Cost of cambelt change?

[BlueSharp]

The local Audi dealer has quoted £745 for parts, labour and VAT. It came with an offer:

"Should you decide to have your cam belt & water pump replaced with us, you will benefit from FREE MOT's for the cars life at any Audi centre in the UK."

I suspect that's not a free lunch.

I took this deal with the local Audi dealership, I think I needed 2 MOT's free for the price to balance out with a local Audi indy specialist. The car was also under warranty as well with the dealership at the time (who did provide good will when the DMF and clutch went). I'm currently about to submit it for the 4th MOT and will keep the car for another 100k/8 years.

[Paddy]

Any garage offering a "free" MOT should be an immediate no.

Quite honestly, I find most garages in the UK to be really bad even the main dealers. They are very sloppy at least and cut corners, they often don't reconnect things properly or leave bits off. I can't remember when I last saw a garage use a torque wrench.

[scooterscot]

No Cam belt, no curry ingredients from the shops - you're just sheet out of luck.

[DealorNoDeal]

Apparently, later models of the TT have a timing chain rather than a belt. I think most cars many years ago used to have chains.

It's always seemed a bit daft to me using a piece of rubber for something as crucial as the camshaft on an interference engine. I wonder whose bright idea that was.

[Paddy]

Apparently, later models of the TT have a timing chain rather than a belt. I think most cars used to have chains.

It's always seemed a bit daft to me using a piece of rubber for something as crucial as the camshaft on an interference engine. I wonder whose bright idea that was.

A timing chain would not work on most engines unless it was a combination of gears and chains. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. A timing belt is not "a piece of rubber", it is a laminated compound and it has to match the gear teeth etc. It does ware like anything else. Leaving it for seven years is asking for trouble. The question arises, what else haven't you maintained on your car?

Gates Europe

[DimPrawn]

Apparently, later models of the TT have a timing chain rather than a belt. I think most cars many years ago used to have chains.

It's always seemed a bit daft to me using a piece of rubber for something as crucial as the camshaft on an interference engine. I wonder whose bright idea that was.

The bright idea of the people that charge £750 to change said bit of rubber, and same people that charge £2000+ to repair said engine for those that skip the cambelt change...

[DealorNoDeal]

Leaving it for seven years is asking for trouble. The question arises, what else haven't you maintained on your car?

I totally agree, I shouldn't have left it this long. If I was doing more mileage I would have got it done sooner. I do less than 2,000 miles a year, and the car has only done 11,000 miles since the last belt change. But I am aware that belts can deteriorate over time, even if not used.

Apart from doing what's required to get the car through an MOT, I don't stick religously to the service schedule. For example, I only get the oil changed every 2 years.

[GigiBronz]

Quite honestly, I find most garages in the UK to be really bad even the main dealers. They are very sloppy at least and cut corners, they often don't reconnect things properly or leave bits off. I can't remember when I last saw a garage use a torque wrench.

Yes, I am afraid I have to agree with this. Dealers count on detailed procedures from manufacturer not the mechanic's experience so they hire on the cheap. (a lot of times it is not a replacement)
Overall the vehicle has become another product of a society of mass consumption. They used to over-engineer the components because methods of design were a bit rough... now it is no longer the case.
There is also an overall push to discourage people from "wanting to own cars outside of warranty", they earn equally from financing as from the actual product.
Weather the gain in emissions is worth the trade-off of building and scrapping more cars, it is questionable. But I am sure that is what is on CEO's target for the year.

Spent the past 5y in the automotive sector doing product R&D and especially... cough... diesel engines.

If you have a car that is up to '08 and still happy with it. Don't sell it.

[Paddy]

I totally agree, I shouldn't have left it this long. If I was doing more mileage I would have got it done sooner. I do less than 2,000 miles a year, and the car has only done 11,000 miles since the last belt change. But I am aware that belts can deteriorate over time, even if not used.

Apart from doing what's required to get the car through an MOT, I don't stick religously to the service schedule. For example, I only get the oil changed every 2 years.

Way long ago, I bought three company cars from fleet sales. All were three years old. One of them had not done any miles for over a year because the driver had a long term illness, when I opened up the bonnet I noticed that the auxiliary belt was cracking (rather like car tyres when a car has been left unused for some time). Strange things happen when a car is not used much.

[ladymuck]

Way long ago, I bought three company cars from fleet sales. All were three years old. One of them had not done any miles for over a year because the driver had a long term illness, when I opened up the bonnet I noticed that the auxiliary belt was cracking (rather like car tyres when a car has been left unused for some time). Strange things happen when a car is not used much.

This is true. I religiously stick to the annual servicing schedule on my 16 year old jalopy. I only did 1064 miles between MOTs in the past year.