Is it possible to put this issue to bed? So many opinions it's confusing.

I can only speak on behalf of the Octavia Mk. 111 1.6 diesel, and two written statements  from 1. A Skoda main dealer.  2. Skoda customer services, as follows;

1.  Main dealer states in their opinion belt should be changed at around 60k miles or 5 years, but recognized Skoda's latest edict as below, and seemingly did not agree with it.

2.  Skoda customer services state that the belt change is 140k  full stop no time limit.

 

Only one can be right, and I assume it should be the manufacturer as they carry the can for their reputation, [but probably not the cost of premature belt failure]

 

So what does it take for us all to sing with one voice?

25 minutes ago, Meldrew said:

what does it take for us all to sing with one voice?

Good luck with that! 

Lots of folks only seem to come on here for an argument. 

 

2 is correct though.

140k or 5 years. Whichever comes soonest. 
 

I had mine done at 133k. 

@gm73 You did not have it done on a 1.6 TDI did you.  You have a 1.5 TSI ACT.

 

But what ever, sooner maybe better than later. 

This might not include 1.6 TDI,s. 

Cam Belt Guidance change (1).pdf

22 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

@gm73 You did not have it done on a 1.6 TDI did you.  You have a 1.5 TSI ACT.

 

But what ever, sooner maybe better than later. 

This might not include 1.6 TDI,s. 

Cam Belt Guidance change (1).pdf 893.71 kB · 1 download

No I was talking about my 2015 1.6 TDI. I had that done at 133k. 
 

My 1.5 TSI was done at 116k. The Skoda dealer had never seen a 1.5 TSI with mileage as high as mine so booked it in. 

Edited 11 December, 20241 yr by gm73

In Latvia, official dealers states 210k km (~131k miles) for Octy3 and Golf7 TDI belt and rollers.

+coolant pump is recommended to be done at same time.

+take a look on crankshaft seal (leak under 200k km is popular; my at 175k km is wet already).

 

Without restrictions in time- just mileage.

Same in Octy Service Manual, edition 10/2013 (don't know if there's update concerning belt interval)- if we talk about "Non-dust rich countries".

Asked Škoda service manager- how old parts usually looks by fact? He said, belt and rollers can handle this interval without problems indeed.

For the past 22 years, I have always stuck to Skoda Auto belt servicing intervals, ie distance based belt change, no 5yr time limit (that was Skoda UK "invention"). Skoda Auto might have had 10 years limit on I think 1 car (don't remember which one it was, sorry). Took a lot of flak for this on this very forum for publicising the fact that SUK invented their own service schedule contradicting Skoda Auto, but it seems the 5yr nonsense is finally going away.

 

From direct experience of1.6TDI CAYC engine, you may need to replace the belt much earlier if the water pump starts leaking (I think ~6 years on this one), and on 2.0TDI CUNA engine, after 8 years, one of the timing belt rollers starts making noise from time to time, even though mileage is low for a timing belt. Not enough to replace it yet, but might think about it in a year or 2. Having replaced 4 belts in total on 3 different Skodas (3 at Skoda Auto mileage, 1 for the leaky WP), all of them were in pristine condition at replacement time, so for me the timing belt replacement should be called water pump, timing rollers and tensioner replacement, and the belt is just an extra on top 🙂

 

So in summary, if it ain't broke, don't fix it until Skoda Auto belt servicing schedule recommendation (as in 140k miles or whatever), but if the water pump leaks, replace WP and the belt/rollers/tensioner while you are at it, it's the same job.

 

Edited 13 December, 20241 yr by dieselV6

2 hours ago, dieselV6 said:

For the past 22 years, I have always stuck to Skoda Auto belt servicing intervals, ie distance based belt change, no 5yr time limit (that was Skoda UK "invention"). Skoda Auto might have had 10 years limit on I think 1 car (don't remember which one it was, sorry). Took a lot of flak for this on this very forum for publicising the fact that SUK invented their own service schedule contradicting Skoda Auto, but it seems the 5yr nonsense is finally going away.

 

From direct experience of1.6TDI CAYC engine, you may need to replace the belt much earlier if the water pump starts leaking (I think ~6 years on this one), and on 2.0TDI CUNA engine, after 8 years, one of the timing belt rollers starts making noise from time to time, even though mileage is low for a timing belt. Not enough to replace it yet, but might think about it in a year or 2. Having replaced 4 belts in total on 3 different Skodas (3 at Skoda Auto mileage, 1 for the leaky WP), all of them were in pristine condition at replacement time, so for me the timing belt replacement should be called water pump, timing rollers and tensioner replacement, and the belt is just an extra on top 🙂

 

So in summary, if it ain't broke, don't fix it until Skoda Auto belt servicing schedule recommendation (as in 140k miles or whatever), but if the water pump leaks, replace WP and the belt/rollers/tensioner while you are at it, it's the same job.

 

 

~same was said by our Škoda dealer: no worries about long interval, because (most probably) coolant pump will start to leak (or sliding ring get stuck) under 210k km- and at same time we'll do belt and rollers.

Based on differing schedules that have been published over the years for the 1.6tdi ( at one point I think it was down to every 40,000 miles ), I plumped for every 80,000 which equates to once every 3 years roughly.

I've had two done now, c/w water pump, and have not had reports back saying that the belt or pump were on their last legs.