Leon Cupra - Cambelt change interval?

Mewcenary

Full Member
Mar 16, 2006
156
0
Farnham, Surrey
As per my other thread, my Cupra is about hit 60k.

I'm wondering about the cambelt replacement though. In the service booklet it is listed as:

Every 60k miles (first time) and after every 30km: "Toothed belt for caxm shaft drive: check condition (only petrol engines)

Does this mean that it is NOT essential for it to be changed at 60k ??
 

oedwards

Full Member
Jul 11, 2005
55
0
CR6.UK
www.banter-box.com
Defiantly needs to be changed at 60K mate. Then every 30K the belt needs to be checked and replaced if necessary. If you change the belt you might as well (and it is recommended) to replace the tensioners*SPELLING and rollers as well. These will cost you an only an extra 30 quid in parts.

I changed mine at 50K because the impeller (water pump) failed. The impeller runs of the belt and to replace it you need to take the belt off anyway. I believe then need to un-mount the engine and drop it to get access as it is all shoehorned into place (on the LCR anyways). The failing impeller is a fairly common fault on the VAG vehicles and if you are going to all the effort and cost of changing the belt you might as well change the impeller at the same time just in case. It won’t cost that much more in labour and could save you from having to spend the same amount of labour for a £2 plastic impeller. There is also the option of a metal impeller that costs about £20. If you search on this forum you should find a link to purchase it off the internet.

Ta
Olly
 

danieltm

Bit of Jabba magic!
Aug 26, 2006
796
0
Norwich
I have hurt lots of answers for this, First of all I think its a good idea to get it changed at 60k just to be safe but i dont think its essential. I was told get it looked at for 60k service and then every 20 after that. I also hurd its good for 120k but lots of reports they go about 70-80. iwould NOT wait till 120. I think its one of those things that you cant really say for sure when you need to change it but to be on the safe side get it done at 60k. I had a qoute for £265 all in and thats with water pump so i think thats good and well worth having done, just think how much more it will cost if it dose go on you?? So to answer your question i would say no its not essential but how much do you want to look after your car? Hope this helps?
 

cuprablue

Active Member
Nov 12, 2006
201
0
I'm sorry but 120k is just crazy. IMO you'd be lucky for a cambelt to last that long, especially if you drive the car as it was designed to be driven, ie relatively rapidly on a regular basis.

The only other cars I've ever driven were admittedly early 90's designs (as opposed to late 90s) and they all needed cambelts changed at around 36-40k miles. I refuse to believe anyone that tells me that 10 years of materials technology advances would allow a cambelt to last 4x longer (especially in a car that makes over twice the power of my other cars).

I was told by the dealer that I bought my car from (Skoda dealership) that at 50k mine was due a belt change. Apparently the position of the VAG has changed recently, it can only be assumed that they've been forced to cough up more times than they were happy with for new engines due to the original belt change schedule.

Think about it, it's about now that alot of 1.8 VAG engined cars would be reaching 80-120k mileages so it's a bit of a coincidence that the recommendation should suddenly be changed isn't it??


cuprablue
 

cuprablue

Active Member
Nov 12, 2006
201
0
I would change it at 60k if that is the recommendation. A £300 belt is a lot cheaper than a new engine + fitting. Also remember you will have to change the belt anyway when the new engine goes in.


Exactly, unless you intend to stiff someone by selling on the car without changing the belt when it should be changed, (even that wont work because most buyers will knock you down the cost of a belt change anyway), then it makes a lot of sense purely from a financial point of view to change it.

cuprablue
 

RobM

Back from the dead...
Sep 27, 2006
4,982
3
Southampton
One thing to bear in mind, is basing this on mileage alone doesn't give you the full picture of the use the belt has had. When you're sat at traffic lights, or anywhere else where the engine is just idling, the belt is still under stress. And if you're in rush hour traffic a lot where you're starting and stopping all the time, the mileage travelled may be tiny compared to the length of time the engine is running. You may cover 1 mile every 10 minutes, compared to somebody on a free-flowing road who covers 10 miles in 10 minutes. The belt has still been under stress for the same amount of time.

Judge it on mileage AND time and you'll get a much better idea of when to change it. Also, take it as an opportunity to have the water pump changed for the brass impeller version and that's two less things to worry about.
 
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