My car manual says change cambelt every 60,000 miles or every 4 years...... I've done 28K in 5 years....?

Question

Am I risking it ?

I'd rather wait till 60,000 miles. After all, its £350 to have new cambelt (+ the water bottle ect) with a top specialist garage... and quoted more at VW themselves.

Its a VW Golf, had since new. My own feeling is VW is being extremely conservative saying to change cambelt every 4 years, even if little mileage done...... or am I being too cynical ?

I don't really wanna pay for something that doesn't need doing, or has low risk of breaking before 60,000 miles.

Great answers. Thank you. I might risk it for a while longer, seeing how 1 year i didn't drive it at all when it was garaged/stored whilst i was away... but I'm taking you're hints that its seriously best to follow manufacturer's guidelines than risking a cambelt snap and therefore paying lots more in repair or new engine.

Actually VW Tech, its VW Golf 1.4S, but it honestly says in the 1.4S userbook and haynes too, at 60K or 4 years.

Answer 1

Autodata advise check only at 60k and then check there after every 20k.
Service recommendation advises check only too and VW service interval is 10k or 12mths so with that I would say 60k or 6yrs. The belts do deteriate with age so if after 6 yrs you have only covered 12k, I would still advise a t/belt change or if you had covered 60k in 3 yrs i would advise t/belt change. Remember and fit a t/belt kit, these come with tensioners and I would advise tensioner change too, the tensioner is like a wheel bearing with a metal or plastic coating and wear unexpectedly and if they fail the engine would self destruct. So always change with t/belt.
Hope this helps.
Cheers

Answer 2

I don't know where you are, I am in Canada. It costs $28.00CAN for the belt. And it takes an hour to do the change. Seems like 350 is a little rich.
Check around with other garages that have worked on VW's. It is not that hard to do. I change it myself.
And 28 is a hell of a lot cheaper than a motor job.
I change mine every 100,000.(2-3 years) The belts I take off look perfectly fine but why chance it.
Age would also have an effect on the belt (just like it has on the tires and the fan belt).
Do yourself a favour and go to an autosupply place and ask how much for the belt? Then ask them as well if they recommend a mechanic(other than the dealer) and see how much they charge.
Saves you from getting screwed twice(once by waiting too long/the other by paying too much)
Me I got my instructions on how to do the job out of the library.

Answer 3

Brake fluid absorbs water so needs changing to keep it working as it should, so that's regardless of mileage, as it coolant which needs changing every 2-5 years depending on the type. Short journeys create more contaminants in the oil and they can build up quickly if you never do long runs, as can moisture in the oil which will obviously damage the engine. You'll probably find your oil is black after a year because of this, even though a higher annual mileage engine might have cleaner oil. Is your engine worth risking damaging for the sake of a £30 oil change every 6 months?

Answer 4

The decision is always yours to make. However I believe all VW engines are interference fit. This means if the timing belt breaks, you'll be looking at replacing a COMPLETE engine.

Rubber does wear down due to usage but also degrades over time, their recommendations are based on their results and yes there probably is probably a little conservative, but then they know the cost of replacing the entire engine is not cheap.

I always recommend changing timing belts at manufacturer's recommended intervals.

Answer 5

It would be recommended to follow the manufacturers suggestion. Even if you don"t have the mileage racked up time also deteriorates the rubber of the belt, and alot of the engines that run a timing belt have zero tolerence clearance for the valves. The 359 pounds is alot less expensive for maintance than having to replace the cylinder head trying to save a few pounds.

Answer 6

These belts are made of perishable material so they say 60000 miles or 5 years for a good reason-they deteriorate with time. Considering it will cost you a new engine if it breaks-then at about £120 it will be cheap at the price. Some cars have chains rather than belts so it would be good to consider a car with a timing chain in the future.
Don't forget to ask them to fit a belt tensioner also.

Answer 7

The easiest way to learn golf like a pro is by following "The Simple Golf Swing" program. It's primarily a 31 page eBook that teaches golfers how to make solid contact with the ball, how to avoid hitting fat, how to avoid slicing, how get more power, accuracy, and consistency in your swing. Consistency being the number 1 golf skill.

You not only get the eBook though, you also receive a ton of extra material including video, lessons on putting, driving, chipping, sand play etc. Here is their official site: http://www.golfswingguru.net

Answer 8

There is no actual mileage change for that engine.It is only VW uk who reccomend changing after 4 years.VW Germany do not.However the weak link with that engine is not the bely but the plastic coated rollers.The plastic breaks off losing belt tension.I know of several cars that have failed in under 40000 miles.If you do decide to get the belt changed,make sure ALL the rollers are changed with it.

Answer 9

Have it checked by a qualified mechanic. The belt can dry out from engine heat over a period of time even if mileage is low. I.E sitting in heavy traffic for 28k with the engine idling can be as wearing as 60k

Answer 10

I agree with you except for two things: First, you want to keep your power train warranty in effect, so make sure you don't lose your warranty if you wait to 60,000 miles. Second you need to know whether you have an "interference" type engine in which the cylinders hit the valves and cause major engine damage if the timing belt breaks. See the Gates Inc website below to look up your engine in the .pdf download chart to see if it's an interference engine.
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=2256&location_id=3487&go=TBHome