Hi, my 2014 scoda apparently needs timing belt change. It's done a grand total of 22,000miles but I am  told its the interval thats important... Its 1.4TSI dsg octavia 

 

My local skoda dealer told me its £699 to change...

 

What is realistic price I can expect to pay in london and any recommendations on a independent VW specialist in NW London? 

 

Thanks 

Edited 27 March, 20197 yr by xyz321

Have you had the car from new and think that it needs changed @ 5 years with such a low mileage.

Or has it had a harsh life in a less than perfect climate / environment?

Cambelt change should be more like £400 at main dealer, maybe try another dealer ...

 

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

 

 

Firstly it should be £399 for your car at a Skoda dealer.

Secondly, the 5 year interval is recommended by Skoda UK regardless of mileage. The Skoda workshop manual doesn’t even specify any time or mileage just an inspection of the belt at 210000km (160k miles).

You’ll have to make your own mind up on what to do, as this thread will now descend into those that say do it at 5 years, or those like me that don’t.

I definitely wouldn’t pay £699 though !

Are thr 1.4 tsi engines not timing chain?

Thanks for ur replies.i bought the car when it was 2 years old and am not a boy racer by any means. For what it's worth previously was owned by a retired person...

 

I will try to find another skoda dealer but in the meantime if anyone has any recommendations for independent garages then please doet me know. 

 

Thanks 

699 is very toppy.

 

Got a cambelt change, small service and a water pump change for less....from a Skoda dealership.

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

 

For what its worth I'd get the water pump changed at the same time as the cam belt.

The last post on this thread is the answer 

Edited 27 March, 20197 yr by classic

As mentioned should be £399 at a Skoda dealer. My local dealer messaged me last week about this very "offer".

 

Won't be taking them up on it anytime soon because a) I have a TSI VRS which has a chain cam not belt and b) because I'd rather jab pins in my eyes than go back there and give them any money.

That’s way too expensive.

 

FWIW it appears to be the tensioners and water pump that fail early.

 

for some engines there are TPI for these.

My belt is being changed tomorrow at a specialist I hVe used a few times before and it's £480 inc water pump, genuine parts - I'm happy with that.

 

Inspection is 140k or 5 years but I'm throwing caution to the wind and having it changed st 125k as 140k seems a lot for a belt to me.

2 hours ago, ScoutCJB said:

My belt is being changed tomorrow at a specialist I hVe used a few times before and it's £480 inc water pump, genuine parts - I'm happy with that.

 

Inspection is 140k or 5 years but I'm throwing caution to the wind and having it changed st 125k as 140k seems a lot for a belt to me.

I read that the price at official

skoda dealership is £499 inc water pump. I would have thought other places even using official parts would have been quite a bit cheaper.

 

Are you using this specialist because you’ve been there before for other jobs is that the main reason?

 

Cheers

Yes I've used them in the past for a number of things I wouldn't tackle on my A4 Quattro and Oct 2 Scout.

 

They are a friendly outfit and have been very accomodating squeezing me in at a moments notice in the past 

Edited 1 April, 20197 yr by ScoutCJB

On 27/03/2019 at 16:41, donny1972 said:

Are thr 1.4 tsi engines not timing chain?

Nobody else mentioned that but I think you are correct. Strange that,being quoted for a belt change. Chain usually ok unless getting slack.

30 minutes ago, melbury said:

Nobody else mentioned that but I think you are correct. Strange that,being quoted for a belt change. Chain usually ok unless getting slack.

Mk2 1.4tsi EA111 chain, Mk3 1.4tsi EA211 belt, methinks

It’s a belt.

The 5 year interval is a money maker for the dealers. But I accept, if your garage say 5 years then it’s 5 years and any owner isn’t going to take the risk of not doing it....

My car for example is 4 years, 2 months old and has done 50k miles. In theory I could do 110k miles in the next 10 months and the timing belt would be ok. But if I ran it 11 more months doing less mileage  than that, it might break. Really ? Where’s the logic in that ?

Edited 1 April, 20197 yr by classic

1 hour ago, classic said:

My car for example is 4 years, 2 months old and has done 50k miles. In theory I could do 110k miles in the next 10 months and the timing belt would be ok. But if I ran it 11 more months doing less mileage  than that, it might break. Really ? Where’s the logic in that ?

 

Yes really.  The logic is a belt change is recommended based on 'Time or Mileage, whichever comes first. You imply that it's just 'mileage'.

 

Let me put it another way. Some years ago I bought a jumbo pack of 3000 dog poo bags.  The other week after fido did his morning regular, I went to pick it up and my hand was covered in 5hit, that's because those bags have now started to disintigrate. Your cambelt is no different, Skoda recommend it'll last 5years before your in the 5hit. 

