Timing Belt Inspection / Change Query?

[Pangolin]

Hi all,

I have a 132TSI MY19.5 Tiguan, (production date Oct 2018 ) that has done ~103,000km. I bought it secondhand last year as a VW Certified Pre-Owned car.

I have just booked it in for the 84 month / 105k service and my VW dealer is recommending that I get the timing belt inspected, because the timing belts generally need replacing for Tiguan models of this age / with this many kms done.

I just wanted to query the brains-trust here on this advice and if they would recommend the same?

Also, since the car is still under VW warranty, if the timing belt does need replacing then would they cover the cost under warranty?

Thanks in advance!

[Lucas_R]

Your engine should have a timing chain, not a timing belt. The 132TSI is the 2.0L turbo engine and these use a timing chain.

In theory a timing chain should last the life of the vehicle, but often its not the case these days. Longer oil change intervals and start/stop systems put additional stress and wear on timing chains and they often need to be replaced at some stage during the vehicles life.

Its good to see that VW dealerships still have no idea and are recommending you have a part changed that your car does not even use.

[Pangolin]

Thanks Lucas - weird that the dealer is mentioning that to me then.

I had a look via the VW service scheduling website and for my car it says:

*Additional requirements* Renew toothed belt, tensioner and roller - every 7 years or 105,000km

Volkswagen recommends renewing your toothed belt, tensioner and roller every 7 years or 105,000km for this model. If you are due for this service, please select it from the "Individual services" section.

Could these be the components that the dealer was meant to be referring to?

Thanks!

[ma44]

From what I know, the 132TSI in your Tiguan uses a timing chain, not a belt. So, no need to worry about replacing the belt, as this doesn't apply to your model. Timing chains, in theory, should last the life of the vehicle, but over time they can wear out, especially with longer oil change intervals.
Good that you're asking – it's always better to know what's going on with your car. While timing chains are more durable, with modern cars, everything is pushed to its limits, so it's worth checking for any unusual sounds. If the dealer suggests an inspection, it might just be a routine check to make sure everything is good

[ope126]

If you want the correct answer, the *additional requirements* Renew toothed belt, tensioner and roller - every 7yrs or 105,000kms is making reference to TDI models only. Simple as that, move on...

As mentioned above, the TSI engine will be a timing chain.

The only other "belt" that WILL require changing is the V-Poly Ribbed Belt - every 4yrs or 60,000kms.

[Pangolin]

Great - thanks ma44 and ope126 for those helpful replies!