MK5 GTI - Cambelt

[Teutonic_Tamer]

cambelt wise yes.
they any acception is passats.
on those cambelts due change at 60k.

Why are the Piss-rats different? 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

We are going over old ground, so I aint repeating myself - - - but . . .

lol this whole thread and some ppls comments and attiudes make me laugh..

if you dont like the maintenance of vw or their cars then go buy something else..

or if you really feel the need to have a vw and still moan, take it elsewhere..
I find it quite rude that someone with such knowledge has answered so many question and in soooo much detail and its still not good enough for some of you..

at the end of the way what you get told by dealers is what vw specify, so all in all, i really think you should get in touch with vw themselves. 

Caz,

'its what VW says and you must do it otherwise stop whining ' is pretty much what you are saying?

Since I've contributed a great deal (more than I wanted to!) to this thread I'll take this head on.  I think if you read through what TT and I said we are actually broadly in agreement. 120k specified originally by VW is / was ridiculous.  60k is far more sensible and 5 years is a sensible time to change if you don't exceed the mileage in that period.

VW say 4 years.  TT was happy enough with this as prevention is better than cure and its nice and safe.  I think this time frame is based on a sales/marketing decision rather than purely technical / good sensible time.

Its almost like initially VW said 'Our cars are fantastic, they never need cam belts changed' (as good as, most buyers of new cars don't keep them till they hit 120k)

Then all of a sudden its "Yeah we were just joking when we said that, really you need to change them every 60k (no problem there) or 4 years"

It will upset Red that I'm thinking cynically but....come on!

And why is it VW UK thats made this change?  How is not worldwide?

You still do NOT know for certain that VW Germany havn't made this decision.

Or, on the other hand, maybe VW UK made the 120k mile without the full agreement of VW Germany.  And VW UK now have a bit of egg on their mushes, with VW Germany saying sommat like "ve told you soh".

So without all the facts, please stop slating VWUK over this specific issue.

On the whole I like VW products, doesn't mean they are perfect now does it?  I'm perfectly entitled to moan/berate/praise whatever I want where ever I want thanks very much 

Then you have to accept that we also have the right to call you a tool when you step out of line.  What is sauce for the goose, is also sauce for the gander! 

I have a great deal of respect for TT and anyway I think he likes arguing.  A lot of usefull information has been wheedled out of him in the course of this that might otherwise not have come out.

Just because I like to 'put my point accross' - that don't mean I am arguing - especially when I seem to be not only correct in this issue, but have supported my 'point of view' with some well-reasoned explanations.  But you seemed to have completely failed to provide any rationale why peeps should let their engines go bang, and end up with a bill for ten times the cost of a cam belt change!

Calling VW will achieve what?  I'm not doubting for a second that this is the new policy.  I just don't fully agree with the new policy.

It will satisfy your own personal concerns, because it only seems to be you who has some serious, major issue.

If it upsets you so much perhaps you'd like to stop reading after this 

Sauce for the goose . . . . this is a public forum.  Just have you have a right to post, anyone else (even 'non-memebers') has the right to read it. 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

A very interesting read. My Dad has a 2005 1.4 16v Polo which he has owned from new, his local dealer has mentioned a cambelt change, however the cover has only covered 14k. Should he get it changed or risk leaving it a while longer ??

Eeeek.  The 1.4 petrol engines are VERY well known to wreck the belts - this is widly known.  Even if it reaches its 4th birthday with such a low mileage, I really would very strongly recommend he gets the belt done at the 4 year mark.  Oh, and tell him to get out more! 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

now what has been not answered is this.,....

WHY have VW UK changed the intervals

Go back and read through the entire thread, because although this hasn't been 'answered', the reasons 'why' have been discussed.  To quickly sum up, the main reason was:

When the 2.0TFSI came out, VW were concened about maintenance costs.  A cambelt change at 120 miles is gonna cost less to maintain than a car needing a cambelt every 40k, 50k or 60k miles.  However, there may be more than one reason why it has subsequently changed - again, they have been discussed.  But I will throw another scenario into the pot:

• VW UK were cynically misleading by over inflating the change period, just to get cheaper fleet maintenance costs compared to their competators (and they may have done this with, or without the permission of VW Germany)
• VW Germany may have genuinely been given wrong info by their cam belt and roller suppliers (VW dont make cam belts, they are made by companies such as Continental, Gates, Goodyear, etc - and VW don't make the idler rollers, these are made by INA - and VW don't make the roller bearings for the rollers/tensioners, these are made by SKF, Timken, etc) - and genuinely thought that the cam belts could go 120k miles
• So after all the above, for whatever the reasons, VW Germany are finding the belts are NOT lasting 120k miles, they are being extremely responsible by downgrading the timescale

At the end of the day, if VW (UK or Germany) failed to advise on revised cam belt changes, and just let your engines self destruct - then I have absolutely no doubt - all you 'doubters' would be whinging much MUCH louder! 

