Routine cam belt replacement interval?

[Loz]

Sorry to resurrect this dull subject but could someone direct me to where the recommended intervals are stated for the toothed belt replacement? I can’t find it in either the manual or on the VW website.

My 2017 beach has done nearly 40k miles and I’d rather not shell out yet, but it has a year of extended warranty left, hence I’d like to read the small print.

My 2016 Golf GTE is also due for a major service inc toothed belt change, so I could be looking at well over £2,000 to carry out all of the recommended work on two vehicles that have spent much of the past year sat on the driveway!

After my investigations I discovered the following;
Gates (manufacturer) says they have a max design life of 10 years
Gates say they warrant the belt to VW for 7years (design criteria)
VW(the manufacturer) service schedule is every 130,000 Miles (210,000KM)
VWUK ( A sales franchise) recommend 4 years

If like me, you choose annual servicing, you can request the dealer inspects the belt at each service to ensure you find any early signs of damage or fatigue.
As our Cali is very low mileage, I will probably go for 5 years.

 

[jimmywease]

After my investigations I discovered the following;
Gates (manufacturer) says they have a max design life of 10 years
Gates say they warrant the belt to VW for 7years (design criteria)
VW(the manufacturer) service schedule is every 130,000 Miles (210,000KM)
VWUK ( A sales franchise) recommend 4 years

If like me, you choose annual servicing, you can request the dealer inspects the belt at each service to ensure you find any early signs of damage or fatigue.
As our Cali is very low mileage, I will probably go for 5 years.

Thank you very much for the information. Whereabouts did you find the VW service schedule and VWUK intervals?

Sorry if this is obvious and I’m being thick!

 

[Loz]

Thank you very much for the information. Whereabouts did you find the VW service schedule and VWUK intervals?

Sorry if this is obvious and I’m being thick!

I have the workshop manuals etc.

 

[B J G]

I noticed VW/Audi car cam belts as being done at 5 years.

I had mine done at 4 years as the Dealer insisted that it was still the period required.

I'll probably only have the need for one replacement during my ownership so might as well get it done now and it's now covered by VW for the next 2 years. I do have a non VW Warranty who might well not pay up if not done as recommended should it fail.

I have in the past had a cambelt fail on a car which was only 18 months old plus I did a DIY cambelt replacement on a 6 year old Audi and got a shock at the hidden cracked state of the belt that came off, every toothed part had the rubber split to the cords. Looked perfectly OK when checked in the fitted position. Only needs a few of the rubber teeth/blocks to come off for a drive failure.

 

[B J G]

More than likely not...someone has to pay VW‘s fine!

VW accused of using 'innovative' defences in high court battle

Lawyers bring biggest class action of its kind in Britain against carmaker over emissions scandal

www.theguardian.com

Utter nonsense that a water pump has to be changed at the same time because it may be a false economy not too. I have driven many vehicles to over 100,000 miles and never ever had to replace a water pump. Scare tactics work on us all.

Water pump included due to potential bearing failure is my understanding.
Stronger design needed but.... why update a finance source from VW's take on it.

 

[jimmywease]

I’ll leave it until next year. I just spoke to the workshop and they said that the van only needs an MOT, so I’ll go with that!

Apparently the emails and phone calls I’ve received from them, telling me that it needs a gearbox oil change, cam belt change, mot & service are just speculative calls from their marketing department!

Relieved to be £900 better off but finding it all a bit murky...

 

[Goss]

Water pump included due to potential bearing failure is my understanding.
Stronger design needed but.... why update a finance source from VW's take on it.

They can’t be trusted.

 

[Chilmark]

Very frustrating all this Cam belt business my Dec 2016 204 Ocean has done just 15700 miles and the VW garage is telling me I need a £650 Cam Belt and Brake Fluid, haven't used the thing for over a year for obvious reasons, my old Golf used to be every 80,000 miles

 

[66tim99]

Very frustrating all this Cam belt business my Dec 2016 204 Ocean has done just 15700 miles and the VW garage is telling me I need a £650 Cam Belt and Brake Fluid, haven't used the thing for over a year for obvious reasons, my old Golf used to be every 80,000 miles

Ticking a box again, at your cost?

 

[Velma's Dad]

Very frustrating all this Cam belt business my Dec 2016 204 Ocean has done just 15700 miles and the VW garage is telling me I need a £650 Cam Belt and Brake Fluid, haven't used the thing for over a year for obvious reasons, my old Golf used to be every 80,000 miles

It's your van, get the belt changed when you see fit, not when someone who's in the business of selling you cam belt changes tells you.

My van is a 2015 model and I'll probably get the belt changed later this year.

