VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt

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Thu 23 Mar 2023 21:58
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Leif

Has anyone had the cam belt on their Polo changed by an indie garage, and if so what did you pay? I’m in East Hants so not a cheap area. I have had an indie quote £575, and main dealers at £675 and £800.

Can I assume the water pump does not need changing?

Also I need the rear brake pads, whatever they are called, replacing at 80,000 miles. Should the drums be replaced too?

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Thu 23 Mar 2023 23:10
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - elekie&a/c doctor
This engine needs a specific electronic set up tool when having the cam belt replaced. If you use an Indy garage , make sure they are suitably equipped. The water pump is not driven from the cambelt on these . If new rear pads are needed , then new discs may need to be fitted but not always .
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Fri 24 Mar 2023 10:02
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - SLO76
A ludicrous additional cost on a small supposedly cheap to run supermini every 5/6yrs, one which is largely ignored by most owners/keepers and guaranteed to be hugely overdue on any older used examples you look at. Why can European manufacturers not do robust chain driven engines like the Japanese can? A Mazda 2 is (to me) a nicer drive and has no costly belt change every few years.


What mileage is on the car and do you intend on keeping it long term?

Edited by SLO76 on 24/03/2023 at 10:03

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Sat 25 Mar 2023 01:11
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Leif

It has done 80,000 miles, and yes I intend to keep it long term. In the past my cars tended to fall to pieces at ten years, and incur big repair bills, but the Polo seems to be better built.

I agree it is a ludicrous price, I too wonder why they don’t use a chain. The cynic might suggest that it is a nice little earner for franchised garages. That might also be why it needs a special tool for the cam belt, I had one indie refuse to do my Up because they didn’t want to spend £200 on the required tool.

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Sat 25 Mar 2023 07:56
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - SLO76
Is there a VAG specialist nearby? These guys tend to have all the gear and more know how than the dealers themselves. I used a good local specialist to maintain my wee Polo 1.2 TDi Match for years and but the timing belt was done by the main dealer including water pump for £350 as they used VW parts and guaranteed it for 5yrs. Main dealers are making less from sales (or rather leasing) of new cars and are squeezing servicing departments for cash as a result.
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Sat 25 Mar 2023 15:41
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - gordonbennet

Personally i'm just as happy with a cambelt as a chain, provided it's a simple belt change that can be completed in under 2 hours at a total cost of less than £300, or roughly £100 DIY because its a simple job requiring no special tools.

When a chain fails it's a huge job, the other good point about belts is that (assuming good engineering ie Japanese) one can remove all or a section of the belt cover and by turning the engine over via the crank pulley inspect the belt at intervals during its life.

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Sat 25 Mar 2023 19:41
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Xileno

Unfortunately I doubt there are any modern cars now where the belt can be changed in two hours. I used to to do the belt on my old Mk2 Polo in about two hours. Simple 8v engine, belt tensioned by the water pump so a good opportunity to change that every second belt and flush out the coolant. Pump was only about £30 so not worth the risk. Cars are probably more reliable now but cost more when they do go wrong.

What does this VW special tool do - presumably tension the belt?

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Sat 25 Mar 2023 20:01
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - paul 1963

Unfortunately I doubt there are any modern cars now where the belt can be changed in two hours. I used to to do the belt on my old Mk2 Polo in about two hours. Simple 8v engine, belt tensioned by the water pump so a good opportunity to change that every second belt and flush out the coolant. Pump was only about £30 so not worth the risk. Cars are probably more reliable now but cost more when they do go wrong.

What does this VW special tool do - presumably tension the belt?

Just had the belt and pump changed on my Berlingo van, water pump cried enough and sprung a leak, took the guy a hour but I get your point Xileno, last cam belt I changed was on my ( now long gone) mk2 mondeo, took me 6 hours!!!

