This year I'll want to inspect my cam belt.  I've checked how to remove the cover and what to look for on the belt itself, but how to turn the engine to expose all of the belt.  Does it just need a socket on the crankshaft pulley centre nut?  Or is there a cover to remove first?

Also on the mark 3 Octavia, is the water pump driven by the cam belt or by its own separate belt?

Thank you

Stewart

Inspecting the belt itself wont prove anything, most common failure is pulley failure, whether that be idler or water pump, and that's not something you can check without removing the belt.

On the EA211 1.4 TSI engine that you (and I) have, the cambelt is driven via a separate belt from the water pump.  The are located on opposite ends of the engine.

 

I've just had my cambelt changed at a Skoda dealership, and their advice was that it was not necessary to change the water pump as well. 

4 hours ago, Saints92 said:

Inspecting the belt itself wont prove anything, most common failure is pulley failure, whether that be idler or water pump, and that's not something you can check without removing the belt.

If the idler or water pump pully are about to fail, wouldn't I hear an unusual noise as the bearings start to wear?

4 hours ago, iriches said:

On the EA211 1.4 TSI engine that you (and I) have, the cambelt is driven via a separate belt from the water pump.  The are located on opposite ends of the engine.

 

I've just had my cambelt changed at a Skoda dealership, and their advice was that it was not necessary to change the water pump as well. 

Can I ask what they charged, and how many miles had the old belt done?

24 minutes ago, Stewart7 said:

Can I ask what they charged, and how many miles had the old belt done?

 

I was quoted £389 inc. VAT.  The car is 5 years old and has done 53,000.

 

I paid £428 for the cambelt change and an MOT.  The actual details of the invoice were a mess, as my dealership has just been taken over and they seem to be having having a severe case of "computer says no" right now.  It seems the only job code they could get to stick on the invoice was for a combined waterpump/cambelt change, which they then discounted back to the cambelt only price.  

Edited 6 March, 20197 yr by iriches

On 06/03/2019 at 18:52, iriches said:

 

I was quoted £389 inc. VAT.  The car is 5 years old and has done 53,000.

 

I paid £428 for the cambelt change and an MOT.  The actual details of the invoice were a mess, as my dealership has just been taken over and they seem to be having having a severe case of "computer says no" right now.  It seems the only job code they could get to stick on the invoice was for a combined waterpump/cambelt change, which they then discounted back to the cambelt only price.  

Thanks for sharing that iriches.