As the title says, in March my 1.4TSI DSG will be 4 year old but so far has only done just over 15.000 miles. I think that at 4 years its a major service and the cambelt also needs to be replaced, probably more to do with age than mileage in my case. Skoda offer a fixed price deal of 1x Interim and 1 x Major service @ £405 or £22.50 PM, but this does not include the cambelt.

Any idea of costs? I can of course phone the dealer who will just want to book it in and will let me know the cost once they have 'inspected' it. A bit late to then!

 

Due to back problems my days of 'out and under' DIY are history much to my annoyance.....

The Cambelt does not need replaced at 4 years with only 15,000 miles.      If you want it done ask them the price.

 

Get from the dealer some information on where the Cam belt Service Interval to change is @ 4 years in the UK.

Or ask Skoda UK Customer Services.

 

Here is the Skoda 'Fixed Price' site.    Participating Dealers.   

http://skoda.co.uk/owners/servicing-maintenance-fixed-price 

Edited 13 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

Diesel cambelts are currently viewed as 5 years/100k miles. I imagine the 1.4 to be similar.

I agree with @Skoffski with such low mileage the 4 years is pretty much irrelevant. There is no way I would be paying for a cam belt change in your situation. 

 

If its 4 years old I’d also wonder whether it’s worth paying for the dealers servicing (unless you have an extended warranty)? It should have a major service given the time elapsed but I used to get my mk2 done for about £175 from a decent independent once it was out of warranty. 

Had a 20k service done in December... £184 at Skoda dealer.

 

^^^ That is plenty to be charged for a 20,000 mile service or at the first 2 years if it is the same as an Interim service but with a Pollen Filter.

 

After all it is not as if a 4 year or 40,000 mile service where a Air Filter & Spark Plugs should be supplied and fitted or a Fuel Filter if a diesel.

But then those 4 year / 40,000 mile or under services can be a rip off and maybe nothing extra gets fitted, or even checked.

1 hour ago, maffyou said:

I agree with @Skoffski with such low mileage the 4 years is pretty much irrelevant. There is no way I would be paying for a cam belt change in your situation. 

 

If its 4 years old I’d also wonder whether it’s worth paying for the dealers servicing (unless you have an extended warranty)? It should have a major service given the time elapsed but I used to get my mk2 done for about £175 from a decent independent once it was out of warranty. 

 

Skoda UK say 5 years or 160k miles for a cambelt change, so at 4 years it doesn’t need doing.

 

I don’t personally disagree with what you say, but playing devils advocate, if they say 5 years then whether it’s 5 years and 15k miles or 5 years and 150k miles, it shouldn’t matter. Skoda uk are saying something about the belt deteriorates over time regardless of mileage.

http://skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us

 

If you ask Skoda UK tomorrow to ask Skoda CZ or a Technical department they might say 6 years or 160,000 miles because it is all made up and changed as time goes by.

This is now 2019 and things change as times go by (as years pass) without Warranty Claims and statistics of failures.

The Time / Distance thing is by 'Country' and all about Fleet and pick some Time / Distance longer than the Leases.

 

The UK driven by one or 2 drivers in the UK must be about the least demanding on an engine / cam belt it can get.

Drivers / Owners should know how they use their vehicle.

 

Personally i give them laldy and maybe should go for early preventative Servicing & Maintenance,

Edited 13 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

16 minutes ago, classic said:

 Skoda uk are saying something about the belt deteriorates over time regardless of mileage.

 

A bit like socks?

 

19 minutes ago, classic said:

 

Skoda UK say 5 years or 160k miles for a cambelt change, so at 4 years it doesn’t need doing.

 

I don’t personally disagree with what you say, but playing devils advocate, if they say 5 years then whether it’s 5 years and 15k miles or 5 years and 150k miles, it shouldn’t matter. Skoda uk are saying something about the belt deteriorates over time regardless of mileage.

If Skoda said 8 years then when the occasional someone with a 6 year old car on 30k miles’ engine was ruined by the cam belt going, they would justifiably have reason to complain and expect the manufacturer to pay for the repairs. If Skoda says 5 years, they cover themselves. They know full well that virtually no one (one in a few hundred thousand maybe?) will actually have an engine failure in this time frame but it means no one can have any come back on them, they don’t get landed with expensive repair bills, and they get to take lots of extra money in post-sales. 

 

Win-win...for the manufacturers and dealers at least. 

https://www.volkswagen.ie/en/service-and-accessories/parts/engine.html

 

When is it time for a timing belt change?

 

A timing belt lasts up to 360,000 km, depending on model, engine and driving style. Nevertheless, have it checked every now and then – by, say, your Volkswagen Partner within your Service Intervals. Especially if you drive a lot of short distances, your Volkswagen is frequently left running while stationary (e.g. taxi) or if you have already driven more than 240,000 km. Tip: It is also best to have your new used car checked immediately.

Edited 13 January, 20197 yr by xman

Use your common sense it's out of warranty (unless you paid extra for extended warranty)then just pay for what really needs changing, whether you decide to have the work done at a Skoda dealer or an independant. Once got a Fabia Estate with the 1.6Tdi engine serviced at 4 years and 33,000 miles including MOT for £115 at KWIK FIT a considerable saving over Dealer prices (using genuine parts).

 A wonderful price with them using OEM parts.

A New Sump plug,

5w 30 FS LL Oil,

Oil Filter,

Fuel Filter,

Air Filter & they did a MOT.

4 Year / 33,000 mile service.   No up-selling required.

 

 

I once saw a Kwik Fit fitter knocked spark out by a customer that was in the Viewing waiting room waiting to get a puncture fixed.