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Sat 25 Mar 2023 20:12
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - elekie&a/c doctor
Modern cars are super critical about cambelt changes . It’s important that the camshaft sprockets and crankshaft are correctly aligned. The special tools lock the drive components so that the belt can be fitted accurately. Some Vag engines need to have the cambelt set up diagnostically with a special gauge and laptop. The tools to do these are in excess of £2k .
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Sat 25 Mar 2023 22:57
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Big John
Modern cars are super critical about cambelt changes . It’s important that the camshaft sprockets and crankshaft are correctly aligned. The special tools lock the drive components so that the belt can be fitted accurately. Some Vag engines need to have the cambelt set up diagnostically with a special gauge and laptop. The tools to do these are in excess of £2k .

I thought the more expensive cam belt replacement on the VAG EA211 were for the ACT versions as it involves re timing electronically. I checked this when my son's 1.2 EA211 (not ACT) was due a cambelt replacement - fortunately fairly reasonable on that version. There was a special tool involved but just a mechanical lockup device, still not cheap though!

The 1.0 3 cylinder may be slightly different as it has a non round pulley as part of the 3 cylinder vibration offset.

Edited by Big John on 25/03/2023 at 23:05

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Sun 26 Mar 2023 06:07
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - gordonbennet

Unfortunately I doubt there are any modern cars now where the belt can be changed in two hours. I used to to do the belt on my old Mk2 Polo in about two hours. Simple 8v engine, belt tensioned by the water pump so a good opportunity to change that every second belt and flush out the coolant. Pump was only about £30 so not worth the risk. Cars are probably more reliable now but cost more when they do go wrong.

What does this VW special tool do - presumably tension the belt?

I've mentioned this before, the 3 litre(and 2.5) D4D Toyota engine as fitted to Landcruisers Hilux and some versions of Hiace belt change takes 1 hour for the home mechanic with just basic tools.

Belt only drives the camshaft (second cam geared off the first inside the engine), proper timing marks no need to lock anything, belt has an easy run with 90k mile intervals, failure unheard of but where the cost is fair and the job simple only a fool would not replace when necessary.

What i can't get my head around is the third option currently fashionable, ie a belt running in oil requiring major surgery to replace even if it doesn't disintegrate in the meantime, what where they thinking?

Edited by gordonbennet on 26/03/2023 at 06:08

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Sun 26 Mar 2023 09:58
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - SLO76
“ What i can't get my head around is the third option currently fashionable, ie a belt running in oil requiring major surgery to replace even if it doesn't disintegrate in the meantime, what where they thinking?”

The belt in bath idea was designed to have the longevity of a chain but the lower cost and friction of a belt plus better refinement. Manufacturers and dealers (particularly Honda) are profiteering by recommending a 6yr interval on their 1.0 Turbo motors. The lowest price I’ve found to replace it so far (something I was asked by a friend) is a main dealer who’s quoting £1149 including VAT, the official Honda guide price is £1700!!! Many backstreet garages refuse to price it. It’s costly and complex because it was never designed to be changed and I personally would leave it well alone. It will probably become an issue on these as they age, but I doubt failures will be widespread before 15yrs plus if at all.

Bring back the good old days when the all important fleet market dictated ease of maintenance and simple robust engineering over all else. A Mk IV Astra 1.6 8v cost £150-£180 to do a belt change at the workshop I used and even if it did fail it was a non-interference design anyway so there was no catastrophic failure. The Ford Zetec SE (Yamaha design) was another simple belt design that cost buttons to change and rarely failed. Bring back the company car.

Edited by SLO76 on 26/03/2023 at 10:06

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Sun 26 Mar 2023 10:47
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - gordonbennet

Remember clutch changes on Astra/Cavalier, done without removing the gearbox if you replaced the driven plate at the first sign of slippage or high bite point.

Said is before and nothing's changed my mind since, cars reached their pinnacle of sensible design in the 90's.

Edited by gordonbennet on 26/03/2023 at 10:47

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Sun 26 Mar 2023 10:59
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - SLO76
“ Said is before and nothing's changed my mind since, cars reached their pinnacle of sensible design in the 90's.”

