Audi a4 3.0 V6 cambelt?

Author
Discussion

pbarlow0032

Original Poster:

420 posts

214 months

Monday 10th August 2009
quotequote all
Hi all,
Looking to get an audi A4 3.0 V6 cabriolet at the weekend, it's an 05 reg with 75k miles on the clock. It looks like a lovely car, but am I right in thinking the audi engines are recommended to have cambelt & water pump change at 5 years or75k miles? Main question being, is the 3.0V6 chain driven or cambelt?

Appreciate any help!

Paul

Dr G

15,197 posts

243 months

Monday 10th August 2009
quotequote all
3 litre uses a belt and I beleive the interval is 5 years or 60 - TT will doubtless be along soon to confirm the latest reccomendation from Audi.

00161wj

566 posts

209 months

Monday 10th August 2009
quotequote all
All cambelts are now advised every 5 years or 75,000 miles! It used to be from a 4 chassis onwards but is now all vehicles except the 4.2 rs6.

pbarlow0032

Original Poster:

420 posts

214 months

Tuesday 11th August 2009
quotequote all
Thanks chaps, so if i'm buying a 75k miler, i would expect it to be done by the supplying garage, even if it is an independent garage?

Does anyone know how much the cambelt, water pump etc would cost to replace at an independent?

Also, does anyone know any good independent VAG specialists in County Durham area?

Thanks again for any advice!!

hman

7,487 posts

195 months

Tuesday 11th August 2009
quotequote all
Stafford Audi did mine a lot cheaper than any independant could do, I think it was about £300ish.

You may wish to change the water pump at the same time as it is tucked behind the belt so will require a cambelt removal to change (and sods law says that it will happen a couple of days after your belt change).

If you do change the waterpump then it is generally recommended that you swap it out for a metal impeller version (which is a non-audi part) as the placky ones can fall apart. Audi wont warranty that bit though - so if the metal one fails and strips the belt then thats down to you, but I've heard that the plastic ones are much more likely to fail - and strip the belt, but in that case you may get some money back...

Personally I went for the metal impeller pump as I figured that it would less likely to fail whether in or out of warranty.


pbarlow0032

Original Poster:

420 posts

214 months

Tuesday 11th August 2009
quotequote all
Thanks hman. Was the £300 to change the cambelt AND water pump then, and any associated bits and bobs? Why did Stafford Audi do it so "cheap"?

hman

7,487 posts

195 months

Tuesday 11th August 2009
quotequote all

It has gone up a little bit (mine was done in 2007) but here is a live offer today:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AUDI-CAMBELT-AND-TENSIONER-C...


Water pump is £30-40ish from euro car parts and was fitted for free when I provided the pump with the car for the cambelt change ( I did advise them first).



pbarlow0032

Original Poster:

420 posts

214 months

Tuesday 11th August 2009
quotequote all
Thanks again hman, very useful! Just spoke to the supplying garage, won't budge on price and won't do the work, but i think its still a good car at a good price, guess i'll just have to swallow the bill :-(. Spoke to local Audi main dealer, they want £400 for cambelt, £500 for cambelt and water pump, but i would never have thought to supply the water pump myself! I'm guessing from what you said that if you supply the water pump yourself and they fit it, the water pump work isn't warrantied?

hman

7,487 posts

195 months

Tuesday 11th August 2009
quotequote all
Stafford audi just said that if the pump fails then they wont be changing it, and if it causes other damage ( stripped belt leading to engine mashing) they wouldnt cover it.

However I have heard bad things about the plastic impellers coming adrift, jamming the pump and stripping the belt but have never heard of a case of this happening with the metal ones so I went with the metal one. So basically if you have a standard audi one fitted and it fails causing damage within their warranty period ( 2 years?) then they will possibly cover it, but if its outside of the work warranty period then you would have to fight pretty hard to get any money back.

Stafford audi were very good, provided a S-line a4 2.0tdi quattro as a loan car and did the work in half a day. very good service.

I travelled from bucks to staffs, then on to my H.O. in Mancs, picked up my car after the meeting in Mancs and drove home with new cambelt and water pump all done. Worked out nicely!.

pbarlow0032

Original Poster:

420 posts

214 months

Wednesday 12th August 2009
quotequote all
Thanks hman, i appreciate the advice. Will bear that in mind, as you say, the courtesy car makes life a little easier too!

Spoke to local Audi centre service department, who thought it was a chain cam engine until i told them other wise! He said he wouldn't bother having the water pump replaced as its not a part that degrades, which is completely at odds to what i've read on the TTForum, i wonder if this is something more specific to the type of water pump in the TT?

Tame Technician

2,467 posts

205 months

Wednesday 12th August 2009
quotequote all
Do DO Do DO Do DO the water pump.

(A) Because they do fail from time to time and cause over heating, big labour intesive job to replace separatly, litle or no labour charge to do at the same time as belt.

(B) I had a customer with a B6 A4 3.0 v6 where the waterpump actually seized, striped the teeth off the cam belt, which killed the engine. Was something like £3000 repair.

Water pump £30.


PS
I may have missed the memo about the <2004 cars now being included, and it is 75K or 5 years. It was only a matter of time before AUDI realised if a belt brakes between 75 and 120K on a 2004 car, it will probbably do the same on an identical 2003 car. They missed that before.


pbarlow0032

Original Poster:

420 posts

214 months

Thursday 13th August 2009
quotequote all
Thanks Tame Technician, so i think i better get it done then! The car was registered in March 2005, so i guess it applies! As you say, better to get it done than to need a new engine!

Can anyone recommend a good VAG independent around Durham, i've seen one called Volksparts, has anyone had any experience of them?