Fabia Mk3 2016 Timing Belt

[jeallen01]

15 hours ago, jeallen01 said:

@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"

1) I emailed Skoda UK this afternoon, so we'll see  what the response is like!

 

2) I did buy the Autofix/Haynes "online" manual yesterday and tracked down the Timing Belt Replacement section - which I then saved as an HTML file on one of my HDDs. However I was also given the option to download a PDF, which I tried and failed to do!. Then raised a complaint with Haynes and thus someone sent me the required PDF this morning.

 

Either way, that shows that removal of the top cambelt cover is fairly early in the replacement procedure (and shows an image of the cover & securing bolt), and thus it does appear that the right person with the right tools should be able to access and check the belt fairly easily & quickly.

[Jim H]

2 hours ago, jeallen01 said:

2) I did buy the Autofix/Haynes "online" manual yesterday and tracked down the Timing Belt Replacement section - which I then saved as an HTML file on one of my HDDs. However I was also given the option to download a PDF, which I tried and failed to do!. Then raised a complaint with Haynes and thus someone sent me the required PDF this morning.

 

Either way, that shows that removal of the top cambelt cover is fairly early in the replacement procedure (and shows an image of the cover & securing bolt), and thus it does appear that the right person with the right tools should be able to access and check the belt fairly easily & quickly.

 

Probably too late now, but you can download a workshop manual from links in this thread.  See 'MikeC' and my post at the bottom. 

 

[jeallen01]

@Jim H

 

Thanks for the leads & links as I've never found having too many manuals to be a problem in situations like this!

 

I found & downloaded that Fabia III Owner's Handbook, and it's a soft copy of the paper one that came with the car - so could be useful in the future.

 

Then followed the link to the workshop manual, but couldn't get any further because of the Ad blockers I've got loaded on this laptop! Nevertheless, I'll use one of the other machines to try and get further in a day or so!

 

Cheers!

 

PS: "my" version of your signature is "I used to be uncertain, but now I'm not sure"

 

Edited 15 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[briscaF1]

On 14/09/2023 at 21:12, HyperDog said:

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.

 

I did believe you but sent an email to Skoda UK, too 🙂 

 

They said the technical dept had checked my registration number and it "does not have a cambelt service recommendation as it is fitted with a lifetime component."

 

Interesting how you have been told 15 years etc and I've been told it's doesn't need replacing; I'm assuming that "lifetime" is in excess of 10 years 🤔

 

It'll be interesting to see what @jeallen01's reply says 

 

[jeallen01]

2 minutes ago, briscaF1 said:

 

I did believe you but sent an email to Skoda UK, too 🙂 

 

They said the technical dept had checked my registration number and it "does not have a cambelt service recommendation as it is fitted with a lifetime component."

 

Interesting how you have been told 15 years etc and I've been told it's doesn't need replacing; I'm assuming that "lifetime" is in excess of 10 years 🤔

 

It'll be interesting to see what @jeallen01's reply says 

 

I sent my email to them on Friday but no reply today, nor could I get through to them on the phone late this afternoon (all I got was a polite but stupid chatbot lady !) - will try again tomorrow!

 

[briscaF1]

Just now, jeallen01 said:

I sent my email to them on Friday but no reply today, nor could I get through to them on the phone late this afternoon (all I got was a polite but stupid chatbot lady !) - will try again tomorrow!

 

That's interesting cos I sent them an email on Saturday evening but had a reply this morning. Pot luck!

[jeallen01]

52 minutes ago, briscaF1 said:

That's interesting cos I sent them an email on Saturday evening but had a reply this morning. Pot luck!

Was that for the 2014 Fabia 2 or the 2017 Fabia 3?

[briscaF1]

3 minutes ago, jeallen01 said:

Was that for the 2014 Fabia 2 or the 2017 Fabia 3?

My Mrs has a 2014 Fabia 2 but that's an 8V TSI with a cam chain (CBZA, I believe).

