VW Passat (06 Reg). Garage rang and said "Your car is due a cambelt change". True??

TiTheRev

Flying-High wrote: »

Do you work for a VW direct or a Dealer?...

I always thought a 2.0TDi was 80k/4 year:)

Are the OE water pump impellers metal now or plastic?

Have none of the plastic impeller ones failed in the past?

I work at a Dealership. The engine type makes no odds, VW just set recommended schedules for cambelt changes. A few years ago they recommended 60k or 5yrs, but that was found to be too long, so they reduced it to 60k or 4yrs. Unless the engine is chain driven ALL Volkswagen engines will have that recommended service interval.

Brand new water pumps are still supplied with plastic impellers, as they feel it is better for the impeller (IF it is to incur any problems) to break up or crack rather than seize or jam solid so that the belt snaps or jumps some teeth etc. If the impeller stops working it's far less damaging than the belt not doing what it should!

The issue that a few pumps had (almost exclusively on Mk4 Golfs) was a manufacturing issue to my knowledge and they have altered the materials used now so it is no longer an issue.

milliemonster

well, we have a 56 plate 2.0 TDI passat and just had the cambelt done at the beginning of the year, VW told us the interval was 80k and wanted £300, we got it done at an indy for £200

jase1

The pumps are so cheap on most cars (and I can't see VW being particularly expensive) that it's worth just doing anyway.

TiTheRev

jase1 wrote: »

The pumps are so cheap on most cars (and I can't see VW being particularly expensive) that it's worth just doing anyway.

About £30 for a pump (exchange) but in 6years I've never changed one with a cambelt yet.

Hammyman

lancslass2008 wrote: »

His car is VW Passat 2.0 TDI (06 Reg)

5 years sounds about right.

I can honestly say that in 25 years of motoring, NONE of my cars has EVER had a new cam belt.

That'll only because you've not had them long enough or haven't had cars with cambelts.

Simple fact is the life of rubber is around 5 years and EVERY CAMBELT DRIVEN CAR IN THE HISTORY OF CAMBELT DRIVEN CARS INCLUDING THE ONES YOU'VE OWNED will need them doing around 5-6 years or based on mileage. Chances are you have had one that needed it doing but you didn't have a garage who were decent enough to inform you and would rather let you find out when it failed.

luap2411

I had a Passat 1.8 20v Petrol. At the time the cambelt change was 80k, but it snapped at about 63k. After 3 months of the dealer trying to get all 20 valves to seal properly, VW apparently coughed for a brand new complete head. The dealer told me the cost was £3k, which as it was under warranty, and under 80k I didn't have to pay for.

For the horrible cost if a cambelt lets go it's not worth risking things, get it changed if it needs doing or there is any doubt.

As suggested worth using an Indy if the car is an 06 plate, and check what they would also change e.g. waterpump. I have an Alfa now, at cambelt time the VVT variator needs to be changed, so take the advice !

atrixblue.-MFR-.

water pump and timing kit recommended to be changed, i think the manufacterers rec on belt changes are too high even at 60K or 5 years.

there are alot of factors that can degrade a belt quicker.

we've had extremes of weather rubber and frost do not mix rapidly thawing and then refreezing has ill affects on certain rubber types. if that belt had a bit of cracking on it surface when it froze the expanding water droplet would of made the crack bigger and running the car from freeezing rapidly thawing it then stopping for hours for it to refreeze with more water in it again expanding water opening the crack even wider you get the picture, ive inspected my alternator belt that was fitted 7k ago and it looks about 40-50k old and need replacing again can only put it down to the cold weather we had, theyre most exposed allong with water and external pipes, judging buy those belts i'm getting my cam belt done that was done 30k ago just cant run the risk, i need my car and dont fancy the bill for the whole engine eventhough if i took my time could fit myself but tghe engine is most costly part you could buy, my engine is £1700 reconditioned replacement at ivor searl, £1400 refurbished with local engineers £120 for a belt kit and pump i like the look on the belt change figure.

marlot

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

water pump and timing kit recommended to be changed, i think the manufacterers rec on belt changes are too high even at 60K or 5 years.

Its depends on the design and stresses.

Ford Focus is (I think) 10 years/100,000 miles, and my Toyota is 10 years/90,000 miles - and failures are very rarely heard of.

VW seem to be particularly prone to breakage - I'm sure it must be a design issue.

TiTheRev

marlot wrote: »

Its depends on the design and stresses.

Ford Focus is (I think) 10 years/100,000 miles, and my Toyota is 10 years/90,000 miles - and failures are very rarely heard of.

VW seem to be particularly prone to breakage - I'm sure it must be a design issue.

I've not seen a single cambelt broken in the 6years I've been working at VW, so it's far from a design issue or regular occurance. The official line from VW is that, as has been stated above, rubber only has a certain life span (approx 5/6yrs) but with the change in 'atmospheric' conditions like more salt on the road with the colder winters etc, the rubber belts are enduring more and it is SAFER to reduce the interval time of the belt change to PREVENT any issues.

Similarly they have brought the service interval forward for diesel fuel filters from 60k to 40k because they've found that consumers are using more and more unrefined fuels (supermarket stuff) and the useful life of the filter is shortened as a result.

Rubber is rubber is rubber. They can make service intervals 2 years or 20,000miles, but until they replace cam belts with chains or a similarly longlife material, rubber will degrade and need replacing.

myhooose

luap2411 wrote: »

I had a Passat 1.8 20v Petrol. At the time the cambelt change was 80k, but it snapped at about 63k. After 3 months of the dealer trying to get all 20 valves to seal properly, VW apparently coughed for a brand new complete head. The dealer told me the cost was £3k, which as it was under warranty, and under 80k I didn't have to pay for.

For the horrible cost if a cambelt lets go it's not worth risking things, get it changed if it needs doing or there is any doubt.

As suggested worth using an Indy if the car is an 06 plate, and check what they would also change e.g. waterpump. I have an Alfa now, at cambelt time the VVT variator needs to be changed, so take the advice !

I had the same thing happen to me on a 1.8, 20 valve Seat. The belt went 15k before the change interval. I guess there is that bit much more force on the belt with an extra 4 valves to operate.