 

 

 

23 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

 

Yes really.  The logic is a belt change is recommended based on 'Time or Mileage, whichever comes first. You imply that it's just 'mileage'.

 

Let me put it another way. Some years ago I bought a jumbo pack of 3000 dog poo bags.  The other week after fido did his morning regular, I went to pick it up and my hand was covered in 5hit, that's because those bags have now started to disintigrate. Your cambelt is no different. Only Skoda UK say it'll last 5years before your in the 5hit. 

 

 

 

 

Let's get it accurate.

48 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

 

Let me put it another way. Some years ago I bought a jumbo pack of 3000 dog poo bags.  The other week after fido did his morning regular, I went to pick it up and my hand was covered in 5hit, that's because those bags have now started to disintigrate. Your cambelt is no different, Skoda recommend it'll last 5years before your in the 5hit. 

 

So Skoda cars have 5hit cambelts that "disintigrate?" after 5 years. Biodegradable perhaps like poo bags.

 

Better check when the replacement belt was manufactured and how long its been lying on the shelf then.....

 

 

Edited 1 April, 20197 yr by xman

9 hours ago, Scot5 said:

 

Yes really.  The logic is a belt change is recommended based on 'Time or Mileage, whichever comes first. You imply that it's just 'mileage'.

 

Let me put it another way. Some years ago I bought a jumbo pack of 3000 dog poo bags.  The other week after fido did his morning regular, I went to pick it up and my hand was covered in 5hit, that's because those bags have now started to disintigrate. Your cambelt is no different, Skoda recommend it'll last 5years before your in the 5hit. 

 

 

 

If timing belts were made from the same biodegradable plastic as dog poo bags, you might have a point. 

 

The latest Skoda maintenance manual, which you can pay to download, and I have, gives a mileage of 210000km(130k miles) for timing belt replacement on common rail Diesel engines. It’s lower for dust rich countries, which there are a list of and the UK isn’t one.

The way I have interpreted the manual, there is no mileage specified for the petrol engines with toothed belts, in non dust rich countries such as the UK. 

 It’s 120000 km (75k miles) in said, dust rich countries.

I apologise that I previously incorrectly quoted 160k miles in my earlier post.

The earlier 2013 edition of the manual specified an inspection of the belt on petrol engines at 210000 km. This has now been removed in the latest manual.

Nowhere is 5 years mentioned, other than by Skoda UK dealers, and I guess Seat, VW and Audi UK, but I haven’t looked at them.

The 5 year interval is firstly a catch-all net which will ensure nobody’s belt breaks, from the owner who does 20k miles in 5 years to the one who does 130k and red lines the engine in every gear. They don’t want any failures of their product, but they’ve got no control over how each car is used.

 Secondly, it’s a decent earner for the service departments and garages, and means they don’t have any complaints of belts failing on any cars with full service history, which they might be liable for if they’d advised it didn’t need doing.

Regarding belt age, how long has a new belt been stored since manufacturer ?

Do they have a use by date on the box ? Not that I’ve seen.

How long before the car was first registered was the timing belt made and engine assembled ? Who knows.

Specifically regarding the EA211 petrol tsi engines, google them. There is plenty of available information that the timing belt system is designed to have reduced load on the belt by the design of the cogs and the tensioning system, and movement of the water pump to the other end of the engine with its own separate belt.

Also the belts are reinforced and designed to last.

If you get your car serviced by a garage - which is most people - and they say 5 years, then I accept you’re going to get it done at 5 years, you’re paying them to maintain your car. Personally, I won’t and I think people looking on this forum should know why.

You’ll be glad to know this is my last post on this subject .

SSP-511_The_New_EA211_Petrol_Engine_Family.pdf

 

Notice the words "maintenance free" on this page of official VW documentation.

 

Kinda think I'd have the belt replaced but, I'd shop around to get the price down.

 

Personally, I replace the whole car every three years as I CBA with "variable costs" even if the "fixed costs" are higher

13 hours ago, xman said:

SSP-511_The_New_EA211_Petrol_Engine_Family.pdf

 

Notice the words "maintenance free" on this page of official VW documentation.

 

Thanks Xman

hi,car (2014 octavia 1.2 petrol) went to skoda dealer last week for service and was told that with car being 5 yrs old it was due for cam belt change.took car today for belt renewal and was phoned later in the day to be told that as there was no maintenance info in their system for my car for belt change that the belt is classed as a lifetime belt(?!) and therefore did not require replacing.they actually turned down money.anyway got them to give me a print out stating that it was a lifetime belt.this has left me uneasy on the fact that in previous post everyone said to get belt changed and no-one mentioned anything about a lifetime belt.any info would be greatly received.thanks.see print out below

Edited 8 April, 20197 yr by captainklutz
missed something out