Q5 Cambelt replacement costs

[shabba007]

Hi folks, most likely a topic that has come up alot, but I need to get my cambelt changed on a Q5 that is now at 77k. I've been quoted £900 (inc vat) to replace both the belt and water pump. This is from a Nottingham dealer. Does this sound a bit on the high side ?

Don't mind travelling a bit if there are deals to be had !

thanks,
Andy.

 

[Magnet]

Hello Andy,

Thanks for being in touch with the forum. 
Price comparisons can be difficult due to the potential for regional variations. Can we take it the dealer who quoted you £900 is an Audi main dealer? If so, try another main dealer within say a 30 mile radius and get another quote. May be the same, maybe negotiable, but worth a try. 
You could also look up any VAG independents in your area, and get quotes there, but confirm they will be using genuine VAG parts to ensure your price comparison is like for like. Sometimes the independents can be cheaper, but not always. Main dealers sometimes have package offers for combined belt and services - again worth asking. 

I’m sure you will appreciate that this isn’t a price-is-king job, but is a critical application job. 
Apologies for adding extra concerns/potential expense, but it’s good policy to also have the auxiliary belt (fan belt in very old terms) and it’s tensioner changed at the same time, since subsequent failure of this belt assembly can result in wrapping  itself around the crank pulley, and causing the timing belt to jump some teeth, so it’s worth adding this to the quote. 
The car is now 8 years old, and I would have thought the belt should have been done previously - at around 5 years old. Do you know if it was or not? If it was, then no need to do it now. If it wasn’t then it’s obviously overdue. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Stevey Y]

9 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Andy,

Thanks for being in touch with the forum. 
Price comparisons can be difficult due to the potential for regional variations. Can we take it the dealer who quoted you £900 is an Audi main dealer? If so, try another main dealer within say a 30 mile radius and get another quote. May be the same, maybe negotiable, but worth a try. 
You could also look up any VAG independents in your area, and get quotes there, but confirm they will be using genuine VAG parts to ensure your price comparison is like for like. Sometimes the independents can be cheaper, but not always. Main dealers sometimes have package offers for combined belt and services - again worth asking. 

I’m sure you will appreciate that this isn’t a price-is-king job, but is a critical application job. 
Apologies for adding extra concerns/potential expense, but it’s good policy to also have the auxiliary belt (fan belt in very old terms) and it’s tensioner changed at the same time, since subsequent failure of this belt assembly can result in wrapping  itself around the crank pulley, and causing the timing belt to jump some teeth, so it’s worth adding this to the quote. 
The car is now 8 years old, and I would have thought the belt should have been done previously - at around 5 years old. Do you know if it was or not? If it was, then no need to do it now. If it wasn’t then it’s obviously overdue. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

 Hi do you mean genuine Vag parts such as Contitech,Ina,Dayco, Gates.

 

 

 

Steve.

[Magnet]

Apologies Steve, I could indeed have added the caveat .’….or quality aftermarket products such as Gates……’. 

The reason for not adding that, was that I wanted to make sure the original poster was obtaining absolute like for like comparisons with the quotation he had from his Audi dealer. Of course, if he choose to get this done away from Audi or an independent, then my response will have allowed him to ask questions about what he was getting for his alternative quotes. 
The back and front of it is to allow him (in caps) to decide what is important to him, and not really what we may think. 
Many thanks again and kind regards,

Gareth. 

[shabba007]

Hi and thanks for the replies. It does appear to vary considerably between the different Audi dealers. I asked for genuine parts for all the following quotes.

Nottingham Audi dealer £875 with free MOT for life

Sheffield Audi dealer £749 with free MOT for life

Independant Audi dealer £649 no free MOT for life

All the above quotes include the water pump replacement.

[JMKC82]

Is Lincoln too far for you?

Try Audi Lincoln, and my personal favorite "Just Audi VW" in Lincoln.  They use genuine parts unless you tell them otherwise.

[Magnet]

Hello Andy,

It may just be me, but I would run a mile from any ‘free MOT for life’  deal. Chances are you will be met with ‘ your brake pads and discs need renewing Sir’ etc., etc. And if you decide not to let them renew them - at inflated prices - then the free MOT may suddenly not be free anymore - and you pay the privilege for a failure certificate. 
I would divorce the two requirements and simply obtain quotes without the ‘free’ MOT.

As I say, this might be on isolated opinion, but……

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Stevey Y]

9 hours ago, Magnet said:

Apologies Steve, I could indeed have added the caveat .’….or quality aftermarket products such as Gates……’. 

The reason for not adding that, was that I wanted to make sure the original poster was obtaining absolute like for like comparisons with the quotation he had from his Audi dealer. Of course, if he choose to get this done away from Audi or an independent, then my response will have allowed him to ask questions about what he was getting for his alternative quotes. 
The back and front of it is to allow him (in caps) to decide what is important to him, and not really what we may think. 
Many thanks again and kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth my cam belt, the original had Conti Tech stamped all over the belt INA stamped on the tensioner, my daughters A3 had all Conti Tech parts and my mates Skoda was all INA except for the pump which was Febi, all vehicles were first change of belt kit.

Steve.

[Magnet]

Thanks Steve, 

Yes, I’ve got a ‘Genuine VAG’ kit here that has a Gates belt in the Audi box. Haven’t looked at the tensioner. 
Kind regards,

Gareth.