timing belt

[Dis00]

bought a mk4 1.6 not so long ago its done 55k and my grandad think i should get the timing belt changed he thinks it will cost about 90 is this worth doing and at a good price

cheers

[topher]

60,000 miles or 5 years is the general rule.. but £90 is a bit optimistic.. you're looking at 200 easily .. dont forget to get the belt tensioner changed too !!!

[Dis00]

90 is what the garage said

[topher]

bite their hand off at that price then.. 1.6 might be different but vw quote a mk4 belt change at around £230 .. 3 hours labour

[Dis00]

whats the belt tensioner thing

[AudiA8Quattro]

That will be for the belt only then.

[diagnosis-dub]

whats the belt tensioner thing

It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Its the rather important wheel that tensions the belt. When you do a belt change always replace it otherwise the original one will fail and you have a knackered engine.

[nrgizerbunny]

Do the waterpump at the same time!

cheapest cambelt change i've ever got is for £15 on a toyota starlet, but i did that one myself!  has anyone tried a mk4 cambelt change themselves or do they just take it down to the dealers?

[kniterider]

did mine when i rebuild my 20v after the tensioner pully failed....

not too hard, just more of an arse than anything, if i didnt have had to remove the head etc it would have been alot easier, the engine mount you have to remove is a tw@t, also the m5 threaded bar with nuts on (which you need to remove tension from the tensioner spring loaded pin) is a bit of an arse too. but if i had to id do it again as now i know what/how to do it its easier....

although i will say, if you let a garage change it (belt/tensioner) you have the beauty of some kind of fall back if it all goes tits up 10miles down the road...... if you d.i.y it and it goes tits up........

costly....