Timing Belt

[stevan]

Have just clocked over 100k in my10 103kw TDI T5. When should I have the belt changed?
I do not go near VW for servicing usually but should I for this? Also do you change anything else when doing this job on the 2L. ie water pump, belt pulleys/bearings tensioner etc. What is the usual cost approximately?

Thanks in advance

[Sunny43.5]

If its like most of the T5,s early and late other than the AXE engine [ no belts at all ] then yes belt / pump /tensioner would be the best thing done together .

[REVHE4D]

Timing belt will start to get noisy soon, if it hasn't already, this should be done at 105k, there is also a robustness kit available, they should offer you this as well. There was a problem with all t5s 2010 onwards with not having a timing cover and poor quality pully and tensioner, the robustness kit gives upgraded components. I would get this done at the dealer.
I think I payed something like 1400, the robust kit was 480.

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[aSimpleLife]

I got my 2010 diesel T5 timing belt replaced at 104,000 with a service. My water pump was replaced too as I was told it had started to leak. My mechanic advised me to replace the timing belt early.

I read the service schedule and I believe the 2010 diesel has the toothed belt with the tensioning roller? If so the interval should be 210,000km. Apparently that was increased from the older models without the tensioning roller which is 120,000km. If you have the tensioning roller in dusty conditions it is also 120,000km but I don't drive on dirt roads. While it's not in the service schedule I also read "or 4 years" which means at 5 years I am due.

Surprisingly my mechanic says the 4 year thing is rubbish. But he said his advice still stood that I should replace it early and remove that risk. He is not a VW mechanic but he reckons he is experienced enough when I have asked him. But he did miss the symptoms I reported before the axle broke. Family members have used him for 15 years without any other incident. Sometimes wonder if I am his cash cow. However I took his advice and not the risk. There was nothing said about the "robustness kit" but I'll ask next time I am there.

I noticed after the timing belt was replaced the engine whine you hear at low speeds had got louder. I was told if that doesn't change then it's just the new belt and/or the setting that was chosen. I've got used to it now but it was definitely different to my now very cautious T5 owners ear.

[Umai Naa!!]

Have just clocked over 100k in my10 103kw TDI T5. When should I have the belt changed?
I do not go near VW for servicing usually but should I for this? Also do you change anything else when doing this job on the 2L. ie water pump, belt pulleys/bearings tensioner etc. What is the usual cost approximately?

Thanks in advance

105,000kms or 7 years.

Do the belt as a kit, with new tensioner and idlers.

Definitely do the water pump. They always leak on these.

Independent VW specialist at a minimum.

[Sunny43.5]

You can take some parts of VW,s servicing schedules with a pinch of salt as they were written in Europe and because they do not test here in Australia the real world is very different to the testing done at the factory or on road in Europe . You only have to look back at the Tiptronic auto VW fitted to the first series T5 they believed the auto fluid never needed to be changed . I proved that theory was totally wrong as the fluid inside ours was black as night and had formed a lovely sludge on the inside of the sump which cause the auto self detonate . If you doubt my word take a look at the new T6 what sort of engineer who SHOULD have come to Australia for testing was allowed to put the drink holders in the top of the dash right next to the windscreen . Might be fine for coffee in Europe but your cold can of drink will be nicely heated to hot within a matter of minutes .

[Umai Naa!!]

You can run yours until the belt breaks, and smashes the cylinder head to pieces if you like, but I prefer to stick to the manufacturer's service schedule, and recommend advice that ensures a customer's warranty will be maintained, in the event of a failure.

[Transporter]

The 7 years is for sure long enough time for the belt that also contain the rubber and perishes over the period of time. There is absolutely "0" chance that the engine won't be damaged when the timing belt brakes.

[Sunny43.5]

I would like to clarify what I said , it was not to give the impression that I would ignore the scheduled servicing from VW but to do it sooner rather than later as I said Australia,s climate is very different to Europe,s climate so prevention is the better option so go early rather than later .

[jets]

I said Australia,s climate is very different to Europe,s climate so prevention is the better option so go early rather than later .

