Cambelt change

[natty]

We have a VW Beach on a 19 plate, and have been told its due its cabelt shortly because the 4 years is up.
However, its only done 15.5K miles, and VW are quoting £650 for the cambelt and water pump.
Another garage (not VW) has said that the water pump replacement interval is 50K miles, and it could proably be skipped and just do the belt - bit cheaper that way obviously.
I wonder what peoples thoughts are? I read through another post from last year, and the jury seemed still to be out.
thanks

 

[WelshGas]

We have a VW Beach on a 19 plate, and have been told its due its cabelt shortly because the 4 years is up.
However, its only done 15.5K miles, and VW are quoting £650 for the cambelt and water pump.
Another garage (not VW) has said that the water pump replacement interval is 50K miles, and it could proably be skipped and just do the belt - bit cheaper that way obviously.
I wonder what peoples thoughts are? I read through another post from last year, and the jury seemed still to be out.
thanks

Most people tend to change the waterpump with the cambelt as the labour charges for just the waterpump are almost as much as just the cambelt on its own as the cambelt is removed but not replaced.
As far as the Cambelt is concerned, yes VW say 4 yrs or 80,000 miles.
On the continent it is a higher milage and longer time interval BUT the service includes a Check of the cambelt condition annually.
If you have an extended warranty then I believe you must follow VWUKs service intervals. If not you could delay it.
All work by a VW dealer carries a 2 Yr warranty on parts and labour.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

It’s only VWUK that states the cambelt needs to be replaced after 4 years with no mileage stipulation. VW Europe the criteria is completely different, theirs is something like 60k miles and 10 years.
Obviously VWUK franchises want the work as it’s very lucrative.

 

[WelshGas]

It’s only VWUK that states the cambelt needs to be replaced after 4 years with no mileage stipulation. VW Europe the criteria is completely different, theirs is something like 60k miles and 10 years.
Obviously VWUK franchises want the work as it’s very lucrative.

UK it is 4 yrs or 80,000 miles.
Europe 210,000 km ( 130,000 miles )+ Annual Cambelt condition check. Apparantly no time limit.

 

[B J G]

I had mine done on a low mileage.

Part of the decision making process was how long I intended to keep it. Undecided period still.

Had I been intending to sell/replace it during the next year or two I would have postponed cambelt & pump until just before sale making it a plus selling point.

Low mileage would mean that the belt would have been in one position around pulleys for weeks or months at a time. That could be countered by saying that engines generally stop at the same position.

Don't think that I've seen cambelt failures mentioned on Forums but that could be due to regular replacement.

 

[SpeedyVW]

Hi,

Mine was due last year. I queried if it was worth doing the water pump having seen it on here and the VW garage said not to waste my money - they just encouraged me to do the belt as the vehicle is still under warranty and if anything went wrong with the belt/engine it would encourage VW to cover it. (Mileage at the time around 13.5k). (This was at VW van centre Cleckheaton)

Hope this helps.

 

[ArunAlec]

Did mine at 4yrs and low mileage + water pump.
My advice is to buy a second car with even higher running costs, so that when you get the Cali serviced, it looks like a bargain!

 

[JohnCalifornia]

I got mine done 1 month ago as the Cali was coming up to 4 years old. Mine is a 2019 year. The VW van centre I used (Leeds) said the water pump didn’t need doing until 80K as it was the new electronic one rather than the mechanical version (or vice versa) so I got the cam belt changed and the DSG service too.

 

[SpeedyVW]

I got mine done 1 month ago as the Cali was coming up to 4 years old. Mine is a 2019 year. The VW van centre I used (Leeds) said the water pump didn’t need doing until 80K as it was the new electronic one rather than the mechanical version (or vice versa) so I got the cam belt changed and the DSG service too.

Possibly the same van centre as mine. Anyway nice to hear others getting the same advice.

 

[JohnCalifornia]

I got mine done at the new VW van centre in Beeston in Leeds. Not been there that long I don’t think, maybe 1 year or so. The Cleckheaton one would have been my next port of call for any works on the Cali though.

 

[drdaveboycali]

i had cambelt and waterpump done at 4 years last june on mine and had 7300 miles on a 18 plate , the vehicle is probably worth in excess of 40k so £550 to get done isnt so bad , had it done by a very good indy and very happy

 

[Sad]

I would do it, compared to the vehicle value, or the potential cost of component failure, it's 'cheap'!

 

[Gordon McLean]

Just had ours done 17 plate with 25k on the clock. As drdaveboycali says its a 40-50k vehicle over the £600 cost. My main motivation was she's being taken to Europe by my kids and the risk of it failing was not worth the few quid I would save and the hassle to sort it remotely.

 

[Robin Brooke]

As with all mechanical maintenance, its worth thinking through the implications of skipping this and the cambelt breaking and the cost you would bear fixing the engine. Believe me as a frugal human I also search for opportunities to reduce cost, but for my campervan I would service on or before reccomended intervals and keep the vehicle and its history healthy.

 

[Lee.Van.Cleef]

We're a 19 plate Ocean with sub-20k miles (2nd owner, not daily drive) so watching this thread with interest. Not least as we're planning a continental tour in 6 weeks. Anecdotally, what's the *earliest* (either miles or age) anyone knows of a cambelt failing (without being changed at 4 years/ 80k?

 

[Ozzy Pete]

We're a 19 plate Ocean with sub-20k miles (2nd owner, not daily drive) so watching this thread with interest. Not least as we're planning a continental tour in 6 weeks. Anecdotally, what's the *earliest* (either miles or age) anyone knows of a cambelt failing (without being changed at 4 years/ 80k?

