MK3 2018 TSI 1.0

6 years old, 60k miles

It recently dumped a load of oil on my drive, turns out bolts were lose on the camshaft de-phaser cover. Local non-skoda mechanic identified and fixed the leak but advised I should change the cambelt because it got covered in oil.

 

Skoda UK advised that the belt should be replaced at 140k but wouldn't comment on the oil because their mechanic hasn't looked it at.

 

Do I need to change it or am I am being tricked into an unnecessary expense?

Hi, exposing rubber based belts to used engine oil  wont do them any good, if it were mine I probably would change it if a mechanic I trusted had said it was sensible to do so.  but the final decision is yours.

4 hours ago, otf said:

Skoda UK advised that the belt should be replaced at 140k but wouldn't comment on the oil because their mechanic hasn't looked it at.

 

I'd imagine the 140k you mention is based on a dry belt remaining dry, in normal conditions, and not unduly affected by other factors, such as a dousing in oil.  Your belt has been contaminated.  

 

Like @seriesdriver I'd be having it changed if it were me.  Not worth the risk IMO.

 

Gaz

 

 

 

5 hours ago, otf said:

Do I need to change it

Absolutely you need to change it, or start saving for a new engine. DO NOT drive the car in the interim.

Probably OK to drive it for a short while, if the machanic had seen it was already degraded he would have been very insistent, nonetheless it should be considered a priority, toothed rubber drive belts and oil do not mix although Ford and others, maybe even VAG took the daft decision that they would do exactly that on recent engines

On 04/09/2024 at 14:53, J.R. said:

Probably OK to drive it for a short while, if the machanic had seen it was already degraded he would have been very insistent, nonetheless it should be considered a priority, toothed rubber drive belts and oil do not mix although Ford and others, maybe even VAG took the daft decision that they would do exactly that on recent engines

 

I've watched so many videos of mechanics pulling the cover off the oil sieve on the eco-boom engines with the wet belts and finding rubber debris. Surely Ford would have done the necessary engineering to figure this was a bad idea....? Or maybe it's just planned obsolesence!