Fabia Mk3 2016 Timing Belt

[Metalspacedust]

Hi

 

Fabia Mk3 1197cc Petrol.

First registered March 2016. I have owned since 2017.

 

Only done 32,000 miles. But now seven years old.

 

Not had a timing belt change.

 

Serviced by Skoda main dealer up until last year and they never mentioned replacing it. 

 

Should I have it done even though low mileage?

Should anything else be replaced at the same time?

 

I assume I will have to sell a Kidney if I take it to a main dealer to get it done? 🙂  

 

 

 

[JoePeddos]

I had a fabia petrol bought April 2015 owned for 7 years The information I had was to change the timing belt at 5 years or I think 50k miles. I only had low mileage when it was changed.  About August  September  2015 they updated the model Joe

[User2908]

According to skoda there is no specified interval for a timing belt change for the 1.2 tsi engines, however many countries' skoda forks will recommend differing things, most of the time they recommend replacement at about 5 years and i would say the max mileage to be about 120k between changes

[AGFalco]

See ALL of this post:-

 

My Fabia III 2016 has 72K miles and the belt still looks good.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[HyperDog]

I contacted Skoda UK recently to ask if the recommendations for timing belt changes on my 2015 1.2TSi.  They said from 1 July this year new guidance was issued by VAG on timing belts, and on my car it is now "lifetime" which I should take to mean "15 years or 180k miles".

[ThamesValley]

I just called my local Skoda dealer as my Mark III is now approaching 5 years old. I was told by their service department that a recent bulletin from Skoda told them the cam belt will last 140,000 miles so doesn't need to be done until then. He then told me the cost is £700 so that is good news!

The quality of the info does depend on who answers the phone - I have asked before about the service schedule specific to my car (a benefit of going to a main dealer I would have thought) and I was told to look in the Skoda app. I'm not sure the app works at that level of detail with a Fabia Mk3 - perhaps I am wrong? It seems to sync with Wifi buy my car doesn't have Wifi?

[Ootohere]

Well it is not a Motor Engineer, Mechanic, Technician or fitter answering the phone or even anyone with any SVQ in the motor trade other than if there is ones in 'Upselling'  Phone or keyboards will be their key skills.

 

The 140,000 miles is even different from what others are quoting but then that is what happens when working at a Main Dealership Service desk, 

you hear what others say and might repeat it no matter if correct.

[pikpilot]

The difference may be due to the fact that one quote is for the older 1.2 TSI 90 bhp and the other is a the newer 1.0 TSI.

 

I will call my local Skoda garage and ask about the timing belt life on our 1.2 90bhp 2016 car.

[briscaF1]

Any advance on this? My 2017 Kombi has a 4 pot 1.2 TSI, which I think is 90HP, 16V.

 

It's 6 years old now with 55,000 on it and I'm curious as yo the belt change interval. 

 

@HyperDogI think you must have the same engine as I have as I believe all Fabia 3 changed from the 8V TSI at launch until 2017 when they changed to the 1.0 TSI 3 pot. In which case, it's 15 years or 180k miles? 

 

I always harp on that my old Focus mk 2.5 was 10 years or 100k so if imagine that the TSI belt would be good for similar. 

[jeallen01]

HI folks

 

The new-to-us 2016 16V 1.2l TSI Monte Carlo has 45k miles on the clock (by the proverbial "one lady owner"!) and so the obvious "does it need a cambelt change?" question arises.

 

Having read this thread, and particularly referencingbriscaF1's latest post, I rather confused as to whether it does, or whether the cambelt is effectively "fitted for life" of the car - so is anyone in a position to comment further?

 

BTW: I found this thread to be relevant & interesting, but I'm still not convinced either way

Thx in advance.

[Ootohere]

Anything fitted for life is the life of the thing, not as long as the Queens life was.

 

If they last 8 years that is their life span, if good for 20 years then that is a better life span.

 

Until July 2023 Skoda UK and their Dealerships would tell you the Cam belt was due to be replaced at 5 years.  That was not what Skoda elsewhere said.

 

So now they have dropped that.  They are in line with the EU regarding 'Non dusty countries;. 

Edited 12 September, 2023 by toot

[jeallen01]

1 hour ago, toot said:

Anything fitted for life is the life of the thing, not as long as the Queens life was.

 

If they last 8 years that is their life span, if good for 20 years then that is a better life span.

 

Until July 2023 Skoda UK and their Dealerships would tell you the Cam belt was due to be replaced at 5 years.  That was not what Skoda elsewhere said.

 

So now they have dropped that.  They are in line with the EU regarding 'Non dusty countries;. 

