Ok I’m new here with my battle scared 04 plate 1.9 pd. Had it checked over today by mechanic and good news is it lives and is fairly healthy. Mot due in March don’t know when cambelt last done but car seems like it’s been previously reasonably well looked after. Anyone any thoughts on this. Mechanic says should be okay for couple of thousand miles. Would hate it to die prematurely. Thoughts and experiences appreciated.

Edited 18 December, 202518 Dec by Ligurian
Spelling

Our Fabia 1.9 pd ATD did 80,000 miles on its first cambelt no problem if that helps.

I used to change my 1.9pd every 60k or 5 years (same as all my cars) although skoda have increased interval by a long way on some of I think newer cars. Personally I would change it at that mileage as you have no previous history. Not too bad a job on the 1.9tdi. I got a cheap kit on amazon to lock up camshaft etc and fitted a Gates kit including tensioner and water pump. Kit was around £65-00. There are from memory a few different ones depending on age and vin number.

Alasdair

What @Alasdair1 above says, get it done plus tensioner and water pump which is accessible at the same time and is a consumable item anyway. With no history you've no way of knowing when it was last changed so it's a gamble at this point how much longer it'll last.

Have had three cars with 1.9tdi pd engines fabia,octavia and seat. They all were excellent and generally trouble free. No DPF on any of mine and excellent mpg plus loads of power when you needed it. Now on a 1.6tdi but would swap back anytime.

Treat it to a new alternator belt while your at it and it should be good for another 50k at least.

Alasdair

11 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

I used to change my 1.9pd every 60k or 5 years (same as all my cars) although skoda have increased interval by a long way on some of I think newer cars. Personally I would change it at that mileage as you have no previous history. Not too bad a job on the 1.9tdi. I got a cheap kit on amazon to lock up camshaft etc and fitted a Gates kit including tensioner and water pump. Kit was around £65-00. There are from memory a few different ones depending on age and vin number.

Alasdair

Thanks Alasdair

11 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

I used to change my 1.9pd every 60k or 5 years (same as all my cars) although skoda have increased interval by a long way on some of I think newer cars. Personally I would change it at that mileage as you have no previous history. Not too bad a job on the 1.9tdi. I got a cheap kit on amazon to lock up camshaft etc and fitted a Gates kit including tensioner and water pump. Kit was around £65-00. There are from memory a few different ones depending on age and vin number.

Alasdair

11 hours ago, skomaz said:

Our Fabia 1.9 pd ATD did 80,000 miles on its first cambelt no problem if that helps.

Thanks better get it sorted soon I guess

I had a 2002 ibiza with a pd130 in. Had the Cambelt done in 2016 with about 150k on. We dont know if the belt was original, but it did have holes in 😨

So yeah, don't do that 🤣

2 hours ago, StevesTruck said:

I had a 2002 ibiza with a pd130 in. Had the Cambelt done in 2016 with about 150k on. We dont know if the belt was original, but it did have holes in 😨

So yeah, don't do that 🤣

Lucky the car lives

Make sure that a decent belt like gates is used. There are a lot of cheap ones out there. If your doing it yourself from memory you will need the tool for locking up engine.

On mine I needed need some triple square spline drives. When I did mine the amount of dirt behind the plastic wheel arch was worrying so I cleaned it all up and waxoiled it and when I had time I removed passenger side as well and cleaned it plus waxoil. They tend to start rusting at wheel arch especially at base near door pillar. I assume its because everything gets clogged up with dirt and salt.

Alasdair

@Alasdair1 removing wheel arch liners and the underbody plastic panels is something that everyone should be doing every few years, out of curiosity I removed the from wheel arch liners on my wife's 2015 VW Polo after its cam belt had been replaced, and yes, I should have done what I've suggested here - a long time ago.

All dirt removed and Waxoyl applied - a few years too late!

So far I have not removed the long plastic underbody panels on that 2015 Polo, but I should, I did that job on the previous 2002 Polo and there was quite a bit of dirt under them and again Waxoyl'd these areas.

I would, as others advised, do a full belt, tensioner, water pump and alternator belt at the least.

Also check the air and cabin filters, if they look heavily soiled, I would also replace them and possibly the fuel filter.

Without history it’s always a difficult decision to:

Change the brake fluid

Change the coolant

Re-gas the Aircon

Change the gearbox oil and filter if fitted.

Sadly that’s an expensive list unless your capability and equipment meets most of them.

With the tools and facilities it’s only the aircon that’s problematic.

John

When you do the timing belt and water pump I couldnt find a coolant drain plug in engine. Drained as much as I could from bottom rad hose but be prepared for coolant in engine to drop out when removing pump. You are as well renewing coolant at same time. If your coolant looks poor then maybe a coolant flush before hand before you do the pump/belt. If it hasnt been done I would change oil plus filter and inspect air filter at same time. The fuel filter can be changed at a later date if needed and I never changed the Gbox oil on mine and its done 140k and no probs.

Alasdair

12 hours ago, Ligurian said:

Lucky the car lives

As I told the mechanic that fitted it. it can't have been that bad, I did a track day in it 2 days earlier 😁