 

It was recommended cars built before 2007 (or was it 2008 ?) had the timing belt changed every 4yr, after that it was 5yr. So whether you decide to have it changed or not, you were incorrectly advised it's 4yr on a mk3.

 

In theory the waterpump should last much longer than the timing belt - the reason they suggest changing this at the same time is because replacing it involves dismantling the belt mechanism, therefore if you're already changing the belt, it's more cost effective to change the water pump at the same time. Again it's only a recommendation, it's your call.

 

I'm one of those who adheres to long-life servicing - I can't see the need for an annual oil change given the type of driving I do. I don't even subscribe to the 2yr brake fluid change which I believe is totally unnecessay for me. But I'll change the timing belt at the recommended intervals because you don't get any pre-warning when that's about to fail - it's simply a loud bang and at the very best a hefty bill to repair the engine or more likey a replacement engine. Replacing the engine on a 5yr old Skoda? You wouldn't be far from writing the car off. 

Thank you for your reply

[Black_Sheep]

15 hours ago, Stewart7 said:

I notice there is an easily removed cambelt cover on the octavia cylinder head, from all that's just been said, is it worth checking the belt through this cover or just get it changed at 4 years. If you do use this cover to check, would you rely on just the portion you can see, or turn the engine over to check the whole belt.  If the latter, how would you turn the engine slowly enough to see all of the belt?

Also, does it apply that if you drive hard, accelerate hard, the belt will wear sooner because it is being stretched more?

Thanks

Stewart

 

You don’t really need to crank the engine. Use a telescopic mirror and a torch if you are ‘old school’, or small video recording device/remote viewing device.