 

The belt query was for my 4 cyl 1.2 TSI CBZC-engined 2017 Fabia 3 

[jeallen01]

@briscaF1

Many thx for the above; so it looks like the Skoda UK reply (assuming I get one!) should be quite illuminating and very important (to us)!

 

Our Fabia seems to have a different version of the 1.2l TSI engine to your 2017 car.

 

Therefore it seems to me ATM that the engine version could be critical to deciding if the belt should be replaced at the 50-60k miles/5-6 yrs point  (in which case, ours should be done now!) or at sometime during 180k miles as and when necessary due to condition/ or at 15 yrs..

 

I hope  the latter to be the case for ours, but I'll have to wait until Skoda reply (hopefully tomorrow!).

 

Will let everyone know what they say.

[jeallen01]

17 hours ago, jeallen01 said:

 

 

18 hours ago, briscaF1 said:

That's interesting cos I sent them an email on Saturday evening but had a reply this morning. Pot luck!

Going to PM you to check which Skoda email address you used to get such a quick response.

Edited 19 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[briscaF1]

Edit to the above post, the engine in my Fabia 3 is a CJZC. 

 

I believe these had pulley problems in earlier versions. Hopefully they were fixed by 2017.

 

Someone else commented elsewhere that the CBZA is more refined than the later CJZC and I'd be inclined to agree.

 

 

[jeallen01]

53 minutes ago, briscaF1 said:

Edit to the above post, the engine in my Fabia 3 is a CJZC. 

 

I believe these had pulley problems in earlier versions. Hopefully they were fixed by 2017.

 

Someone else commented elsewhere that the CBZA is more refined than the later CJZC and I'd be inclined to agree

Interesting:

- via the PM system, it seems that we both used the same  address to email at Skoda UK - but I have yet to receive any answer from them. Go figure!

- Now that you have corrected the engine type, it seems that our car DOES use the same engine (CJZC), and yet one (yours) is the 110bhp version but ours is the 90bhp version! So why is that as I would have thought that they would have been given different codes?

- However, assuming that both engines are inherently the same (but probably with different maps to get the power difference) then ours should also have the same lifetime belt (15 yrs or 180k miles) recommendation!

 

Therefore thank you for all the info, and I hope I do soon get a reply from Skoda UK to confirm the latter (very important!) point!

[briscaF1]

8 hours ago, jeallen01 said:

Interesting:

- via the PM system, it seems that we both used the same  address to email at Skoda UK - but I have yet to receive any answer from them. Go figure!

- Now that you have corrected the engine type, it seems that our car DOES use the same engine (CJZC), and yet one (yours) is the 110bhp version but ours is the 90bhp version! So why is that as I would have thought that they would have been given different codes?

- However, assuming that both engines are inherently the same (but probably with different maps to get the power difference) then ours should also have the same lifetime belt (15 yrs or 180k miles) recommendation!

 

Therefore thank you for all the info, and I hope I do soon get a reply from Skoda UK to confirm the latter (very important!) point!

 

Mine is the 90bhp version, too. I guess the 110bhp has a different code?

 

I don't know if the only difference is a remap although I know you can remap the cjzc to a higher output  This is hazy but I might have read that the turbo is different, too? 

 

I don't know if the 90BHP is a detuned(/less stressed) version of the 110 or the 110 is a tuned version of the 90, if that makes sense, but it'd be interesting to find out

[jeallen01]

@briscaF1

 

OOPS, I think I must have confused you car with a 1.2l 110 bhp version mentioned by someone else!

 

So it seems the engine in ours IS the same as the one in yours!

 

I still have yet to receive any answer from Skoda UK, so is it possible for you to send me by PM a copy of that email you got from them - so that I can show the relevant "doubting Thomas" at this end what Skoda say about the belt change period?

 

Thx in advance if you can!

