Preventative Recomendations Relating to Cambelt

[Duke147]

Hi All,

I'm Duke and am new to the forum. I've had several old Audi's over the years and we have just aquired a new to us A6 Allroad C7 3.0 218 TDI version. I have always wanted one of these and it has not dissappointed. 

We spent most of our budget on it and it is still 10 years old, but we feel we picked well, not going for the lowest cost, nor the most powerful. However we did pick a vehicle with almost FSH with main dealer history up to circa 67k miles and regular local garage having serviced since then, whom seem to have mainly conducted simple services, last one performed Nov/24.

The reason for my asking is that I hear a cambelt is important and is due circa 100k miles which we are rapidly approaching. We do not have much spare cash, but it would be nice to keep this beauty on the road for another 10 years if possible, and so have decided that the cambelt is necessary.

I have already been reading the forum threads in the non-member status for some time and I think I have determined that whilst doing the cambelt, it is prudent to undertake some other works as the access labour could be more effectively used as opposed to finding issues reveal themselves soon after a sole cambelt replacement, but jobs that would have been comparatively cheap if undertaken at the same time as a cambelt change. 

I would really appreciate it if you guys would recommend any obvious preventative tasks to have done whilst having the cambelt changed please, rather than me ad hoc trying to piece together the various threads that I have read previously, because my research so far has not specifically landed on my particular vehicle model or engine.

Thanks in advance to all suggestions. This week, I'll obtain 2 quotes following the advice, one from the main dealer and one from our independant VW/Audi specialist whom actually seemed fair when I took my last car. I'm not hoping to blow the bank, but I feel I should be best advised before obtaining quotes so as to go in armed with a good idea of what is sensible way to proceed.

And finally is the cambelt a job for the main dealership alone, or is an independant going to perform the job properly every time, ie to replace all seals etc with new whilst doing it?

[cliffcoggin]

27 minutes ago, Duke147 said:

And finally is the cambelt a job for the main dealership alone, or is an independant going to perform the job properly every time, ie to replace all seals etc with new whilst doing it?

There are good and bad independants, just as there are good and bad main dealers. You will have to research the reputations of those near you for yourself. As a generalisation I recommend independants because they give better service and are more approachable. Often they are also cheaper. Bear in mind that independants survive solely on their reputations; unlike main dealers there is no central organisation behind them to prop them up.