When to change a timing belt on Octavia vRS TDi

[Ocy_RS_TDi_Kombi]

Hi Guys

I just had the 45k service done on my Octavia vRS TDi at Richmond Skoda. Other than costing $650 (I think they are charging Audi pricing for a Skoda), the new service guy (don't know if Lenard is still there?) told me the timing belt may need to be changed at 60k - the car is just over 2 years old. I looked at the service manual and all I could find was 180k. Can someone please confirm if it's 180k or sooner?

BTW they quoted $1,350 to change the timing belt - at these prices it's cheaper to run a V8 Commodore!

Thanks

[woofy]

Ok first things, that service sounds exxy for them, I paid around that for 30k with wheel alignment and brake fluids 2 yr change, but 45k is a minor one, so thats weird. They told me that at 4 yrs I need to change the timing belt at around $1200, and the service itself was $800. That was due to time not kms, its 90k for the belts, the chains are lots longer.

The manual states just a check at that point, and replacement much later, but they said to get in and check it, you may as well replace it as most of the work is getting in there. All seems strange but I don't know whether the diesels just cost more, or belts are different. If its a chain, I'd be very surprised it needs changing.

The head service guy (who actually isn't Leonard) sometimes is behind the desk when Leonard isn't around, he usually doesn't know the right prices so either tells you more or less. I can't recall his name, but I met him when he first started when Skoda came on board and he is the one who knows whats going on technically. He looks like he's Italian if that helps. I really don't know what Leonards role is, its more a customer service thing and chase up VAG about issues.

All that could have changed now that Zagames own it, maybe everyone has left....George obviously got out at the right time. I need to go in there and discuss extending the warranty amongst other things, so will suss it all out when I get back from interstate.

[brad]

It's the same as the Golfs/Passats. Every 4 years or 100k IIRC. Ask them what the $1350 includes - water pump, tensioner pullies? Still seems steep. In the UK, they've started doing "fixed price" timing belts for about 250quid IIRC.

[K1W1]

I've never heard of a rubber band needing replacing at 60k km. Honda, BMW, Land Rover were all 80-90k for belt changes and I thought Skoda was the same. Belt changes are always expensive because of the labour they sometimes have to almost take the engine out to get at the belt on some vehicles. The problem is that if you don't do it and it lets go it's HUGE dollars for a reco or new engine which is often what's required if valves get bent and piston and head damage occurs. The cost of potential snapping is why manufacturers have gone back to chains which are basically there for the life of the vehicle with the new chains they have.

$650 for a 45k minor service sounds like something is wrong I'd be going through the invoice very carefully. I had my 30k major service done there about two months ago and it was under $400 (no brake fluid change).

[woofy]

In NZ you pay not much more than the $2k I was quoted in total for the 4yr/60k service for 4 yrs servicing including the timing belt. Skoda are sure not acting the budget brand for services.

Mine at RIchmond was the same Kiwi, and Mazda keep pushing the belts longer and longer...on our 323 everytime we got to the belt change service they had revised it to further away, we sold the car at 92k and 6.5 yrs old with the original belt. In fact original everything apart from tyres, not even the brake pads had been replaced as it had overkill ones.

I've queried the 4yrs/60k things with Skoda HQ, but as per normal, never get a call back.

[dArK5HaD0w]

i used to have a 02' holden astra, and it required a belt change every 60,000kms - major service!
it used to be 90,000kms, but there were a number of cases where the belt snapped before the 90k service, prompting vauxhall/opel, aka holden, to bring it (belt change) earlier to the 60k service.

on the skoda front, isn't the 2l turbo tsi engine chain driven? hence much much longer periods between changes?

[woofy]

TSI yes, TFSI no. When I was buying mine, I distinctly asked about the new version, so was cranky when it came out soon after and that was a main change.

[brad]

I've never heard of a rubber band needing replacing at 60k km. .

As dark shadow said, some of the Euro sourced holdens are 60,000km. The small-block BMW sixes were 60,000km back in the early 90s. You should have seen when one of them let go at revs...... I quoted one and it came to 3 months of my pay at the time!!

[K1W1]

The small-block BMW sixes were 60,000km back in the early 90s. You should have seen when one of them let go at revs...... I quoted one and it came to 3 months of my pay at the time!!

The E30 series were our '84 had a belt. I thought that when the E36 came out in 1991 they went back to chains. Maybe it was the E46 when they changed.
The cars that had the most number of belt failures that I have seen were the late 1980's Honda Accords the ones with the pop up headlights. If you went more than about 5k over the belt change time you could almost guarantee you'd have a failure and it was an expensive one.

[Ocy_RS_TDi_Kombi]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I though 60k was too early for a timing belt on a Skoda TDi CR. I'll ring some other dealers today to confirm - the new service guy at Richmind Skoda either didn't know the real time/km or was just trying to get more money.

Looking at the 45k service invoice there is nothing unusual about it. The only thing I can assume is Zagames have upped the prices.

Cheers