Thx and that's the impression that I was getting - so I'm going to get the belt on the "new to us" Fabia checked in the  near future as I can find nothing in the service history to say that it has been checked or changed, and I rather doubt that it has been driven hard by the "one previous lady owner" (nor that it will be driven hard or far by the new one - my wife)!

[Jim H]

On 12/09/2023 at 13:14, toot said:

Anything fitted for life is the life of the thing, not as long as the Queens life was.

 

If they last 8 years that is their life span, if good for 20 years then that is a better life span.

 

Until July 2023 Skoda UK and their Dealerships would tell you the Cam belt was due to be replaced at 5 years.  That was not what Skoda elsewhere said.

 

So now they have dropped that.  They are in line with the EU regarding 'Non dusty countries;. 

 

Strangely this is the opposite of what Ford quoted for some of their engines,  When the 1.0 Eco-Boost engines first came out Ford boasted the cambelt was fitted for the life of the vehicle. However they have subsequently had to change to a 10 year or 100k (maybe 140k now) interval due many belt failures. The belt actually runs in oil (known as a wet belt) has been found to disintegrate, contaminating the oil and blocking the pick up pipe/strainer which leads to engine failures. This has lead to the nickname as the eco-boom engine!

 

I am not looking forward to when I need to change the belt in my Fiesta Ecoboost. I have read on Ford Forums quotes of £1400-1800 from Ford dealers and £1000 plus from independents   This is due to the very labour intensive job and an extremely tight crankshaft pully bolt. I will probably have it done prematurely at 8 years (2026) instead of waiting for the full 10. 

[jeallen01]

So, does anyone know (I'm sure someone does!) if the 1.2l VAG engines fitted to the Fabia are "wet belt" or "conventional" dry ones, and what the dealer and independent shops typically quote to change them?

 

Thx in advance.

Edited 13 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[pikpilot]

41 minutes ago, jeallen01 said:

does anyone know (I'm sure someone does!) if the 1.2l VAG engines fitted to the Fabia are "wet belt" or "conventional" dry ones

 

The 1.2L engine in the Mk 111 Fabia is a dry belt. There is only one bolt plus some clips to remove the top cover over the belt for belt inspection.

I do not know of any VAG engine with other than the conventional dry belt.

[jeallen01]

11 hours ago, pikpilot said:

 

The 1.2L engine in the Mk 111 Fabia is a dry belt. There is only one bolt plus some clips to remove the top cover over the belt for belt inspection.

I do not know of any VAG engine with other than the conventional dry belt.

@pikpilot

Thank you very much for all that info - I'll pass it on to the guy who will be doing the check.

 

BTW: can anyone recommend an easily obtainable and good manual that will cover this check and, more generally, most of the general servicing and repair tasks on a Fabia III?
(I always try to get a manual, even if it's for some other brand/model in the VAG range - that's why I got a Golf V manual soon after I bought the Octy II because a lot of the Octy II range was based on the Golf V, and because, at that time, there was no Haynes manual for the Octy II. Even when the latter became available, the older Golf V manual was more informative in some areas than the Octy II manual !)

 

PS: still wondering if someone has any ideas as to the price of a belt change job by a VAG dealer or an independent shop?
(we're in West London, so prices in this area are likely to be higher than in other parts of the UK🙄)

Edited 14 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[wellpissed]

20 minutes ago, jeallen01 said:

@pikpilot

Thank you very much for all that info - I'll pass it on to the guy who will be doing the check.

 

BTW: can anyone recommend an easily obtainable and good manual that will cover this check and, more generally, most of the general servicing and repair tasks on a Fabia III?
(I always try to get a manual, even if it's for some other brand/model in the VAG range - that's why I got a Golf V manual soon after I bought the Octy II because a lot of the Octy II range was based on the Golf V, and because, at that time, there was no Haynes manual for the Octy II. Even when the latter became available, the older Golf V manual was more informative in some areas than the Octy II manual !)

 

PS: still wondering if someone has any ideas as to the price of a belt change job by a VAG dealer or an independent shop?
(we're in West London, so prices in this area are likely to be higher than in other parts of the UK🙄)

Recently booked a service at the main dealer online and the price quoted through Skoda was roughly £980 for a timing belt change - I'd imagine it would be much cheaper at an independent garage. 

Edited 14 September, 2023 by wellpissed

[jeallen01]

PPS to my last post: I now realise that the latest Haynes manual is an online-only Autofix/Haynes product, which I'll probably buy anyway, but I would also like to get some form of actual "paper" manual that I can lend to the guy doing the belt check - if, of course, that's possible???

