Changing cambelt - Needed?

Begsey

In 26 years of driving, I've only had 1 cambelt snap on me.
The repair costs were the biggest bill I've ever had for a car. So I'd get that done, to give me another 5 years peace of mind.
You'll need the MOT anyways, and the associated repairs.
I'd do an oil and filter change instead of the minor service, and put the brake fluid change on hold as well.

n217970

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

I'd rather go to a place I trust and pay the standard cost than go to a discounter and run the risk of them making up failure points to get work, for the sake of "saving" a few quid on the MOT.

Conversely the last time I took a car to a £20 an MOT outfit they passed a car that really should have failed.

GunJack

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Standard cost is £54.85, though testers are free to charge less if they want to.

I'd rather go to a place I trust and pay the standard cost than go to a discounter and run the risk of them making up failure points to get work, for the sake of "saving" a few quid on the MOT.

I go to a place I trust (family-owned, the current owner is my age and was his dad's apprentice when I had my first car at 18), they charge £35, and don't make up work for the sake of it....their labour rates are around a third of local main dealers.

Finding somewhere like that is priceless

cb1979

Yes its wise to have the belt, tensioner and water pump changed at 5 years, very expensive if any of the 3 fail

A Cambelt replacement may be more expensive at the VW dealers but they will be using the latest updated genuine parts where as an independent will most likely be using pattern parts from a Motor factors

I have my MOT done at VW, around £54 but they do give the car a good wash and vacuum and it comes back spotless

rafhelp

check if your engine is interference or non interference.

On one of those types if cam belt breaks it will ruin your engine cost alot more than to just replace it.

Get second opinion. Cam belt can be inspected on most cars.

You should keep a record of when it was changed. Dont risk cam belt issue.

Also as above get few different prices and go for best one (NOT cheapest one)

facade

Neighbours daughter has an UP!
When he took it for the last MOT the cambelt was overdue, and they made him sign a waiver that as the belt was overdue if it snapped when they did the MOT it was his problem not theirs.

It didn't

I'd change the cambelt at an independent, and leave the brake fluid another year if you are short of cash.

Homersimpson

As above you need to find a good local garage, my SIL used to take her Yaris to Toyota to have it serviced and MOTed until one time they passed it then told her it needed £1500 spending on it including a new water pump and clutch, it needed neither and the only thing they picked up that was genuine was it needed two tyres in the next few thousand miles.

She also recently took it to our local ATS for an MOT, she told them it was making a noise and could they look at that, they passed it and said there is nothing wrong with it so she asked me for a second opinion, I drove it 100 yards and got out and jacked it up at the side of the road, the noise was so bad it was unreal even at 20MPH. Turns out one of the wheel bearings is howling away, the tester must have been deaf when he span the wheel and I now get to spend tommorrow fitting a new bearing (actually a whole hub as it comes as a unit).