VAG CAMBELT REPLACEMENT INTERVAL CHANGE

[ACOUSTIC]

Hello all, 

I am the owner of a 2013 2L TDI Skoda Yeti. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by my local Skoda main dealer to tell me that my cambelt was due for replacement. From memory I think the replacement interval was 60,000 miles or 5 years which ever comes first. Today I called the main dealer to get a quote for the job and was amazed when the service dept person told me that the VAG group including Skoda had changed its cambelt replacement interval across the entire VAG range to  no time limit and 150,000 miles. I am struggling to understand what great revelation VAG has discovered in the durability of its cambelts to make this massive change in the replacement interval advice. I cant help wondering if this is intended to cause engine failure to a huge number of vehicles in order to persuade us to buy electric vehicles. Please let me know if you have had any experience of this new development.  

[Ootohere]

@ACOUSTIC

Has your 10 year old 2.0 TDI engine had a cambelt change already in the past 10 years and the water pump replaced?

So at 2018 or since.

 

Not so sure that the VW Group have changed the advice across the range for all engines TSI or TDI, Euro 5 or Euro 6. 

Plenty threads or posts in threads about the 1.5 TSI ACT,s which set of people asking when places started quoting £1,000 plus just for the cambelt replacement and tensioners, 

so more stuff posted across the sections since the change on July 1st 2023

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/514702-cambelt-change-necessary-after-5-years

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/52122-timing-belt-change-interval/page/4

See post 5th July 2023

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/453298-the-mk3-octavia-tdi-water-pump-thread/page/11

 

...............................

With this for the Karoq pre July 2023 & TDI,s that 210,000 km is 130,500 miles.

 

Edited 21 July, 2023 by toot

[ACOUSTIC]

Hello Toot, Thanks for the info and links, 

Yes the cambelt and water pump were both replaced by my local Skoda dealership in 2018 at 5 years, mileage 32,703 cost £543.00 . Almost 5 years to the day they contacted me again to tell me it was again time to replace the cambelt and water pump. I contacted them to book the car in and thats when they told me of the VAG change of policy regarding replacement interval. I think I will contact Skoda UK directly to find out whats going on. The fact that this is such a huge change and the very costly consequences if the belt should snap makes me very suspicious . Thanks Again

[skomaz]

I wouldn't be that suspicious - the change in simply bringing the UK into line with VAG guidance that was already present in the rest of the world and the official workshop manuals.

 

If you wanted to be suspicious the situation prior to the change was the time to be, when the UK 'recommendations' were at odds with everything else.

[Ootohere]

You pay your money or not and make your choices when you run keepers.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/515199-timing-belt-am-i-screwed

 

[threadbear]

I booked my Octavia for its MOT and annual service online and noticed on the menu that a cambelt and water pump replacement is now in the region of £823! Now when I had mine done a couple of years ago it was about £600. Now over two years that’s quite an increase even with cost of living inor is it because of longer replacement intervals with a potential loss of revenue due to less frequency of change? 

[ACOUSTIC]

Hello Threadbare, I agree that it does seem quite an accesive price rise in two years. I have contacted Skoda UK asking them to confirm the information regarding cambelt replacement interval that my local dealership gave me,  and as yet have not had a reply. I was however contacted by a bot telling me that a human will reply within 48 business hours, I think that equates to about 6 days. They offered me live chat with one of there customer service advisors ( another bot?) But I have decided to wait for an email reply. If they do ever reply to you I will post the relevant information on Briskoda.

[chrisski]

I have spoken to someone at Skoda via livechat about cambelt change. They confirmed that on 1st july 2023 their interval pplicy had changed to a lifetime one and cambelt should be changed after 15yrs or 140k-160k miles. I had my belt changed in 2019 aft 88k miles and currently sit at 157k so hence why i enquired. They ensured me that i dont need to change my belt til i had done 140k miles from when i changed my belt in 2019. 🤔

[Scotjimland]

On 02/08/2023 at 16:28, chrisski said:

I have spoken to someone at Skoda via livechat about cambelt change. They confirmed that on 1st july 2023 their interval pplicy had changed to a lifetime one and cambelt should be changed after 15yrs or 140k-160k miles. I had my belt changed in 2019 aft 88k miles and currently sit at 157k so hence why i enquired. They ensured me that i dont need to change my belt til i had done 140k miles from when i changed my belt in 2019. 🤔

I have a  Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI Se and called Skoda Service today and they confirmed ,   15years or 150,00 km .. am waiting for email to have this in writing .. 

 

 

 

 

[@Lee]

I took my 2015 Rapid for a service last month and enquired about the cambelt change and I was told it's not due until 220,000Km or 2032! 

[Scotjimland]

email... from Škoda UK 

 

 

Dear James 

Thank you for contacting Škoda UK, it was a pleasure speaking to you today.

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the cambelt interval changes on your vehicle.  

There is no service interval at all for the cambelt on your vehicle, with 'fitted for life' items that can be considered as 15 years or 180,000 miles.

