Hey all.

Just got a text from my VW dealer saying our VW Up is due a cambelt change for £445. I've always found VW/Audi dealers actually pretty reasonable for fixed service cost items, but things are pretty tight just now so thought it would be worth seeing if a local independent garage can do it for a better price.

Is a cambelt change a tricky job? Is it something any old garage can do or should it be manufacturer specific? Don't want to go for a cheaper false economy job if that's where it would end up.

Cheers. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

I used a local garage (trusted garage scheme) who charged £290 for a cambelt on the A3 I had at the time. Audi wanted £500. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

The headline cost may not tell all the story as you don’t want a cheap belt kit fitting. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

If it's any help, I did the belt on my wife's Peugeot 207 two years ago. Complete kit including water pump and aux belt was about £100 from Peugeot. It took me about 6 hours in total but I hadn't done one before and I am retired. It's not a difficult job but just a bit scary when you start it up. A good mechanic with the car on a lift would do it in less than half that time. Whatever you do get the waterpump changed as well or you will be wasting your time. Belts rarely break but the if the pump or tensioners wear they can throw the belt with the usual catastrophic result. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Yorky Bob wrote:

The headline cost may not tell all the story as you don’t want a cheap belt kit fitting.

Thanks everyone. I'll check if the quoted price includes the water pump. Have been recommended a few local garages so will give them a call to discuss.

Cheers. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

The wife had the timing belt and water pump done on her golf last year. Local VW Indy did it for 300. Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

Cheers. Waiting on a few quotes now. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Last one I did recently on a Touran diesel for one of my regular customers during a major service was a full kit (belt, pulleys, tensioner) inc water pump and anti freeze and I charged £270 on top of the service price. I think the parts came to about £120. Not a particularly hard one to do. Would have charged £300 if it was a stand alone job. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Got a quote of £200 from a local garage recommended to me. Apparently this engine has a water pump that isn't driven by the belt so doesn't need changed at this point. Quote is for belt and tensioners etc.

Far better than the £445 from VW (£500 with pump). FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a VW that doesn’t have a cam belt driven water pump although I’m no expert on their models by any means. What model/engine is it then? Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Chuckalicious wrote:

Got a quote of £200 from a local garage recommended to me. Apparently this engine has a water pump that isn't driven by the belt so doesn't need changed at this point. Quote is for belt and tensioners etc.

Far better than the £445 from VW (£500 with pump).

Steve D wrote:

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a VW that doesn’t have a cam belt driven water pump although I’m no expert on their models by any means. What model/engine is it then?

slightly off topic, my favoured local garage recently became authorised DSG repairers. They posted on their facebook of a customer with an Audi S5 DSG that was playing up. Audi wanted to charged £7300 + vat + fitting to sort it.
They indy sorted it for the price of a new selector switch @ £170 + vat + fitting.

just goes to show how main dealers now prefer to just swap out the whole unit (any unit) rather than try to fault find and fix it.

At the end of the day, fault finding costs money. I imagine a customer given a bill for say 6 hours labour and 1 switch at £2 would be pretty . Whereas seeing a £1000 bill for a big whacking bit of kit seems more acceptable. A main dealer knows someone who brings their car to them will think like that.

An indie needs to justify their work more I guess. FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…