 

[Ootohere]

What a carry on.  VW group UK basically announced that their advice for the UK was the same as for the rest of Europe or globally for Dust Free countries.    They care not as the cars / engines are out of the manufacturer's warranties.  This was in July.   Threads every place on it.   So TSI,s.   If you need to questions TDI,s then that is worth the asking.    The belts will last, the tensioners we will see as the years go by. 

[jeallen01]

That's a good point (for a change) - so does anyone have any other comments about the life of the tensioners on the TSI engine?

[briscaF1]

1 hour ago, jeallen01 said:

That's a good point (for a change) - so does anyone have any other comments about the life of the tensioners on the TSI engine?

Indeed.

 

Since I appear to have access to the Skoda UK "Commissioner Gordon" hotline, I've asked if their statement also applies to cambelt related components, such as the tensioner.

[jeallen01]

FWIW, as I mentioned in another thread, I did FINALLY (but only at the 2nd attempt!) get through on the phone to a "real person" at Skoda UK Customer Services about an hour ago and was promised some sort of reply today - I can but hope!

Edited 20 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[rum4mo]

By the way, the 90PS is a "C" and the 110PS is a "D" - to answer the question why 2 output power ratings for one engine code.

[jeallen01]

5 hours ago, jeallen01 said:

FWIW, as I mentioned in another thread, I did FINALLY (but only at the 2nd attempt!) get through on the phone to a "real person" at Skoda UK Customer Services about an hour ago and was promised some sort of reply today - I can but hope!

I hoped in vain - no sign of ANYTHING (email or phone call) from Skoda UK !🙄

[jeallen01]

1 hour ago, rum4mo said:

By the way, the 90PS is a "C" and the 110PS is a "D" - to answer the question why 2 output power ratings for one engine code.

Our engine code is CJZC - so are you referring to the 1st or 2nd C?

 

BTW 1: as far as the belt on the engine is concerned, the guy who inspected today it seems to have commented that it was dry (as it should be!) but "on the hard side" (but no cracks) - so is that how one would expect to find it after 7 yrs and about 45k miles?

 

BTW 2: The car passed its MoT about 2-3 weeks ago with advisories of misting on both front shocks - the guy (as above) changed them today, and they appear to have both been totally "shot" with no rebound at all - which confirms my opinion yesterday after going over a couple of wide speed bumps and the front suspensioned definitely "bottomed"!   How the hell did it pass the test with the shocks in that condition?

Edited 20 September, 2023 by jeallen01

[rum4mo]

Sorry I was being lazy, the last letter. So CJZC = 90PS and CJZD = 110PS.

 

I suppose all plastics age and so either flow or go hard, so that I think, is just a cop out answer.

 

I thought that after a certain date, all MOT stations needed to have a means to assess dampers, maybe not.

 

My wife's 2015 VW Polo got its latest MOT in late July/early August, and passed as usual with no advisories, but 14 days later there was a clanking sort of noise coming from the front right hand side suspension, I examined the suspension while the car was up on wooden ramps and could not detect any issues, a week later I raised it up off its wheels onto 4 jack stands, and then I spotted that the TCA rear rubber voided mounted was starting to separate from the metal insert - so maybe that is what was causing that clunking, which has not returned over the past month - and that means that that MOT person did a good job as it was not yet starting to get to the advisory stage in its service life.

 

I am going to replace the rear bump stops on that 2015 Polo soon, and I'll not be grumpy if the rear dampers are not now dampers, they look okay with no misting, but doing that job will give me a chance to check them both and replace if necessary.

 

VW Group seem to advise against warranty replacement of dampers, especially front ones if they are misting, to me, I'd think that is oil is misting out, then gas will also be getting out! My daughter's 2019 Leon Cupra has misting front dampers, that was noted back in May, but I'd rather she got a VW Group Indie to replace them as they are adaptive.

Edited 20 September, 2023 by rum4mo

[jeallen01]

50 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

Sorry I was being lazy, the last letter. So CJZC = 90PS and CJZD = 110PS.

 

I suppose all plastics age and so either flow or go hard, so that I think, is just a cop out answer.

