4 year service

[JohnCalifornia]

Hi my new to me Cali is coming up to 4 year old and according to the service schedule it needs the DSG service and the cam belt replacing. I called a normal VW dealer by mistake and they said they can do the service works etc but can’t do diagnostic works on a Cali it needs to be a VW van centre to do works like that. The normal VW dealer is saying the water pump also needs replacing with the cam belt replacement . Once I got off the phone to them I called my local VW van centre and they tell me the water pump doesn’t need to be replaced with the cam belt as it’s a different type on the newer models. Mine is a 2019 year. Any idea if the water pump needs replacing as part of the cam belt change? Both dealers were very similar in price .

 

[Blue Yonder]

I would get the water pump changed and a new auxiliary belt fitted too. The big cost of a cam belt change is the labour charge in having to tear down the front end of the van to get to them. The parts cost is small in comparison.

An independent garage who know their way around VW Transporters and fit genuine VAG parts can do this for a lot less than a main dealer.

 

[Perfectos]

The General rule of thumb is to replace the water pump at the same time as the Timing belt, purely because the cost is about £100 if done with the belt because the water pump is exposed and accessible whilst doing the belt.
VW T6 water pumps are known to leak and can fail, failure will cause the to timing belt to snap resulting in engine damage (Catastrophic) . There are several types of water pump used by VW on these engines your Vin number will identify the correct one

I had my TB replaced recently at an VW Indi cost for OEM belt and pump £540
cost from VW main stealer £980

Water pump replaced for peace of mind, the removed parts looked new, but I now have the VW All in warranty/ service so wanted to keep everything as VW suggest so VW cannot refute any future issues

The choice is yours alone to make.

edit : if you choose to use an Indi, use one that can update your VW digital service record. (Official digital record) and provide a copy & VAT receipt