Agree. They mostly kept the fleet dictated mechanical simplicity from the 80’s but included a dose of crash safety and rust resistance. Fleet cars like the Mk I Mondeo, Rover 600, Nissan Primera Mk I, Toyota Carina E and Mk III Cavalier etc were outstanding used options with no major mechanical fears. Even the Germans had yet to c****** their cars with complexity, the Audi 100, BMW E34 5 series and Merc 124 series E class were great used buys too.
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Tue 28 Mar 2023 15:59
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Halmerend
We just bit the bullet with my wife’s five year old Audi A1 1.0 TFSI and had it done at the main dealers. I’m hoping that this along with the full Audi service history will make it a bit more saleable when it comes to parting with the car.
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Tue 28 Mar 2023 17:39
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - skidpan

Our Fabia is 5 years old at the end of April. Just booked service and MOT. Service dept reminded me that the cam belt was due but when I pointed out that due to Covid and reduced trips to visits relatives (was 80 miles a week, now its 80 miles every 2 months) and also now we rarely use both cars at the same time its only used on average 3 days every 2 weeks the total mileage is under 20,000. Chap said that was fine, not needed.

If the car had done double or 3 times that mileage and was getting used more it would have been different.

In reality we don't need 2 cars now we are both retired.

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Tue 28 Mar 2023 18:08
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Chris M

I guess it also depends on how you see the Fabia's future with you. If you plan on getting rid in the next year or two, how much will the missed belt change affect its value, especially considering it has a low mileage and good service history. Would you recommend anyone paying top dollar for a secondhand one knowing it needs c£600 spent for peace of mind of the new owner?

Edited by Chris M on 28/03/2023 at 18:08

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Tue 28 Mar 2023 18:49
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - medview

I'd be interested to see if your 80k polo has started using oil yet. In my experience all small turbos start to use significant oil around the 80k mark.

This is why I drive a non turbo car.

Joe

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Tue 28 Mar 2023 22:59
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Big John

I'd be interested to see if your 80k polo has started using oil yet. In my experience all small turbos start to use significant oil around the 80k mark.

This is why I drive a non turbo car.

Joe

My 2014 1.4tsi Superb uses negligible oil at 110,000 miles. It used a tiny bit when newish but it seems to have settled to near zero consumption. We shall see in time as now I'm retired/doing less miles and the car market is bonkers I plan to keep it.

I keep seeing comments that little turbo engines are overstressed - doesn't feel that way when cruising at 70 mph at just over 2300 rpm on hardly any throttle and doing over 50mpg.

Under new ownership my previous 2003 Superb 1.9pd turbo was still going strong mechanically re engine at near 300k miles until a combination of major rust and a complaining DMF sent it to the big scrapyard in the sky.

Edited by Big John on 28/03/2023 at 23:05

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Wed 29 Mar 2023 09:49
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Andrew-T

<< What I can't get my head around is the third option currently fashionable, ie a belt running in oil requiring major surgery to replace even if it doesn't disintegrate in the meantime, what where they thinking? >>

As a non-expert in this field but with a chemical/physical background, I would not imagine it would be sensible to put a rubber- or plastic-based material to do a stressed job for 10 years or more in an warm oil bath. Has it been tested to destruction over a realistic time-scale ?

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Wed 29 Mar 2023 03:04
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Ana William

Regarding the cost of changing the cam belt on your Volkswagen Polo, it is always recommended to obtain several quotes from different garages to compare prices. The cost of replacing a cam belt can vary depending on several factors, including the make and model of the vehicle, the age of the vehicle, and the location of the garage. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether the quotes you have received are reasonable or not.

In terms of the water pump, it is often recommended to replace the water pump at the same time as the cam belt as a preventative measure, as they both tend to have a similar lifespan. However, it is not always necessary, and some vehicles may not require the water pump to be replaced at the same time as the cam belt. Therefore, it is best to consult the owner's manual or seek advice from a qualified mechanic to determine whether the water pump needs to be replaced.