 

I thought that after a certain date, all MOT stations needed to have a means to assess dampers, maybe not.

 

My wife's 2015 VW Polo got its latest MOT in late July/early August, and passed as usual with no advisories, but 14 days later there was a clanking sort of noise coming from the front right hand side suspension, I examined the suspension while the car was up on wooden ramps and could not detect any issues, a week later I raised it up off its wheels onto 4 jack stands, and then I spotted that the TCA rear rubber voided mounted was starting to separate from the metal insert - so maybe that is what was causing that clunking, which has not returned over the past month - and that means that that MOT person did a good job as it was not yet starting to get to the advisory stage in its service life.

 

I am going to replace the rear bump stops on that 2015 Polo soon, and I'll not be grumpy if the rear dampers are not now dampers, they look okay with no misting, but doing that job will give me a chance to check them both and replace if necessary.

 

VW Group seem to advise against warranty replacement of dampers, especially front ones if they are misting, to me, I'd think that is oil is misting out, then gas will also be getting out! My daughter's 2019 Leon Cupra has misting front dampers, that was noted back in May, but I'd rather she got a VW Group Indie to replace them as they are adaptive.

Thx for the Fabia engine code clarification - TBH, that's what I guessed it might be!

 

As for the shocker situation, I personally think that any sign of deterioration like misting should be treated a failure, as actual total failure is soon bound to follow!

 

As for other suspension issues, like deterioration of link rubbers, those can reasonably treated as advisories unless there's been near total failure (= fail!), but it "all depends"! 

 

And, of course, KWIKFIT gave me a prime example of getting this both right and wrong several years ago with the Octy - failed the RH front droplink (fair enough,  it was quite bad), but SAID NOTHING about the LH one, which pretty much fell apart when I changed it "as a precaution" - it was actually far worse than the RH one! Regardless of that, badly failing droplinks have less effect on the driveabilty of the car than badly failing front shocks (not that I've ever let a car's front shocks get that bad!).

[briscaF1]

On 20/09/2023 at 13:02, jeallen01 said:

FWIW, as I mentioned in another thread, I did FINALLY (but only at the 2nd attempt!) get through on the phone to a "real person" at Skoda UK Customer Services about an hour ago and was promised some sort of reply today - I can but hope!

 

Skoda UK got back to me today.

 

I posed the question: "Does your previous advice apply to the cam belt tensioner and any other related components, too?"

 

To which they replied, "I can confirm that nothing needs to be changed regarding the parts of the cambelt."

 

So, there we have it.

 

Maybe the engineers have enough reliability data now to allow these statements to be made or maybe it'd be wise for me to get the cambelt checked at about 65k miles (like I did with my Focus) and make a decision from there. I guess there's less to go wrong on this engine as the water pump was cam belt driven on the Focus lump and I believe that the CJZC's water pump is driven from elsewhere.

 

 

[jeallen01]

11 minutes ago, briscaF1 said:

 

Skoda UK got back to me today.

 

I posed the question: "Does your previous advice apply to the cam belt tensioner and any other related components, too?"

 

To which they replied, "I can confirm that nothing needs to be changed regarding the parts of the cambelt."

 

So, there we have it.

 

Maybe the engineers have enough reliability data now to allow these statements to be made or maybe it'd be wise for me to get the cambelt checked at about 65k miles (like I did with my Focus) and make a decision from there. I guess there's less to go wrong on this engine as the water pump was cam belt driven on the Focus lump and I believe that the CJZC's water pump is driven from elsewhere.

Thx for that, and my feeling on this whole issue of the cambelt and related parts is pretty similar in that I'll get the belt checked every 12-18 months, and get it changed if/when I feel that it definitely needs it - especially given that my wife does very little mileage (the Golf did about 300 miles between the last 2 MoTs, and not more than a 1000 or so in the years before that!). The longest single journey the Fabia is likely to make in this next year looks like the 70 or so miles to the Worthing area if & when we manage to move down there!