Cam Belt fitted on Time rather than Mileage

[black999]

Thought I would share this information that came to light yesterday.

I own a 54 plate 2.0 GT TDI Golf Mk5 which is now 4 years old.

I found out a couple of weeks ago that VW recommend that the cam belt be changed @80,000 miles or 4 years.

Not wanting to be hit with a large bill for an engine re-build, I arranged for the job to be done.

When I picked up the car after the work had been completed I was shown the "old" belt and to be honest, there wasn't a sign of any degradation or wear.

Makes me think this is a way of VW getting even more money from the lowly motorist.


Anyone else had any similar experiences ??

[zollaf]

like you said ,you didnt want to be hit with a large repair bill, and now you wont be. a cambelt is under immense pressure/stress,and do degrade with time.I have rebuilt engines where the cambelt hasnt been changed for years but the vehicle hasnt done the mileage to warrant it, but the cambelt still broke .it depends a lot on the type of driving. stop start city driving puts more stress on this vital component than motorway driving, and in an ideal world we would change every cambelt just before it broke, thus getting maximum life out of it. in reality this is impossible, so we have to follow manufactures guidelines. I am sure that your old cambelt did show signs of degredation. did you turn it inside out and bend it & examine each & every tooth ? it only takes one split under a tooth to cause a failure.

[black999]

I appreciate your comments but I forgot to mention mileage.

My vehicle has only done 34,000 miles in the last 4 years which is less than half the recommended mileage if the car had been <4 years old.

Believe me , the belt that was removed didn't have a mark on it.

Like I said , I wasn't prepared to take a risk but as far as I'm concerned , this is a bit of a learning experience.

Even the mechanic that did the work said he didn't consider it had been necessary. But never mind , what's done is done

[KeithS]

I've had a cambelt go in the past (on a 205 GTI many years back) and it was not only very expensive to have the engine rebuilt but it never ran quite the same again and I quickly sold it after.

Cambelts IMHO are definitely not worth skimping on.

[kite]

Cambelt is one of the hardest working parts of an engine.
For every revolution the engine does the cambelt does two.
perhaps engines should go back to using noisy chains or gears.

[zollaf]

most cambelts also just turn a camshaft or two, and maybe a water pump or injection pump. in the pd engine it also has to work those 4 injectors, creating 20,000 psi of pressure. thats why its twice as wide as most ordinary belts. a chain driven cam engine is more costly to produce than a belt driven one. chains also dont last forever, but usually make a lot of noise before breaking. theres pros & cons to both systems. personally i prefer belts. quieter running and easier to change,and just as reliable as long as you change it following manufacturers recommendation to the letter. i.e. mileage/ time limits, tension settings and torque settings.

[dod1e]

For every revolution the engine does the cambelt does two.

This is completely wrong, the cams actually rotate at half the engine speed, and the belt as a whole rotates a lot slower than that, but I agree with the message that the belt is one of the most strained components of the engine.

[zollaf]

its also the only servicable item on a car that can fail and destroy your engine, in one easy snap. with repair bills to rebuild afterwards being a minimum of £1000, is it worth not changing one? you could argue that after 4 years and 34k you could get another year out of it, and indeed you probably would, but if it did go, what then?

[MalcQV]

It is all about risk. I think you did the right thing myself Money well spent.

[mk5owner]

Latest Advice From Vw Milton Keynes Is Change Cambelt Every 4 Years Or 40k. Not Long Is It? Seemingly They Have Had Premature Failures According To Honest John Website

thought I Would Share This Information That Came To Light Yesterday.

I Own A 54 Plate 2.0 Gt Tdi Golf Mk5 Which Is Now 4 Years Old.

I Found Out A Couple Of Weeks Ago That Vw Recommend That The Cam Belt Be Changed @80,000 Miles Or 4 Years.

Not Wanting To Be Hit With A Large Bill For An Engine Re-build, I Arranged For The Job To Be Done.

When I Picked Up The Car After The Work Had Been Completed I Was Shown The "old" Belt And To Be Honest, There Wasn't A Sign Of Any Degradation Or Wear.

Makes Me Think This Is A Way Of Vw Getting Even More Money From The Lowly Motorist.


Anyone Else Had Any Similar Experiences ??