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Wed 29 Mar 2023 08:56
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - skidpan

I guess it also depends on how you see the Fabia's future with you. If you plan on getting rid in the next year or two, how much will the missed belt change affect its value, especially considering it has a low mileage and good service history. Would you recommend anyone paying top dollar for a secondhand one knowing it needs c£600 spent for peace of mind of the new owner?

No idea how long we will keep it, as I said above a 2nd car is not needed now.

When we sell it WBAC or similar will be our first port of call. We sold the Fabia's predecessor to Evan Halshaws car buying service. Cannot remember them asking about the cambelt but even if the deducted some money we would probably not be out of pocket.

Be honest, would you buy a 7 year old car with circa 25,000 miles that needed a cambelt or a 7 year old 100,000 mile one that had one 2 years ago?

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Wed 29 Mar 2023 10:32
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - John F

It beggars belief that modern cambelts are deemed to have such a short service life. 6yrs and 80,000 miles is not acceptable (unless you are in the garage business). The last century Ford Focus Zetec engine had a cambelt set-up that was designed to last the life of the car. However, a cautious 10yrs and 100,000 miles was advised. Our Focus was scrapped (due to rust and my son's unwillingness to repair it) at 21yrs and over 160,000 miles. Its cambelt, the poly-v belt and all its driven ancillaries were original. Indeed, at my last inspection they showed virtually no signs of wear.

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Wed 29 Mar 2023 13:08
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Chris M

"Be honest, would you buy a 7 year old car with circa 25,000 miles that needed a cambelt or a 7 year old 100,000 mile one that had one 2 years ago?"

I wouldn't be paying a premium for the 1st option and I'd be expecting around £500 off to cover the cam belt change. If the price was right I'd actually go for option 2. I think you can be 99% comfortable with missing the belt change, but I'm less certain it will save much money come sale time.

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Wed 29 Mar 2023 16:12
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - skidpan

"Be honest, would you buy a 7 year old car with circa 25,000 miles that needed a cambelt or a 7 year old 100,000 mile one that had one 2 years ago?"

I wouldn't be paying a premium for the 1st option and I'd be expecting around £500 off to cover the cam belt change. If the price was right I'd actually go for option 2. I think you can be 99% comfortable with missing the belt change, but I'm less certain it will save much money come sale time.

I am not talking about getting a "premium" price for the car when we eventually part with it, just the market value. If that is a few hundred lower because of the belt change so be it.

The last century Ford Focus Zetec engine had a cambelt set-up that was designed to last the life of the car. However, a cautious 10yrs and 100,000 miles was advised.

The Caterham has a 2 litre Focus Zetec in it from 2004. It does less miles than the Fabia but I changed the belt at 10 years old simply because that is as long as I feel comfortable with. Was pleased I did, the guide pulley was worn, lots of play in it, felt very rough and noisy. If left it could have caused havoc eventually.

Its 10 years next year since the Caterham was changed and I will be carrying out another change. It looks easy but to get access its a radiator off job and even then you pay with blood. Probably 1/2 a day all told but at least that will include a coolant change.

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Thu 30 Mar 2023 09:25
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - Xileno

That's always been my concern. I'm sure a decent quality OE belt will last a very long time but what about the tensioning mechanism. On an old Polo I had years ago it was the waterpump, when I took it off once it felt 'gritty', I was pleased I had and a new one was only £30 back then.

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Fri 31 Mar 2023 10:04
VW Polo one liter turbo 18 plate - New cam belt - John F

Bearing longevity has improved greatly in recent decades. One hardly ever hears of alternator or water pump bearing failure -or indeed cambelt tension pulleys. I am amazed by how long wheel bearings last, considering they are lubricated for life. (Curiously, I have never read advice that the grease needs changing every 365 days, irrespective of mileage ;-)

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