I am finding it hard to believe that my timing belt is due for change. My car is now almost 6 yrs old and has 25000 (motorway) miles on the clock. I have owned it since new and only use it once in a while to take the family to holiday resorts. Otherwise, it will be locked in a garage waiting for the next holiday. I was told belt change is long overdue as it should be changed at 40000 miles or four years, whichever happens first. My brother who lives in Germany told me he was told by VW AG that they recommend 'checking/changing' the belt at 80000 miles regardless of time. Which is which?
Cambelt change interval for ASZ 1.9PD engine
- Thread starter Kilimanjaro
- Start date
the VW doc for the sharan with the same engine, so same car basically says 60k :-
http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_334_d2.pdf
Early PDs had an interval of 40k but they increased this
http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=123713
http://www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_334_d2.pdf
Early PDs had an interval of 40k but they increased this
http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=123713
Thanks guys. Funny enough, my 24yr old Toyota corolla that now has 59000miles has never had a belt change. I know because I have owned it since new.
ASZ is a PD engine, so the belt is working the injector pumps as well as the valves. Severe intermittent loads with a need for precise synchronisation between valves, injectors and crank. The wear limit is posted as 60k miles or five years, so you are overdue from age, not mileage.
What you say makes sense but the manufacturer of the engines used by SEAT i.e. VW AG do not say anything about 'years' (see sssstew's post above. Surely they should know much more about their engines than anyone else, methinks...hence the delimna.
Hey guys, thought I would post an update. Due to the fear factor, I eventually got my cambelt replaced yesterday. I wish I had not. All the components that were removed were as good as new. After I saw the condition of the bits that were removed, I told the garage to NOT TOUCH the water pump. I would say, if your car still has the original factory fitted belt, forget about the 'every four years' scam and go by the service book supplied with the car when new(i.e. mileage). If I were to put the components removed in a shiny new box, NO ONE would know they had done almost 30 000 miles. From now on, I shall only listen to VW AG and not the prophets of doom. Afterall, manufacturers invest billions in research and development and obviously KNOW their products more than anyone else.
I'd be wary of advocating that others follow your advice and leave the belt to snap. What works for you may not work for everyone, hence the recommendations from VAG to change cambelts at regular intervals. They work on the premise that if everyone replaces their cambelts before they snap then all is good. Just because yours was apparently good as new to look at, it doesn't stand to reason that every one elses will be okay. I presume you disected the belt and checked the inner steel reinforcement to be sure that was fine as well. I've seen belts as good as new snapped, because the strength is in the internal structure of the material, not the outer rubberised coating. And occasionally I've seen them snap at not much over the time limit with very few miles on them, just like yours.
If you feel inclined, you could google pictures of broken timing belts and see some apparently new looking belts which have failed.
If you feel inclined, you could google pictures of broken timing belts and see some apparently new looking belts which have failed.
Kilimanjaro, you seem to think that VAG and Seat are somehow separate from each other. They are not. Seat is one of the brand names used by VAG, just like Škoda, Audi, Volkswagen, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche. So the recommendations that you are railing against have been issued by VAG.
If a timing belt starts to exhibit signs of wear, it is on its last legs and can snap at any moment. Like a tyre, the strength of the belt is hidden beneath the flexible outer cover. At manufacture, the fibres that give the belt its strength are long, well connected and tightly held. As the belt is flexed during use the fibres begin to pull apart, break and pull loose from the covering. The belt is losing strength all the time, but the wear is hidden.
I've had a belt snap, many years ago, in a Pinto-engined Ford Cortina. There was no wear apparent on the belt away from the break.
If a timing belt starts to exhibit signs of wear, it is on its last legs and can snap at any moment. Like a tyre, the strength of the belt is hidden beneath the flexible outer cover. At manufacture, the fibres that give the belt its strength are long, well connected and tightly held. As the belt is flexed during use the fibres begin to pull apart, break and pull loose from the covering. The belt is losing strength all the time, but the wear is hidden.
I've had a belt snap, many years ago, in a Pinto-engined Ford Cortina. There was no wear apparent on the belt away from the break.
that is a really strong comment in the wrong direction there!!!!!!
fancy saying leave the belt!!!!!!!!
just had a Passat blow up on me ,, possibly due to poor service in the past..... despite full service history
my Alhambra will be serviced way before it needs it as its always better to air on the side of caution!!!!!!!!
ignorance wont save you the repair bill !!!!!!!
shame one you
fancy saying leave the belt!!!!!!!!
just had a Passat blow up on me ,, possibly due to poor service in the past..... despite full service history
my Alhambra will be serviced way before it needs it as its always better to air on the side of caution!!!!!!!!
ignorance wont save you the repair bill !!!!!!!
shame one you
Good advice there, Alhambraguy. A case of prevention being cheaper than cure. While I am at it, I found the serpentine belt tensioner pulley on my car (ASZ engine) has no ribs though the belt is ribbed. Does anyone know whether or not there is a ribbed variant?
The tensioner roller runs on the back side of the auxiliary belt (on the smooth side) so no ribs on it.
if your car has aircon then the ribs are on both sides of the belt!!!!!
or they are on the one on my car,, and yes my tensioner roller is smooth also ,,
but with a new clutch pulley and serpentine belt its as smooth as a baby's bum and quiet as a mouse....
or they are on the one on my car,, and yes my tensioner roller is smooth also ,,
but with a new clutch pulley and serpentine belt its as smooth as a baby's bum and quiet as a mouse....
Models up to and including 2005 have the tensioner roller on the outside of the belt. As Kilimanjaro says his vehicle is nearly 6 years old then that puts his on this type of belt. Models 2006 onwards have the tensioner on the inside of the belt.
Nope, my mistake. Just checked again (as something didn't seem right....) and I'd misread the change over date. Vehicles pre "05.00" are external running tensioners as shown (number 8 being the tensioner).
Vehicles post "06.00" are tensioned as shown (number 1 being the tensioner).
I read the dates as year 2005 and year 2006, when in fact the dates are month 05 year 2000 and month 6 year 2000
Vehicles post "06.00" are tensioned as shown (number 1 being the tensioner).
I read the dates as year 2005 and year 2006, when in fact the dates are month 05 year 2000 and month 6 year 2000
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just to add to that,, my alhambra is a 2004 and one belt does all the pulleys, both the above pics show 2 seperate belts,, so something else must have changed as well
am i right in saying you posted the same picture up twice,, ?????
am i right in saying you posted the same picture up twice,, ?????
now i see lol
but i dont mean to be awkward,, but mine is different still
not much but it just shows how there are many variations to watch out for
,, at least you are doing the legwork and getting the pics up there for us all to see
but i dont mean to be awkward,, but mine is different still
not much but it just shows how there are many variations to watch out for
,, at least you are doing the legwork and getting the pics up there for us all to see
I want to agree with you Alhambraguy. I think mine has one belt only, ribbed on both sides. On a different note, what would cause slight vibration (more like a rumble) felt through the accelerator pedal (feels like the road surface is rough) I have new 17inch Michelin Primacy (225 45 17) all round inflated to the recommended pressure
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