Audi A4 Cambelt Change Frequency?

[hillda01]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy an Audi A4 either 4 door or estate and I've got between a 5 to 6 grand budget...

I'm ideally looking for leather seats with a few creature comforts...

A lot of them I look at around this price range have done between 60 and 80 thousand miles...

My biggest concern is the cam belt snapping and breaking the engine...

At what mileage should the cam belt be changed and how much can I expect to pay for it to be changed.

Does anyone know of any good dealers who supply these sorts of Audi's...

Regards

Dave

[Crasher]

Petrol every 5 years and approx 80K miles and diesel every 4 years and approx60K miles and between £300 and £500 depending in the engine.

[emkay1985]

My 2004 1.9 tdi had its changed at 74K, not sure if it had been changed previously to this, buts its got full supplying audi service history, the previous owner who got it down was charged 600 quid, but he had a water pump and a timing belt kit fitted by york audi.... not too bad i guess, since front of the car has to come off - i'd go for the estate, i'm not impressed with the space or access u get in the saloon

[peter9]

First find a good mechanic who you trust, not an Audi dealership, who tend to charge an arm and leg. For a car only doing short journeys I would change the cambelt at about 40K. A cambelt kit (belt, idlers etc cost about £90) + labour. It may be a good idea to change the waterpump at the same time. The last one I had changed cost £230 (not inc the waterpump). This is on a 1.9TDi

[rhencullen1989]

My BEX engine code 1.8T 190 has a recommendation of 5 yrs or 60K miles whichever comes sooner.

I was charged £250 from an independent.(not including waterpump) Get the waterpump changed at the same time, as the plastic impellors have a habbit of either breaking up or spinning on the shafts, there are metal impellored ones available which should be more reliable, (mine has a metal one and it sits spot on 90 degrees all the time) but if the o.e ones are replaced at cam belt intervals they should be o.k. The tensioner damper is not usually changed on the first belt change, just inspected, they will add another £80 odd to the bill if they have gone.

[danclyon]

My BEX engine code 1.8T 190 has a recommendation of 5 yrs or 60K miles whichever comes sooner.

I was charged £250 from an independent.(not including waterpump) Get the waterpump changed at the same time, as the plastic impellors have a habbit of either breaking up or spinning on the shafts, there are metal impellored ones available which should be more reliable, (mine has a metal one and it sits spot on 90 degrees all the time) but if the o.e ones are replaced at cam belt intervals they should be o.k. The tensioner damper is not usually changed on the first belt change, just inspected, they will add another £80 odd to the bill if they have gone.

My AVF has a suggested change interval of 75k miles or 5 years. The dealer tried to skim some money off me this month for this, but instead I'll get the independent to do it and have a similar figure inc water pump.