And for the record, both Vauxhall, Ford and Rover Group have all 'inflated' cambelt changes, and subsequently downgraded them during their respective life cycles.

and we apparently are the only place on the planet (ok exaggeration maybe) that have to change the cambelt at 4 years?

Nope

Is this rip off Britain and if there is no empirical data being provided then why are those who are experts accepting what VW UK say as fact?

Who says there is no data?  I strongly expect there to be pleanty of data.  Though weather that said data is appropriate for public domain is another issue - because in my VHO, I would strongly support the protection of 'commercial confidentiallity'. 

(ALL, please.....lets move on.....we know cambelts can break, we know when they do there is major damage, get over it)...now why oh why are we,in the UK, having to change them more than any other VW owning person in the solar system?

We aint more often.  Many other cars need their cambelt changing around the 4 or 5 year mark.  I just seems to be that some peeps think a 'German car' should somehow be 'maintenance free'! 

[Trickyboy]

A very interesting read. My Dad has a 2005 1.4 16v Polo which he has owned from new, his local dealer has mentioned a cambelt change, however the cover has only covered 14k. Should he get it changed or risk leaving it a while longer ??

Eeeek.  The 1.4 petrol engines are VERY well known to wreck the belts - this is widly known.  Even if it reaches its 4th birthday with such a low mileage, I really would very strongly recommend he gets the belt done at the 4 year mark.  Oh, and tell him to get out more! 

The Mrs has a 1.4 16v Lupo that this happened on, tensioner goes on them, not the actual belt itself. This causes the belt to jump teeth and cause havoc, we lost 6 valves and about 800 quid. Nice...

[gstar-dubworld]

This is a very good thread detailing people, their views and their attitudes as a whole, some very good advice been given here, being involved in the trade myself over the years, I have come across this same attitude of 'It's not broke so why fix it?'..

Net result of that attitude has been a heffty bill to Mr.Customer..

Over the years I have also learn't that forums do tend to cause much of the confusion & the tinterweb in general, we have a lot of customers preaching that the forums are always correct, at which point you have to resign the debate. Independant garages suffer from this probably more and I also fully support the main dealer attitude at times, they quote/read from a black/white print and then there is no debate.

Think of the time before the tinterweb came along, it's got so much to answer for, yet though it's also a very efffective tool when used positively.

As a user of your car that you love, adour and value, service shedules are there for a reason and like anything subject to change, (Recalls/Revisions spring to mind), you can accept it or take the option not to, your future & your choice.

Belt schedule for a standard motor running 200 ponies is very different to say a slightly modified motor running 300 ponies in our workshop. More stress = shorter maintainance windows.

Sometimes the only learning curve is hard one we sometimes call it the university of life, some will take the advise and some not, some will question it and some not, overally it brings on a healthy debate 95% of the time, which is also good.    

All I will say is that there is some very good advise on this thread and at the end of the day you can take it or leave it, any questions specific to VW I believe should should be directed to VW UK.

Thanks Tesh

[Caz]

cambelt wise yes.
they any acception is passats.
on those cambelts due change at 60k.

Why are the Piss-rats different? 

i honestly dont know.. im not technicaly minded, its just whats ive benn taught..

[RedRobin]

It just seems to be that some peeps think a 'German car' should somehow be 'maintenance free'! 

.... - That's worthy of being included in someone's forum sig! Nice 1, T_T

[Teutonic_Tamer]

It just seems to be that some peeps think a 'German car' should somehow be 'maintenance free'! 

.... - That's worthy of being included in someone's forum sig! Nice 1, T_T

Go for it! 

[RedRobin]

It just seems to be that some peeps think a 'German car' should somehow be 'maintenance free'! 

.... - That's worthy of being included in someone's forum sig! Nice 1, T_T

Go for it! 

....I haven't got enough available characters to add to my sig and need to keep my music profile