[Ootohere]

IMO if paying for a belt check get the belt and tensioner replaced.

[jeallen01]

40 minutes ago, toot said:

IMO if paying for a belt check get the belt and tensioner replaced.

I think that's true for most "older generation" VAG engines (and was the approach I've taken with the Octy II and my wife's Golf IV) , but maybe not for some of the newer ones where SKODA (and maybe VAG as a whole??????) seems to have moved to a "check & replace if necessary" approach with some engines (such as this 1.2l fitted to the Fabia 3) according to recent observations made in this sub-forum.

 

However, I'm now even thinking that that approach could be justified for some of the older engines; for example, the  last time the belt on the 1.8 8V engine in the Golf was changed was when I thought that, after about 6yrs, it really ought to be changed. But when it then was, and the old belt came back to me afterwards, it was in pretty much "perfect" condition and thus didn't actually need changing (especially considering that the car was/is doing a very low annual mileage and didn't/doesn't get driven "hard")!

 

Therefore I think it's a case-by-case decision as to whether to change the belt on this 1.2l and similar engines - especially if the cost differential between a check and a change is very substantial (maybe £100-£200 v £700-£1000??).

 

PS Edited: now thinking about the belt changes we've had done on that Golf (we've had it for 20 yrs!), the Golf IV TDI (which was driven hard!) which we had for about 10yrs and the Octy TDI estate (driven hard for 10 yrs), and having seen the belts that were taken off  (same guy did all the changes) I don't remember any that showed much if any signs of wear or damage!

Edited 14 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[Ootohere]

You are talking nonsence,

 

The £700-£1,000 or even £1,200 is the 1.4 / 1.5 TSI ACT's.   Which started all the discussion really on the crazy 5 year advice.

 

The Dealerships did not have the equipment or want to put a Tech on a job for 7 hours, and the Skoda Approved used cars where not getting services / maintained to the Manufacturers Guidelines, Recommendations or Schedule / Specification that customers were being told was required.

 

So a rethink from VW UK,  we are punting cars and how can the Dealerships make profits if they have to replace Cam belts at 5 years.

[jeallen01]

21 minutes ago, toot said:

You are talking nonsence,

 

The £700-£1,000 or even £1,200 is the 1.4 / 1.5 TSI ACT's.   Which started all the discussion really on the crazy 5 year advice.

 

The Dealerships did not have the equipment or want to put a Tech on a job for 7 hours, and the Skoda Approved used cars where not getting services / maintained to the Manufacturers Guidelines, Recommendations or Schedule / Specification that customers were being told was required.

 

So a rethink from VW UK,  we are punting cars and how can the Dealerships make profits if they have to replace Cam belts at 5 years.

Frankly, I can't "see where you are coming from"! So what do YOU think are the relative times and costs, and what does/does not justify a a change based solely on years since last change/mileage ???

 

PS: I somewhat resent your comment that I'm talking "nonsense" (as that word is correctly spelt!)!

Edited 14 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[Ootohere]

The £700 - £1,000 you mention is not the price of a cambelt change of a 1.2 TSI, and if a Main Dealership quotes that then the Service Desk staff are just clueless.

 

Ask a West London Independent how much they charge. 

?

How much are they charging to check if the belt needs replacing?

 

 

Edited 14 September, 2023 by toot

[HyperDog]

On 10/09/2023 at 22:15, briscaF1 said:

Any advance on this? My 2017 Kombi has a 4 pot 1.2 TSI, which I think is 90HP, 16V.

 

It's 6 years old now with 55,000 on it and I'm curious as yo the belt change interval. 

 

@HyperDogI think you must have the same engine as I have as I believe all Fabia 3 changed from the 8V TSI at launch until 2017 when they changed to the 1.0 TSI 3 pot. In which case, it's 15 years or 180k miles? 

 

I always harp on that my old Focus mk 2.5 was 10 years or 100k so if imagine that the TSI belt would be good for similar. 

Yes my engine is the 1.2 TSi 110 bhp.  I have it in writing from Skoda UK that the timing belt change interval is now 15 years or 180k miles.  If any one else wants it in writing email Skoda UK customer services to ask what the timeing belt change interval is, proving them with your registration number in the email.

[jeallen01]

@HyperDog & @briscaF1

 

Thank you both for that info, and I think I'll email Skoda UK to ask them to confirm that  changes at 15 yrs or 180k miles also apply to our 7 yr 45k miles car!

 

Nevertheless, since the misting shocks are going to be changed in a week so, I'll ask the guy doing that to do the visual belt check at the same time for "peace of mind"

Edited 14 September, 2023 by jeallen01