CAMBELT CHANGE

[MKOK]

They are charging £450 at the moment. I’m getting mine done this week. It’s just over 5 years old but hasn’t done a great deal over 40k. I’m getting it done this time but probably the last time I go to the main dealers as my guarantee runs out June. Earlier this year they were quoting me £500 for all my disks and pads changing. I had that done at a local garage for £300. Last year when I had an advisory on two tyres they wanted nearly £300. I got the same tyres they quoted for £170. It’s a huge markup just to get your car washed!!

[Eccles]

The actual Gates kit is around £60 at present and my mobile mech (v.experienced and reliable) had a look last year and said "Fairly easy job, I'll do it for £200 ". Which means he gets £140 for himself. As it takes about three hours I believe, that sounds about right to me. £400+ has to be a rip off IMO - £400 less £60 = £340/3hours = £113 per hour which is what solicitors charge. My local independent charges £60/hour I am told.

[geoffdh]

I have a skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 110 Monte Carlo; it's just over 5 years old and has done just under 16k miles

I've read the above, but still can't decide whether to leave changing the belt for a while or get it done for peace of mind

I've had quotes from 2 independant garages and they both come out about £450 which does seem a lot

Has anyone got any recommendations for independents near Reading or Wokingham

[nta16]

Our local Skoda dealership done my wife's 1.2 TSI 90 SE for £429 last October, whether that's because my wife is a customer of theirs I don't know, I think my wife said it should have been £479? but I can't remember.  The list for national pricing I have states starts from £449.

 

Even at £479 (if it is that and yours is that, I don't know) I'd sooner pay the extra £29 for the dealership to do the work, subject to them using Skoda parts and materials, unless I knew the independent garage was particular good and used good quality or Skoda parts.  Some people at dealerships can be good and certainly some independents garages or their mechanics can be not so good or bad.

 

Unless you can find somewhere or somebody that's good and they don't go off from being good or change staff it's always a bit of a gamble where ever you go.

 

P.S. low mileage might not effect the cambelt change but it does no favours for some other bits of the car and for those proportionately the servicing and maintenance can be more rather than less because of the low mileage.

 

Edited 3 August, 2021 by nta16
speeling and stuff

[AGFalco]

You / Your Mechanic can look at the belt by just removing one bolt and four clips.

It takes less than ten minutes to do.

The bolt hole is at the top of the black cover in the photo and is a Torx 30.

Two clips are either side of the cover and want a flat head screwdriver.

The other two clips hold two pipes in place on the face of the cover to the right of the label.

 

Thanks, AG Falco

[geoffdh]

nta16 - thanks for your input

AGFalco  - I took the cover off and looked at the belt / teeth

A bit difficult to make a judgement as I don't have a new belt to compare with, but on the face of it, both the belt and the teeth look ok

Thanks

Geoff

[nta16]

You could get a light and magnify glass, or take hi-res photos to view on a larger monitor, you'd be looking for crack/crazing, evidence of  abrasion, and to be sure fully you'd need to check the whole belt.

 

Everything looks clean so no bits of belt where they shouldn't be, like you I'd need another belt at the side of yours to compare with but others might know better.

 

 

 

[AGFalco]

7 hours ago, geoffdh said:

A bit difficult to make a judgement

 

The photo of my belt was taken yesterday.

My car is 5 years and 55 k miles.

My belt shows no signs of age / wear.

 

Before I bought the car in 2016 I looked up details of the belt.

The Belt manufacture ( Continental ) recommends checking the belt at 160 000 miles and then every 20 000 miles.

 

Thanks, AG Falco

[nta16]

1 hour ago, AGFalco said:

Before I bought the car in 2016 I looked up details of the belt.

The Belt manufacture ( Continental ) recommends checking the belt at 160 000 miles and then every 20 000 miles.

Sorry but can I just confirm this, Continental say check the belt at one - hundred - and - sixty - thousand - miles and then every 20,000 miles?

 

So what is it that Skoda and VAG think will cause their engines to need the cambelt to be changed at 5 years or 50K-miles.

 

I'm never certain of my failing memory but I seem to think earlier belts (Fords?) were service change at 72k-miles and then quickly dropped to 36k-miles and then perhaps lower(?).

 

I remember a young chap called "Digit" because he lost part of his finger on an early Ford belt change.

 

[AGFalco]

22 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Sorry but can I just confirm this, Continental say check the belt at one - hundred - and - sixty - thousand - miles and then every 20,000 miles?

 

Yes. 

See the post on 24 Feb in this topic on page one from Planetse:-

 

VW UK say 5 years regardless of mileage
VW rest of the World say 160000 kms is a check only and replace if necessary.

Read this email.

 

'I am happy to confirm that the information I previously provided is correct, and to confirm, the cambelt replacement intervals
for your vehicle are 160,000 miles'

'Having
your cambelt replaced every 4 years is a UK recommendation on most
Skoda vehicles, but Skoda UK's Technical Department maintain that every
160,000 miles is the interval for a cambelt replacement on your Fabia
based on the engine type and size'

 

 

 

 

The Peugeot I had has belt changes listed at 120 000 miles or 10 years. I changed it at 8 years and 96 000 miles. Old belt was in good condition. Car still running at 18 years and 136 000 miles.

 

Thanks, AG Falco

[Breezy_Pete]

44 minutes ago, nta16 said:

[snip]

 

So what is it that Skoda and VAG think will cause their engines to need the cambelt to be changed at 5 years or 50K-miles.

 

[/snip]

 

I doubt they think there is any need, but there's money to be had, and upselling to do once they have the car in their hands.

"We noticed that your brake discs/pads/fluid; aircon; blinker fluid...."

 

[nta16]

Great stuff, anyone with better eyes than mine can in future do a visual check on the cambelt on ours, changed last September at £429, doh!

 

Perhaps I should have done some research before agreeing to it - "We were robbed!"  "Do you think so." - Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

 

I get so ****ed off (and I'm being polite with that term) with dealing with my very old British (BL) car that I really can't be arsed with my wife's car and this is what I have to pay for this reticence and laziness, oh well, perhaps I'll know better in my next life.

 

Edited 4 August, 2021 by nta16

[Blindman]

 

On 23/02/2021 at 11:15, Blindman said:

Hi

 

My Fabia 2016 Tsi 1.2 has done 58000 miles so according to Skoda (>) it is due a Cambelt change.

 

They quote £500 for Cambet and tensioners

 

I asked for a quote from an Independant and they rang back saying they could not do my vehicle as it needs a Special Skoda tool-(cost £2K) and to be careful with any quotes I get from Independents.

 

So before I go to get other quotes:-

 

1. Anyone got any good Independants in Cambridgeshire I can quote?

 

2. True about this special tool?

 

Thanks

 

 

Quoting my post to update :

 

I emailed Skoda CS a day or so ago asking about the cambelt change interval as a few other threads on here have said it is now in line with the EU dealers.

 

I got a phone call in repsonse yesterday and the chap confirmed for my car its 15 YEARS or 180,000 miles.

 

He added it's wise to get it checked yearly.

 

I'm now on 99,000 miles so just over half way there