My son has his eye on a Mk3 Octavia, May 17 with the 1.0litre TSI engine and manual 6 speed gearbox.

 

A couple of questions please:  Does this engine and gearbox combination have a cambelt or a chain?

 

How often do Skoda recommend changing the cambelt or chain?

 

Many thanks for your advice.

This is a odd one ( nothing in VW's world seems to be black and white ).

 

I'm pretty sure the 1.0tsi in the Octavia is belt driven but when the engine was launched, VW said that belt should last a lifetime. 

 

This of course is in conflict with the maintenance program which says the belt should be chaged every 5yr or 75k / 80k / 100k miles ( whichever is sooner ).

 

note: 75k / 80k / 100k ? yet another ambiguity. Contact SEAT with your chassis number and they should be able to tell you for sure.

 

 

What Skoda UK recommends is not necessarily the same as what Skoda (factory) recommends.

 

VAG UK seems unique in Europe in recommending a (short) time interval for cambelts as opposed to an inspection based regime.

 

I have the Skoda Octavia Maintenance Manuals from 01; 03; 05; 10 / 2017 and isn't written anywhere something about 5 years/ 90k, 120k,.. km. I can't post the Maintenance Manual because it's bigger than 10 MB. 

@nbramwel - If you want to convince yourself, I can send the manual by e-mail, if you write me the address by PM.