Please find attached the service history for the vehicle as requested. The information on the certificate is provided by our network of Approved Škoda Retailers and is correct to the best of our knowledge.



Thank you for contacting Škoda UK.

Kind regards

[Ootohere]

@Scotjimland So  no Service Interval. 

 

But they have Guidelines, Recommendations, suggestions if not a spec or schedule.   Those involve 'Inspections' , well sometimes they do when they bother to talk to those that know.

ie.  Not others in the Customer Services that just repeat stuff.

 

 

Edited 15 March by Rooted

[Scotjimland]

1 minute ago, Rooted said:

So  o Service Interval. 

that is what they said... correct .. 

 

 

[@Lee]

1 minute ago, Rooted said:

@Scotjimland So  o Service Interval. 

 

But they have Guidelines, Recommendations, suggestions if not a spec or schedule.   Those involve 'Inspections' , well sometimes they do when they bother to talk to those that know.

ie.  Not others in the Customer Services that just repeat stuff.

 

I should have added in my post that the cambelt cover is removed and the belt is inspected for signs of wear/ cracking/ fraying at each service. Well, at least that's what I was told.

[Ootohere]

@Scotjimland  That is no Replacement Schedule then.    Loose words from them, 'Service'.  

 

Somehow these muppets think Oil changes are Servicing.   Not just Oil & Filter Services.      Inspections of belts is all about Servicing & Maintenance and schedules.

 

They like money for old rope. 

 Too damn lazy to even open an Air Filter box some places if not 6 years old, 60,000 miles.  

 

This chart is Fixed Servicing and even when first published was not accurate or covering all vehicles, or stuff like DSG,s. 

0, 40,000 or 80,000 miles schedules.   Cam Belts were only the advice / guidelines for the UK.  etc.

Edited 15 March by Rooted

[Brian15]

Mine snapped at 93k 

[Ootohere]

@Brian15  It would be helpful if you could say with which engine that was on.

 

On this forum the reported cases of a broken cam belt or actually the tensioner with Euro 5 or Euro 6 VW engines have been as far as i have read has been with 1.6 TDI,s 

and not any TSI,s.  On any size, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 ACT or not ACT, or 2.0 TSI,s. 

[Brian15]

1 hour ago, Rooted said:

@Brian15  It would be helpful if you could say with which engine that was on.

 

On this forum the reported cases of a broken cam belt or actually the tensioner with Euro 5 or Euro 6 VW engines have been as far as i have read has been with 1.6 TDI,s 

and not any TSI,s.  On any size, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 ACT or not ACT, or 2.0 TSI,s. 

Apologies , was a 1.6 tdi

Car was used for private hire so had a higher than average stop/starts during that period 

Now have a 1.5 tsi also being used for private hire , current mileage 63k and im getting a bit twitchy 

Edited 17 March by Brian15

[Ootohere]

@Brian15

Off topic, but a servicing matter.   Did the spark plugs get changed at about 40,000 miles, or anytime and did they look OK, and was the gap checked of the ones removed?

[Brian15]

@Rooted I’ve recently changed the spark plugs myself at approx 55k and they looked absolutely fine and made me question whether they needed changing , I’m far from knowledgable on these matters though 

[Ootohere]

@Brian15

That was maybe long enough to leave them.

Have you been checking the Air Filter to see that it is nice and clean and dry?

 

......................

All just a generalisation really and it is about how used and where.

Cambelt schedule not this, and DQ200 or DQ381 DSG,s are not at 40,000 miles. 

Edited 17 March by Rooted

[Brian15]

Air filter has been replaced , oil and filter due to be done today but it’s raining so that can wait 

[Crasher]

I did the Digital Service System sheet on Friday for a 2016 Sharan, so EA288, the one of my techs was servicing. It had done 45k miles and seven years old; the lady asked me about cam belt change. On the DSS it said 2033 or 144k miles but I have seen the same engine in other VAG cars range from 10 to 30 years but all still 144k miles. VAG UK’s 5 year lie may have been the wrong thing to do but it has left the motor trade not knowing what to do as the intervals vary right across the VAG range with some, such as the EA211 Evo NEVER listing a belt change and the Self study Program states it is fitted for life. If my customer followed what I am supposed to say but in two years time the belt, tensioner or stud fail, who is liable, at the moment it is a bit of a nightmare. Certainly I would be very uncomfortable leaving the belt ten years never mind 30.

[MarkyG82]

On 15/03/2024 at 12:19, @Lee said:

 

I should have added in my post that the cambelt cover is removed and the belt is inspected for signs of wear/ cracking/ fraying at each service. Well, at least that's what I was told.

 

The issue with that is to inspect the belt fully you need to rotate the engine a number of times to completely view the belt.  By that time you may as well have just replaced the belt.  The longer the belt, the longer the inspection time, the more it costs.

It's my view that 5 years is possibly too soon but no time and 140k is too long.  Always used to be in the 70k region.  Had my 1.9 done twice in 170k miles.  Not sure when I'll be doing the GTE.  Probably around 80-90k which will put it at 8-9 years old.