 

[Snowball1935]

On Volkswagen’s own UK website - ‘What we do and why” it states:-
Cambelt - 4-5 years (4 years for cars registered before September 2009; 5 years thereafter. This may need to be changed sooner for high mileage drivers.
(a) there is no indication as to what represents the start of ‘high mileage’.
(b) With a VW service plan on my March 2009 VW Touran, VW refused to allow the dealership to change it at 4 years (as spec) until I made a great deal of fuss, and they capitulated.
(c) when I bought my 2017 Caravelle at 24 months old, I took out a dealership service plan. At its 4 year service, the technician pointed out the need for a cambelt change. I pointed out that my Caravelle was a “car”, as indicated on the V5 certificate, and that I would have it changed at 5 years - which has since been done - and at that stage it had only covered approx 17,000 miles.
The technician emphasized that the vehicle was not garaged! - so what? Many cars spend the year-round in the open, and there is no indication that this is a game changer.
(d) I don’t know how the V5 describes Californians - but technically there is no difference as far as changing the cam belt is concerned.
(e) the failing is that Volkswagen list the Caravelle and Californian in their commercial group, which is an anomaly to suit their own organizational male strategy.
(f) I also have misgivings about the commercial technicians being truly honest - in the 2021 service, the technician entered the brakes discs as Amber in the ‘Health Report’, but in the 2022 service (different technician) they were passed Green in the ‘Health Report’. This “repair” cost was shown as being somewhere around £600 in the 2021 report!

 

[Snowball1935]

Correction to the above - it was bought at 14 months old!

 

[clarinetbcn]

On Volkswagen’s own UK website - ‘What we do and why” it states:-
Cambelt - 4-5 years (4 years for cars registered before September 2009; 5 years thereafter. This may need to be changed sooner for high mileage drivers.
(a) there is no indication as to what represents the start of ‘high mileage’.
(b) With a VW service plan on my March 2009 VW Touran, VW refused to allow the dealership to change it at 4 years (as spec) until I made a great deal of fuss, and they capitulated.
(c) when I bought my 2017 Caravelle at 24 months old, I took out a dealership service plan. At its 4 year service, the technician pointed out the need for a cambelt change. I pointed out that my Caravelle was a “car”, as indicated on the V5 certificate, and that I would have it changed at 5 years - which has since been done - and at that stage it had only covered approx 17,000 miles.
The technician emphasized that the vehicle was not garaged! - so what? Many cars spend the year-round in the open, and there is no indication that this is a game changer.
(d) I don’t know how the V5 describes Californians - but technically there is no difference as far as changing the cam belt is concerned.
(e) the failing is that Volkswagen list the Caravelle and Californian in their commercial group, which is an anomaly to suit their own organizational male strategy.
(f) I also have misgivings about the commercial technicians being truly honest - in the 2021 service, the technician entered the brakes discs as Amber in the ‘Health Report’, but in the 2022 service (different technician) they were passed Green in the ‘Health Report’. This “repair” cost was shown as being somewhere around £600 in the 2021 report!

You might want to read post #26 above. By the way, the private UK franchise is the only one that doesn’t follow VW’s manufacture’s recommendation to inspect the belt at every service and change at 130,000 miles/210,000 km without 4 or 5 year time limit. All other countries follow VW’s recommendation. When asked by members of this forum in writing why they don’t follow the VW recommendation, UK’s private importer responded that that information “is not available to be shared.”

 

[Snowball1935]

Post#26 makes very interested reading. After strop with VW Milton Keynes in 2013, when I managed force them to change my Touran’s belt at the specified 4 year interval, I am wondering: Had I followed their [VW’s] claim that it was serviceable for 130,000 miles (referring to German specification), then if it failed after another couple of years, what would VW have done?
(a) honoured the German spec of 130,000 miles?
(b) honoured the VW 7-year warranty given by Gates?
(c) told me the failure was down to me for not following their UK spec of 4 years?
I may be asking a question, but I think I already know the answer!!!

 

[clarinetbcn]

Post#26 makes very interested reading. After strop with VW Milton Keynes in 2013, when I managed force them to change my Touran’s belt at the specified 4 year interval, I am wondering: Had I followed their [VW’s] claim that it was serviceable for 130,000 miles (referring to German specification), then if it failed after another couple of years, what would VW have done?
(a) honoured the German spec of 130,000 miles?
(b) honoured the VW 7-year warranty given by Gates?
(c) told me the failure was down to me for not following their UK spec of 4 years?
I may be asking a question, but I think I already know the answer!!!

That's why the rest of Europe follows the VW recommendation to inspect the belt at every service, which the UK franchise skips. It's comparable to replacing a fully functioning clutch, even though the plates are in good condition.

 

[rod_vw]

Now here may be an anomaly that is about to raise its ugly head!