It's interesting that in the UK, for the T4 at least, the VW cambelt change recommendation is 4 years whereas in Aust. it's 7 years.
Maybe the UK cold climate makes the rubber more brittle.

[Sunny43.5]

You are probably right about rubber getting brittle but the same thing with heat can cause the rubber to gradually disintegrate as the compounds in the rubber belts would be affected by heat .

[jets]

When we had the Polo, the local recommendation from VW was 4 years. The belt I took off looked almost like new although I know a visual check may only show when it's just about to break. I thought at the time it was a wast of time & money. Since that time VW Aust. must have agreed that 7 years is more realistic. So my conclusion is that the heat we experience in Aust. has less effect on life on belt life compared with icy conditions.

[Johnny]

You can take some parts of VW,s servicing schedules with a pinch of salt as they were written in Europe and because they do not test here in Australia the real world is very different to the testing done at the factory or on road in Europe . You only have to look back at the Tiptronic auto VW fitted to the first series T5 they believed the auto fluid never needed to be changed . I proved that theory was totally wrong as the fluid inside ours was black as night and had formed a lovely sludge on the inside of the sump which cause the auto self detonate . If you doubt my word take a look at the new T6 what sort of engineer who SHOULD have come to Australia for testing was allowed to put the drink holders in the top of the dash right next to the windscreen . Might be fine for coffee in Europe but your cold can of drink will be nicely heated to hot within a matter of minutes .

Have you ever seen the actual test areas for VW in Europe? Because I have, BMW, Audi and VW test in Norway during winter where -30° can be expected on a very special test circuit. After the winter tests, the cars are then tested in the Arizona desert where temperatures of +50° can be expected and again on a special test circuit. So I'm thinking that with all due respect, a lot of your comments could also be taken with a pinch of salt.

[Sunny43.5]

No I do not agree as most passenger cars would do the testing as stated but vans I doubt VW would place as much importance with them , and if you need proof ask VW why in 2010 they after selling cars here for well over 50 years they suddenly declared Australia a "Hot Climate Country" The early T5 auto was sold as never needing to be serviced then they put a filter inside to become blocked with fluid which is being gradually cooked by the heat inside and then multiple driving conditions . NO fluid could expect to be in pristine condition after years of use . Are you going to tell me they drove the vans in Arizona for five years of driving . NO they can only collect data from at most a few weeks of testing which not in their wildest dreams can be used as a comparison to the "REAL WORLD" driving conditions .

Sorry mate I have been the victim of the arrogance of VW not at least trying to make their cars suitable for Australian conditions . We had another issue with the same problem of no local input , VW placed a diesel fuel cooler on the outside of the under floor coverings directly behind the passengers side front wheel . Now in Europe and if those vans were tested in the US they would have been Left hand drive so that fuel cooler would never have been exposed to rocks being thrown up when the passengers side wheel is off the bitumen like ours do , and again we suffered financially from this lack of testing for Australia . I like how you emphasize Special Test Circuit sounds like our roads would have shed a different light if they had done testing here . I have worked in the auto industry for all of my working life and have seen multiple times the ignorance of engineers who just foisted cars into our climate and road conditions without local testing . In my previous business I had a visit from a team of six Japanese Engineers from Mazda in Japan , we had been doing serious modifications on then the Mazda MX6 coupe as it was developing massive creaks and groans from the body work . The Japanese admitted they did not test for our roads and needed to see what we were doing to fix the problem . If you go back even further when Thiess were the Australian importers for Toyota some of the first vehicles they bought in were Landcruisers for the Thiess mines . Within 6 months the Japanese took all of them back to fix as they were literally falling to pieces , and you think VW even today still have vehicles that are suitable for our climate then no I will still say take their advice with a pinch of salt .

[Transporter]

It looks like you can't win Sunny, since not even Holden, local Ford and Mitsubishi didn't test their products very well, otherwise they wouldn't have so many problems they had. Not even paint on them was suitable to our climate, dashboards that were cracking from the heat, and electrical components failing all due to the heat.