Audi A4 timing belt replacement - letter from dealer

I have an 02 reg Audi A4 Quattro 1.9 diesel. I recently received a letter from my dealer stating that Audi are changing the recommended timing belt replacement from 60,000 miles to 4 years (for diesels) for new Audis and therefore I should get my timing belt replacement done now , and basically they won't be responsible for the consequences if I don't. My car has only done 44,000 so this is obviously an additional expense I hadn't accounted for. Has anyone else had a similar letter. Should I replace the belt now, wait till the next service (probably about 6 months/6000mls) or leave it until 60000 as stated in the maintenance schedule for my car? It seems a bit harsh to indicate that a part probably won't last as long as designed and nottake responsibility for the cost of early replacment. Is this really what Audi are saying or is my dealer just trying it on?

Reply to
gmickflyer
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I also received a similar Letter from the local dealer saying that Audi UK recommend changing the timing belt on all Audi's at 4 years. It is not clear if the belt should be changed earlier if the mileage warrants it. This letter should have been sent out by Audi UK if they had done things properly. My belt was changed earlier than the 80,000 miles recommended for the 2.5 TDI as they had the engine in bits to replace the injection pump!!!. But it was over 5 years old by then.

Peter

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Reply to
News Reader

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Yes, Audi UK (and I presume that this advice has come from the factory in Germany) have declared that the timing belt on all cars should be changed at 60k miles, or every four years, whichever comes sooner.

The only car that doesn't apply to, I believe, is the RS6! I was required to pay £1100 to have the belt changed on my car at 3 years, with only 26k miles on the clock!

Reply to
Peter Bell

i worked for audi as a senior technician for a lot of years and my experiance with the pd 1.9 engines is the belt should be changed with in the five years or

60,000 miles, due to the extra strain on belts nowadays i have seen them starting to split within this period. i am now a mobile mechanic and still enforce this belief, i also recomend the water pump to be changed at the same time, again with experiance with audi and also other manufactures, the strain with a new belt puts added strain on the bearing and within 20,000 miles the pump will have to be replaced which means the belt will have to be rmoved again in which case costing you a considerable sum off money. your audi dealler are only thinking of your wellfair and pocket and i must praise them for contacting you and letting you know, as not all do and customers end up with snapped belts
Reply to
jamr

years and my

nowadays i have seen them starting to split within this period. i am now

mobile mechanic and still enforce this belief, i also recomend the

to be changed at the same time, again with experiance with

manufactures, the strain with a new belt puts added

within 20,000 miles the pump will have to be

will have to be rmoved again in which case

money. your audi dealler are only

must praise them for

customers end up

I couldn't agree more, I have 2002 A4 with 76,000kms and the belt was cracked at70,000kms. Yes the service is expensive but so is a new enginge. These are interference motors, I'd rather stretch the service bill than buy a new car. I've seen the service done before, I'd imagine the diesel motors are similar to petrol, the front clip needs to come off & down for the service position, and if you can afford a water pump, do it cause it's right there, the plastic impellar on the factory installed water pump usally fail over time, upgrade to a metal impellar water pump, it's even cheaper than the OEM factory pump.

Reply to
veedubin69

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