ludo Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Hello folks. Have done a search but havin' trouble finding a definitive answer, so forgive me if a repeat question but when should you change a cambelt on a GTI, and how much, ballpark, should it cost?Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMon Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 IIRC it's every 5 years or 80K miles. Probably better to do it a bit before either though to be on the safe side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludo Posted March 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Any idea of a reasonable garage price BigMon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupogtiboy Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 i am giong to have my cambelt and all the tensioners done every 30k, mainly due to the tensioner's habit of breaking!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdwindustries Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 I had mine done at 50k.No matter what the service book says its not good to let it go as far as 80k!! Audis have a habit of breaking early so not going to chance it. WIll do mine again at 80k....Its not cheap at a dealer - 3 hours labour if i remember right, plus parts which are about 30 quid (?) so poss about 300 - 350 inc VAT. Half that at an independent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupogtiboy Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 parts are a bit more than that!! two belts, 2 tensioners and an idler, comes to about £135 retail!! yet another case of "i'm glad i work for vw!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdwindustries Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludo Posted March 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Thanks folks; I was quoted £330 (at an indy) for the job so that seems about right, if not cheap.Thanks for your responses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazraz_uk Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 I heard that some GTI's have belts and some have a chain is that true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupogtiboy Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 as far as i know, all gti's have two belts!! the older afh engine in a polo 1.4 16v uses a belt and a chain, although with the habit of belts snapping and tensioners breaking up, i think they should have stuck to the tried and tested (and reliable) chain system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
`Lee-GTi` Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Do you need any special tools for the job! I lost my `snap-on` cam belt book when i left the garage!! :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Lup Gti Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 yer gti does have 2 belts, one does the water pump and inlet cam i think and the other is propr small, it does the exhaust cam and the inlet cam! i recon i could do belt in 2 hour's max!! it's just the tensioner is abit of a pig to get right!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Lup Gti Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 opps, u need two 7/16's drill bit's to lock the cam pulleys in place! thats all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINCOLNSHIRESLUPOGTI Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 When I had both my cambelts changed and the head work done I had the steel tensioners fitted as VW pointed out the standard (plastic/nylon/whatever) tensioners have a known history of failing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
`Lee-GTi` Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 opps, u need two 7/16's drill bit's to lock the cam pulleys in place! thats all!Sweey thanks mate!! style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludo Posted April 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 Well, just got back from the garage having had belts etc. replaced, and gotta say after looking at them, even after 70k miles there's not a lot wrong with the bits they took off. IMO they would have lasted quite a lot longer...(Moans, mutters and grumbles into pint) style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 But equally it might have snapped if you'd driven it another 5 miles.It's a gamble - you pay a (relatively) small amount of money often enough that the cambelt never gets to the point where it breaks and you have to pay a large amount of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludo Posted April 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 In the words of budweiser; true, true. Sods law dictates that had I not coughed the requisite reddies, the whole thing would have exploded in a shower of hot cogs. I think I just wanted a moan. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Lupo Posted April 7, 2005 Report Share Posted April 7, 2005 we all like to have a moan ocassionally mate! and i think it's definately a case of better safe than sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludo Posted April 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2005 To be fair, the whole lot was done for £350, including a new water pump. I think the parts cost about £`150-170` so another £150 for three hours work or so ain't all bad. I'll get me coat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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