According to VWUK there isn’t any mileage stipulation for changing you cambelt and waterpump. Zero miles but 4 years then you need a new cambelt. VW Europe it’s around 60k miles or 10 years whichever comes first.

 

[Chris Greaves]

I held off to 6 years and 60K miles, when VW Sheffield quoted £960 to change belt and water pump. Drove round the corner and saw a sign for a VW Indy charging £460 with all VW parts. Sorted, and an excellent experience with the Indy, Autohaus Dolby, Sheffield.

 

[WelshGas]

According to VWUK there isn’t any mileage stipulation for changing you cambelt and waterpump. Zero miles but 4 years then you need a new cambelt. VW Europe it’s around 60k miles or 10 years whichever comes first.

VWUK stipulate 4 yrs or 80,000 miles.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

The 4 year time limit is ridiculous IMO. How can the exact same engine be 10 years on the continent? It doesn’t make any sense at all. I would wait till 6 years and then likely do it unless I was covering serious mileage.

 

[Corradobrit]

The 4 year time limit is ridiculous IMO. How can the exact same engine be 10 years on the continent? It doesn’t make any sense at all. I would wait till 6 years and then likely do it unless I was covering serious mileage.

The beancounters like it.

 

[BeerhowlerSouthWest]

I owned aT5 Kombi van, intending to convert but never did, then sold it for £500 more than I'd paid for it 5 years earlier.
We then purchased a T6 California Beach as we really didn't want the kitchen etc.
The T5 cam belt / water pump changes was recommended as 6 years. So as she'd done 60k we shelled out and got it done.
I use Volkscraft in Exeter, totally VW authorised, using all VW original parts etc. Excellent people to deal with..
Having purchased the 2018 Cali with 15k miles from Carrs VW Commercial of Exeter, I thought I had at least 6 years before the cam belt water pump 'hit' of at least £650.
Oh no, it's now every 4 years sir.
Volkscraft compromise and now say 5 years.
But let's be honest here, this is just another VW moneyspinner.

It's that classic of the unknown.
Ignore it, it breaks, you need a new engine at whatever telephone number that is.

Yet I am reliably informed by a VW authorised service centre that in Germany my can belt change recommendation is to get it done in 2034!!
Such blarney.

On another issue the VW dealer has badgered me to take up their 'All In' service schedule.
At £34 a month, with MOTs, warranty and services.
But Transporters are a two yearly service cycle?
The All In deal demands the Cali has annual servicing. So yet another moneyspinner over-servicing vehicles.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

That’s the job of VW sales and service staff to sell all and any goods and services on offer. My van went in for a minor service and they tried to sell me a cambelt and waterpump service that was over £600. Plus front discs and pads £440.
The Discs and pads I did myself for £101 with decent quality parts. And a couple of hours.
The cambelt I’m going to leave for now although it’s around 4 years it’s only done 7k miles and the inspected the belts and said they were ok. The idea is if they put the fear of God into you if you didn’t know better you would be 1k + out of pocket.

 

[HectorPascal]

I think manufacturers must write their schedules for the worst case and most extreme conditions. There is no way I would change my cambelt, water pump, or even brake fluids/aircon gas as they prescribe.

If we all lived our lives as ‘recommended’ by commercial organisations - dental check ups every 6 months - veterinary paraphernalia - insurance to the hilt on everything we would all be broke.

Common sense dictates as ever.

 

[WelshGas]

Here’s my take on trying to put this subject into perspective.
I have been told by a number of sources that in the U.K. that the recommendation is 4yrs or 80,000 miles ( 130,000. + Kms ).
I can believe that to virtually guarantee No Cambelt failure changing it at 80,000 miles on vehicles covering 20,000 miles/ yr is a no brainier £650+ verse £7,500+ for an engine rebuild.

Now the thing that concerns owners that own a Camper Conversion that does very low milage , sub 5,000 miles/ year, why should I have a Cambelt change every 4 yrs when I’ve only done less than 20,000 miles in that time.
Rubber and fibre Cambelts wear over time but remain flexible if used constantly, BUT what happens when these low milage vehicles are laid up for 6 months of the year with the belt in tension, in one position and still exposed to the atmospheric degradation common to all such rubber compounds. I very much doubt if any extended R&D has been carried out as the very low milage vehicles are a small % of the vast majority produced.
If you decided to ignore the time interval and just went with milage only, to replace the Cambelt then for the owners of these low milage vehicles it may take them 20 yrs to reach that milage and each year over 4 yrs the risk of a catastrophic Cambelt failure increases by “ x “. So it fails at 20yrs and you end up with a £7,500+ bill.
Changing it every 4 yrs in the meantime would have cost 4 x £650 = £2,600 or thereabouts and with each change, if done by VW you have 2 yrs warranty on parts and Labour + a virtually zero risk of a Cambelt failure.
So over 20 yrs and 80,000 miles your looking at £2,600 v £7,500 at present prices.

I have heard recently that some places are quoting 5 yrs or 80,000 miles.

I had my belt changed at 4 yrs AND 80,000 miles. My next will be done at 5 yrs and about 130,000 miles thanks to Covid 19.

 

[pjm-84]

The 4 year time limit is ridiculous IMO. How can the exact same engine be 10 years on the continent? It doesn’t make any sense at all. I would wait till 6 years and then likely do it unless I was covering serious mileage.

Agree. I went through all the parts on mine that were removed after 4yrs and 33.5k and they were like new. Ask the garage for the parts that were removed and see for yourselves.