We have two identical vehicles being imported and sold under two different badges and franchises i.e. VW Crafter and MAN TGE.

Do both of these recommend the same service procedure and change interval for the cam belt on these models? I don't yet know but may find out when my TGE is delivered.

 

[Brian’s Dad]

Our Cali has celebrated its 4th birthday with less than 30K miles. The cam belt is due for change (so a few months ago I rang Heritage VW, they checked and booked me in). I've just had a phone call as we're due to have it done next week, they're now saying VW have revised their guidance and it's purely mileage based rather than time based (the same as Europe). I've asked them to send a link / document to confirm this, I haven't received anything yet. Has anyone else heard similar things?

 

[Perfectos]

Our Cali has celebrated its 4th birthday with less than 30K miles. The cam belt is due for change (so a few months ago I rang Heritage VW, they checked and booked me in). I've just had a phone call as we're due to have it done next week, they're now saying VW have revised their guidance and it's purely mileage based rather than time based (the same as Europe). I've asked them to send a link / document to confirm this, I haven't received anything yet. Has anyone else heard similar things?

Please post a copy of that Doc on the forum when you get it.

I can’t believe VWUK have adjusted the long held belief that Calis on this side of the English Channel need to have the cam belt changed twice as frequently as if it was 14miles away!

But I’m prepared to believe VWUK may have come to their senses, particularly as VWUK stance has only served to aggravate the wider VW T series ownership,
An ownership who go elsewhere in droves once warranty period is over, simply because they feel ripped off by VWUKs insistence on making the rules up to suit themselves, when it suits.
Therefore the Greed & contempt VWUK shows the U.K. customer may well have actually backfired in the long run.

 

[Perfectos]

From t6 forum look at today’s post #681

Cambelt + Water Pump Replacement - Official guidance

Finally ….. Finally …..vindicated

www.t6forum.com

 

[clarinetbcn]

Please post a copy of that Doc on the forum when you get it.

I can’t believe VWUK have adjusted the long held belief that Calis on this side of the English Channel need to have the cam belt changed twice as frequently as if it was 14miles away!

But I’m prepared to believe VWUK may have come to their senses, particularly as VWUK stance has only served to aggravate the wider VW T series ownership,
An ownership who go elsewhere in droves once warranty period is over, simply because they feel ripped off by VWUKs insistence on making the rules up to suit themselves, when it suits.
Therefore the Greed & contempt VWUK shows the U.K. customer may well have actually backfired in the long run.

Finally. How many years that took. @Loz posted the official VW service schedule (no time limit) on the T6 forum 5 years ago.

 

[ArunAlec]

I would be interested to know what VW have done that has miraculously changed the schedule. If nothing physical or environmental and it’s purely a correction then maybe those of us that followed the “4yr policy” should claim a refund!

 

[Scoobz1]

Loking at the reports on Bristol Heritage (especially excluding sales/ viewings) I wouldn't count on getting an answer any time soon never mind a correct one

https://www.google.com/search?q=heritage+vw+bristol&rlz=1C1CHBF_enGB869GB869&sxsrf=AB5stBhKvcqKeZYpI-QUXVfajDirY9CbJQ:1688717549724&ei=7cinZPrgK4mWhbIPg8S3mAc&ved=0ahUKEwi6i7WNk_z_AhUJS0EAHQPiDXMQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=heritage+vw+bristol&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzILCC4QrwEQxwEQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDILCC4QgAQQxwEQrwEyBQgAEIAEMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIZCC4QrwEQxwEQgAQQlwUQ3AQQ3gQQ4AQYAjoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoKCAAQigUQsAMQQzoVCC4QigUQxwEQrwEQyAMQsAMQQxgBOhUILhCKBRDHARDRAxDIAxCwAxBDGAE6GQguEIAEEMcBEK8BEJcFENwEEN4EEOAEGAJKBAhBGABQ1QlYjyFg1yRoAXABeACAAfoEiAG2HZIBCTItMS4xLjIuNJgBAKABAcABAcgBFNoBBggBEAEYCNoBBggCEAEYFA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#rlimm=16766034752238026358

 

[clarinetbcn]

I would be interested to know what VW have done that has miraculously changed the schedule. If nothing physical or environmental and it’s purely a correction then maybe those of us that followed the “4yr policy” should claim a refund!

VW hasn’t changed anything, they never had a 4 year policy. It was only the private UK importer who has been ripping off UK owners.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Took ours in for a service 13th May and they that it was due for a cam belt and waterpump service. Thank goodness I said no. Saved about £700.

 

[ArunAlec]

VW hasn’t changed anything, they never has a 4 year policy. It was only the private UK importer who has been ripping off UK owners.

Ok, so same point but directed at VW UK. What’s changed?