Just wanted to ask about Cam Belt

[KarenJ]

Hello, I just purchased a 2010 Audi A4 Avant, I had read about cam belts needing to be changed, so asked the salesman at the garage and he said that he didn't know anything about it.  Can someone advise me please? the car has done 104,000 miles.  do I need to go on miles or age, and how many years/miles do it need to be before change is due?

Thanks in advance

[niedzial1983]

Usualy its between 40-60k miles or max of 5 years 

If you have no history for changes i suggest you need to do it.

[KarenJ]

Ah ok, no wonder they looked dumb when I asked, thanks for reply, will look into getting it done

[niedzial1983]

I have 1 rule with cars i buy is to change all fluids filters and belts . Peace of mind :) 

[Steve Q]

Hey Karen, I would say that at 104,000 miles it should have been done by now and as Piotr said the cambelt s are normally changed around every 5 years but it can be between 5-7 depending on the engine, vehicle age and mileage. 

Usually they are changed around 50k-80k. Again this depends on the engine. If it's not been done then you'll want a discount as this will cost you around £400-£500. 

If it has been done then the dealer should have proof of this. 

Hope iv helped :) 

cheers

steve 

[KarenJ]

Thanks Steve, feeling pretty stressed now tbh, I cant really afford to spend £400 - £500 on a cambelt at this moment, after just buying the car, I am going to contact the garage and see what they say, but I doubt they will want to know, and I suppose its my own fault for not getting more information before going ahead with the purchase.

[Steve Q]

3 hours ago, KarenJ said:

Thanks Steve, feeling pretty stressed now tbh, I cant really afford to spend £400 - £500 on a cambelt at this moment, after just buying the car, I am going to contact the garage and see what they say, but I doubt they will want to know, and I suppose its my own fault for not getting more information before going ahead with the purchase.

Sorry for stressing you. What's the service history on the a4? Is it full? 

As I suspect it will have already been done :) 

dont worry, you can't help it, it's not something people think about as buying a car is stressful enough and there's often a lot already running around inside your head. 

[niedzial1983]

18 minutes ago, Steve Q said:

Sorry for stressing you. What's the service history on the a4? Is it full? 

As I suspect it will have already been done :) 

dont worry, you can't help it, it's not something people think about as buying a car is stressful enough and there's often a lot already running around inside your head. 

Good point steve . Its worth looking in to the service books that came with the car to check

[Magnet]

Hello Karen,

I think you are being wise to consider the cambelt change issue having just bought the car. I would most certainly follow Steve's advice, but I would ask of others on here more knowledgeable of your particular engine whether the is indeed fitted with a belt rather than a chain.

If indeed it is a belt, then (if it checks out that it's not/never been changed) then I would certainly recommend getting it done as soon as possible (7 years old). Although not a job to be overlooked, I would be seeking advice at your Audi dealer and see what they say - to me 5 years is an overkill ( not that it matters here) but.....

A couple of things that may help:- Main dealers often have offers on cambelt changes so alway worth a check. Also check with any local independents, or indeed your local trusted garage. One thing I would say is to use good quality parts - particularly water pumps - since some aftermarket components can be problematic and lead to serious issues. Just come back for more advice when you decide to go ahead.

Re. The dealer who sold you the car:- they often take a detached view on such things and might advise the buyer to get it done/ allow them to do it (at cost). Not that it helps you at all, but sometimes owners decide to sell cars because a relatively high bill is forthcoming, so they part exchange it and it goes through the trade and gets sold at a used car lot. They are generally not too interested in the detail of the service history.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[Dan3222]

Hey Karen, 

welcome to the four circles club :-).

Everones advice above is totally correct. But don't get too worried. I see your car is still quite young and will therefore more than likely been well looked after. I wouldn't be surprised if the paperwork that came with car will actually tell you the mileage when the last belt was changed (if indeed you do have a timing belt, your engine could have a chain and you don't really need to have the chains done). You could also try phoning Audi them selves and ask what history they have on your car.

People have mentioned water pump change too. The reason this has come up is because the timing belt actually drives the pump. And at about the 100k mark it can be a good idea to get this done at the same time as the belt because half the dismantling work is already done to actually remove the belt. Hope that makes sense.

Dont panic too much, see what you can find out over the next couple of days. You might be pleasantly surprised. 

Hope you are loving the new car BTW.

[KarenJ]

Just want to thank you lovely people who replied to me when I was panicking about my car.  I am happy to say I found the service record and it was done at 75k miles which is a relief.  Although it says toothed belt, I believe it's the same thing, I can now enjoy my gorgeous new car.  Thanks again 

[Dan3222]

Result!!  Yes toothed belt is the same thing 👍

Dont forget to find out when it is next due, but I would budget for the water pump at the same time.

[Steve Q]

Your welcome, glad we could help :) 

Alls well that ends well Karen :) glad it was fine at 75k you should be fine now :) 

hope you enjoy your a4! 

Abd remember your more than welcome to display your a4 on any of our club displays at up and coming events :) 

cheers

steve