Audi A3 - cambelt change cost at Audi dealer

[sinizter]

Our A3 needs a cambelt change. The Audi website lists the charge as £329. Is this the total cost including parts and labour?

It's at the dealers now and they are not sure of the price right now. I would like to have the information to hand when I go to pick up the car

[Greendubber]

So its there now and they cant confirm the price?.

Anyway, seems eexpensive to me. Took mine to an indi and got belt, pump and tensioner fitted for £250. Audi wanted nearly £400.

[sinizter]

Double checked the website. Price includes everything. So they better not try to charge any more than that.

[cuprabob]

Make sure you get the water pump changed at the same time even if it's a little extra.

[Isoproturon1]

Greendubber said:

So its there now and they cant confirm the price?

+1

And dealers wonder why customers don't trust them.

[Dr G]

That's a 'special offer' price that not all main dealer staff appear to be aware of - it is clearly explained in the owners section of the Audi site and the price does not include a water pump.

[monthefish]

sinizter said:

Our A3 needs a cambelt change.

Model?
Age?
Mileage?

[Tame Technician]

Any Audi Car over 3 years old and up to 2.0L engine size qualifies for the £329, special offer.

£329 does not include the water pump or the auxiliary drive belts, you must tell the dealer before they start work if you want these done also.

As an example the correct cost for some of the 2.0TDI A3 cambelts is £530. SO £329 is a massive saving.

[Greendubber]

Thats sill pretty steep for a belt change only. Mine was done for £250 with all the belts and the pump at my trusted indipendant.

Still, I understand a lot of people prefer a dealer to keep the book looking good and all that.

[sinizter]

Its an '04 reg. They gave us the £329 price. Didnt get anything other than the cambelt change as it was too late to ask them to do the additional work.

Thanks for the help.

[Colonial]

Get the water pump changed. You will regret not doing it.

[AdrianR]

I keep seeing the water pump thing. My original water pump has got 145K on it and is fine... given that most cars will never see that mileage why would anyone regret not getting it changed?

OK there were probably some problems once, but IMHO it's ancient history. Has anyone actually had one fail recently?

AdrianR

[Tame Technician]

If you didn't get the pump done, I wouldn't worry.

But I do change one every two weeks or so. So yes they do fail, did one yesterday on an A4 1.8T at 70k. One the week before on an A3 2.0tdi at 40k.

Have seen one on a 3.0V6 seize strip the teeth off the belt and subsequently destroy the engine, But thats very rare indeed.

[optimax sniffer]

The website price was not honoured at my local dealer, they wanted £500ish

1.6 A3 2001 50k miles

Went to a local specialist (Bristol) who did a cambelt, long life service & water pump for less than Audi wanted for the cambelt alone... Water pump had a quarter of it's fins missing!

[Colonial]

AdrianR said:

I keep seeing the water pump thing. My original water pump has got 145K on it and is fine... given that most cars will never see that mileage why would anyone regret not getting it changed?

OK there were probably some problems once, but IMHO it's ancient history. Has anyone actually had one fail recently?

AdrianR

Depends on whether they are plastic or metal impellers.

[Greendubber]

Colonial said:

AdrianR said:

I keep seeing the water pump thing. My original water pump has got 145K on it and is fine... given that most cars will never see that mileage why would anyone regret not getting it changed?

OK there were probably some problems once, but IMHO it's ancient history. Has anyone actually had one fail recently?

AdrianR

Depends on whether they are plastic or metal impellers.

From what I've heard the later plastic impellers are OK, the fault was discovered and the design changed slightly.

[matthx]

I recently emailed Audi in Cardiff asking how much it would cost for a cambelt change. They said £450.
Later I found on their website that the cost is £329. http://is.gd/Z8sL
I emailed them back quoting the price on the website and they didn't reply.
About a week later I went into Cardiff Audi and they quoted me £480. This was with no tensioners or waterpump.

In the end I took it to a trusted independent garage who charged £300 for changing the cambelt, tensioner and waterpump. They also replaced a bulb in the third brake light - all for £300.

The garage told me my waterpump was smashed to bits, something to do with plastic impellers. They've now fitted a metal one.

I should add that I picked the car up and was ttted by an uninsured driver, leaving me with a bill of £1000 for a new bumper, bonnet and headlamp. In retrospect, getting it fixed at Audi could have been cheaper!

Edited by matthx on Thursday 11th June 22:15

[sinizter]

The Audi dealers should be honouring the £329 price, but you might have to push for it. The local dealers suggested that only people who mentioned the £329 web price were getting that price.

[Silver940]

Be default they don't replace the hydraulic damper ( Doesn't come as part of the kit), worth the extra 40quid or so to get that changed to. Cost me about 160quid for the parts from G&S to do the job DIY.

Worth checking your local Skoda dealer - same parts used cheaper labour!

Edited by Silver940 on Friday 12th June 21:31

[dubkiller]

hmmmmmmmmmm. interesting.
as a indie vag person, i do worry as how i get quoted less by the main dealer.
this sorts of explains it.
quote the minimum them phone the punter up for extras when dismantled.
oft ?