Timing/cam belt change advice

laneycakes

Hi! I have an 09 plate Vw beetle cabriolet-had it from new and has just rocked over 70,000 miles.

Vw are trying to get me to change the cam belt for the second time -last time I did it was Nov 2013...

Does it really need doing this often? Considering the limited mileage?

They also are pushing me to do brake fluid change too-that was last done 2 years ago.

Advice appreciated!

facade

Cam belts are made out of some modern plasticy stuff, that can barely last the recommended 4 years, so yes you should get it changed, or it will lose all the teeth around the crank pulley one day and likely scrap the engine.

Brake fluid can be tested , but for the price it is better to simply change it at the recommended intervals than risk an expensive brake failure when driving down a mountain road.

Of course, if you never go further than the shops, so the brakes never get warm, and you can easily push it home with a broken cam belt there is no need to bother!

waamo

When you say VW are pushing you do you mean a main dealer? Getting it done there will be expensive. Find a local back street place that can do it cheaper.

force_ten

VW say that a cam belt should be changed every 4 years on cars registered before september 2009 and 5 years on cars registered after this date

brake fluid change is normally 24 months

I doubt very much that anybody with any sense would tell you to ignore manufacturers service requirements for the two items that you are asking about

going on the above the cambelt change is due nov 2017

cb1979

Depending on which engine you have some are 4 years or 40,000 miles so your is not due until november 2017 on age unless you have done more than 40,000 miles since the last one

A cambelt replacement is cheaper than a damaged engine due to a belt failure, so if you intend running the car for a few more years have it changed along with the tensioner and water pump

You may save a few quid getting the belt changed at a backstreet garage but at VW they will use genuine parts which in my opinion should be the best for the job

Brake fluid changes are another nice little earner for the dealers , some people may only do 10,000 miles in 2 years, others may do 80,000 miles in 2 years, so which one will have brake fluid that has deteriorated more

I asked the question at a VW dealership about the 2 year rule, I then asked them why from the factory the first change is 3 years from new then 2 after, i asked if they used better quality brake fluid at the factory, they could not answer

Jackmydad

Cambelts are cheaper than engines, so that's a bit of a no brainer. Main agents often have a fixed price for doing jobs. The one I use is decent and they seem to know what they're doing, so they get the work. Proper parts used and belt properly tensioned etc. So they're who I use, unless you know a really good small garage. Some are excellent, some are not.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic as said in another recent thread, so it's a good idea to change it. Nearly 20 years ago the cylinders in the back drums of my old Passat were both leaking, so I took the opportunity to completely rebuild the back brakes. I'd just bought a Gunsons Eezibleed kit, so I thought I'd change the fluid while I was on. I was amazed at the 'orrible stuff that came out from all the nipples, although the reservoir looked clear.
I kept the car for many years after that, and changed the fluid regularly. Never had to replace the cylinders or anything apart from flexibles and pads / shoes again. Could be coincidence or clean fluid could make seals etc. etc. less prone to wear?
Couple of services back I serviced my present car myself. oil change filter etc. I took it in to an "independent garage" to have the brake fluid and aircon done. Result was just as expensive as the main dealer. Brake fluid reservoir had been left filled to the brim when I got it home, and aircon never seemed to work as well.
Recent main dealer job was all OK, and aircon back working properly.

liltzero

Cambelt = change it
Brake fluid = change it if you want to

Your brakes aren't going to suddenly stop working because you don't have fresh brake fluid. However your engine will if your cambelt snaps.

System

cb1979 wrote: »

Brake fluid changes are another nice little earner for the dealers , some people may only do 10,000 miles in 2 years, others may do 80,000 miles in 2 years, so which one will have brake fluid that has deteriorated more

They'll both have deteriorated the same. In fact its possible the one that has only done 10,000 miles will have deteriorated more due to more braking instances as 80,000 in 2 years suggest a lot of motorway/A road driving where you don't use the brakes much compared to town driving. Both will have absorbed the same amount of moisture.