He was there to watch covertly as his nieces car was in to get a £99 Winter Service and Safety Inspection.  (The Police were not called!)

 

What he saw was a 'Fitter' not change the Oil Filter but wipe it clean and put a finger print on it.

A quick look around under the car and no tyre pressures checked or anything.

Just as had happened the Year before....

 

Sir Tom Farmer got where he did providing some kind of Service and then Ford and other owners since are just taking the pith with some that they employ including Senior Management and Area Managers.

Edited 14 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

15000 over 4 years indicates a lack of use or a lot of short or stop-stop Journeys. I think it’s worth having it done according to Skoda guidelines.  What do you prefer? A potentially disastrously large bill or an expensive service bill. 

@Redboy   So what are Skoda's guidelines or recommendations or 'Service Schedule' on a 2014 1.4 TSI DSG and does a Service Desk Employ know if you ask them?

I have a fabia 1.6 tdi had cam belt done at 7 years old and 34000 miles the old belt that came off looked like new. Old belt was a conti belt supposedly designed for life of engine

 

 

26 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

 A wonderful price with them using OEM parts.

A New Sump plug,

5w 30 FS LL Oil,

Oil Filter,

Fuel Filter,

Air Filter & they did a MOT.

4 Year / 33,000 mile service.   No up-selling required.

 

 

I once saw a Kwik Fit fitter knocked spark out by a customer that was in the Viewing waiting room waiting to get a puncture fixed.

He was there to watch covertly as his nieces car was in to get a £99 Winter Service and Safety Inspection.  (The Police were not called!)

 

What he saw was a 'Fitter' not change the Oil Filter but wipe it clean and put a finger print on it.

A quick look around under the car and no tyre pressures checked or anything.

Just as had happened the Year before....

 

Sir Tom Farmer got where he did providing some kind of Service and then Ford and other owners since are just taking the pith with some that they employ including Senior Management and Area Managers.

Plenty of rogues in the motor trade or the Ombudsman wouldn't be as busy as they are sorting out disputes.

4 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

@Redboy   So what are Skoda's guidelines or recommendations or 'Service Schedule' on a 2014 1.4 TSI DSG and does a Service Desk Employ know if you ask them?

I understand how difficult it is to get a straight answer to your question. I simply said follow the official advice or ignore it. It could work out well and last forever or it could snap shortly after exceeding the guidelines.  From experience, if it’s serviced according to schedules in the dealer network, they will  (no matter how reluctantly) help with the cost of repairs. 

@shyVRS245That was some offer from Kwik Fit in the last 4 years.

 

@Redboy

Skoda / VW should make it very very easy to get the 'Official advice' or 'Guidelines' for a owners actual vehicle.

As in clearly in writing setting out a 'Schedule / Guideline'  But they do not.  The reason being 'Fleet / Lease'  compared to Private Owners, 

those with a Keeper and not a Rented car.

 

From experience i have seen the many experiences of the Fully Trained and Qualified Technical staff and the 'Sales People and Receptionists'.

 

Mushrooms.

Kept in the dark and fed sh!t as are customers / owners. 

 The Goose that lays the golden egg and pays for Demonstrators staff drive, nice showrooms, 

suits and shiny shoes.

Edited 14 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

8 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

That was some offer from Kwik Fit in the last 4 years.

No it was just an example from 2014. Slightly off topic I know one of the actors in the Kwik Fit advert, he also appeared in Eastenders and Death in Paradise as a drummer in a band (he sometimes plays drums at our Church.

Edited 14 January, 20197 yr by shyVRS245
spelling mistake

I know some that are actors in Kwik Fit as well, damn good at pretending they are mechanics or technicians.

Talking of less than honest companies Hastings Direct just sent our Home Insurance renewal through. Last year we paid a very competitive £63 so was surprised to see it shoot up to £121. A quick check on a comparison website and best price was LV with £82.44 so if they want a second year insuring us then they need to trim the 100% incrase down quite a bit, cheeky gits.

It's hard to find good/trustworthy mechanics.

Ironically in recent times I have found that the indys are more trustworthy.  Probably to do with people becoming wiser about choosing better suppliers and them actually wanting to keep the business.

4 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

It's hard to find good/trustworthy mechanics.

Ironically in recent times I have found that the indys are more trustworthy.  Probably to do with people becoming wiser about choosing better suppliers and them actually wanting to keep the business.

I suppose enough people pay through the nose “because it’s the dealer” or buy into the sales spiel, scaremongering etc. that they usually turn a good enough profit. I bet they can mug off much fewer than half the people who they do business with and still be quids in. Same with KwikFit etc. people just trust them and they usually have parts when needed in an emergency so people go there. 

 

Independents havent got the luxury of that reliability of trade. They have to provide a decent service because they need the return custom and word of mouth matters so much more to them. It almost doesn’t matter how rubbish a particular dealer has been because if they’re your nearest dealer for 50+ miles you’re a captive market for them for repairs/servicing in warranty. 

 

I would hands down choose an independent and I only stopped using my regular one because both the wife and I had new cars which needed manufacturer approved stamps in them.  Shame because they were great. They once repaired a faulty brake light for my wife and didn’t charge anything. Sure, it only took about 10 mins and just needed some soldering but it’s that sort of service and goodwill that indy’s Rely on. 

4 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

Talking of less than honest companies Hastings Direct just sent our Home Insurance renewal through. Last year we paid a very competitive £63 so was surprised to see it shoot up to £121. A quick check on a comparison website and best price was LV with £82.44 so if they want a second year insuring us then they need to trim the 100% incrase down quite a bit, cheeky gits.

Insurance is the biggest swindle out there. Never just renew, I can’t believe there are people out there who do!