VW say I have already damaged my engine?

forgotmyname

The belt will still be the same age and possiblty in a worse condition that a car with 100,000 miles on it.

Rubber doesnt like not being used a lot. get 2 tyres one sitting there unused and one used on short local trips daily. The unused tyre will start to crack much sooner than the used one.

If you dont want to spend money on it (false economy) then dont. But will you be spending £2000+ on a new engine rather than £100 or so for a belt?

whitecloud663

Thanks for all the advice. I was told at the dealer that VW are currently doing a cambelt promotion, expires on the 30th December, and they charge £299 inc. labour and VAT for just the cambelt and an extra £50 for the water pump too.

Does this sound like a good offer?

My service quote as of yesterday is as follows:

£299 for major service
£59 brake fluid change
£349 for cambelt plus water pump (on promotion, normally £499)

Total is £707 including VAT and labour.

I'm not too sure about the brake fluid but the VW technician seemed pretty adamant about that.

I will check up the price of all the above from my Audi/VW specialist but from the last service I had with them, their prices looked pretty similar to the dealers anyway

jimjames

JustinR1979 wrote: »

At those miles I'd be inclined to change oil twice a year.
If you were doing 3 times the mileage then once a year.
Lots of nastiness in your oil with that treatment.

One reason why I only buy high mileage cars. Low mileage cars driven in the way described are problems waiting to happen and you even have to pay a premium price for it!

OP - definitely get the oil done asap.

Cambelt is up to you, personally I'd leave it a bit but your choice. I just had mine done for the 2nd time at 148k miles and 8 years old but using the current promotion which cost me £349.

For a very new or low mileage car you'll not really save much by not going to main dealers. You may save a little on the costs but it could well reduce the price when you come to sell.

whitecloud663

jimjames wrote: »

Cambelt is up to you, personally I'd leave it a bit but your choice.

I am running low on funds at this present time so this would be my preference. The oil and general service will be done this month.

However due to my financial situation, is it absolutely crucial to get the cam belt done asap or can hold it off for a year?

Ectophile

whitecloud663 wrote: »

I am running low on funds at this present time so this would be my preference. The oil and general service will be done this month.

However due to my financial situation, is it absolutely crucial to get the cam belt done asap or can hold it off for a year?

Nobody knows. Cambelts actually have a design life of about 100 000 miles if used regularly. But if they snap, it can cause serious engine damage. That's why manufacturers recommend a replacement at about 50 - 60 000 miles, just to be on the safe side.

Similarly, a cambelt is made of rubber, and will perish with age. So the manufacturers generally recommend a replacement every few years. Nobody can tell what state your is in without dismantling the engine to take a look. And by the time you've done that, you might as well just change the belt.

If you leave it a year, it will probably be fine. But it might just snap while you're driving at high speed, and trash your engine.

jaydeeuk1

Even if you had 'damaged' the engine, by the time it manfests itself it will be the next owners problem. My IQ I'll be selling soon is starting to burn more oil than it used to, probably because I've thrashed the b#llocks off it for over 5 years, so someone else can pick up the tab. (Avoid any iq's for sale come Feb time )

Marktheshark

The urban myth that a car that has been thrashed for 100,000 miles will be a better car than one with 20,000.
Any car dealer in the country will bust the myth in seconds when they value the car.

Strider590

This thread pretty much covers why I stay away from very low mileage cars, I used to avoid "one lady owner", but to be honest blokes are just as bad these days.

Strider590

Marktheshark wrote: »

The urban myth that a car that has been thrashed for 100,000 miles will be a better car than one with 20,000.
Any car dealer in the country will bust the myth in seconds when they value the car.

Because the market value of a car swings on what people will pay and if most people are idiots, then what?
So for example, small city cars are less reliable than large mile muncher cars (fact) but small cars hold their value better because people assume that they're better on fuel, insurance and tax.

notanewuser

For such little mileage do you actually need a car at all OP? Every mile must be costing you a fortune!