have repair estimate, need advice

You can get a timing belt kit from ECS tuning for about $350 that includes the water pump, serpentine belt, tensioner, etc.

Replacing the timing belt and associated stuff is definitely needed.

Labor is in the range of realistic if may be a bit high. It is about a five hour job. Be sure that the mechanic is familiar with Audis and has the special cam timing tool.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote:

This proposal is quite reasonable. Your TB is due to be changed anyway and you will save significantly on labor to do all this together with the water pump. I would add that it wouldn't hurt to change the thermostat as well.

Thanks for the feedback! Tony I went to the link you provided (ECS tuning), but I could not find the timing belt kit that you spoke of. If you can point me to the exact link that would be great. In any case, I'm a little concerned that there is a $160 disparity in the parts estimate that the mechanic provided. Is the markup typically this high?

Your mechanic will probably be making a profit on the parts plus his cost may be fairly high if he's getting them from the Audi dealer. That said, you may want to ask him if he's OK with you supplying the parts before you show up with parts in hand. Many mechanics don't like to do that and may not warranty the work. When I was thinking about doing the TB myself on the same car as yours, here is where I looked for a parts kit

Note they will also rent the special tool thatmakes the job much easier to do. Ultimately, it was a job I didn't want toget into so I had an independent mechanic do it for about the price you'rebeing quoted. BTW, the consequences of TB failure are severe - manythousands of dollars in damage to the engine.

The link:

This is if you are DIY but if not, Ian S is correct in saying that the mechanic may not want to work with parts you supply and, yes, he may charge more but that is how mechanics earn their living. This is not an inconsequential job. A person can do it by themselves but only if they are experienced and have the special tools.

I did it with my s>

Forgot to mention in the last post:

ECS Kit $254 + shipping.

I have no affiliation with ECS but have bought from them and I am happy with their support.

Also, I would not attempt this without a shop manual, a friend who is mechanical and familiar with Audis and a case of your favorite adult beverage.

I wouldn't worry about the $160 disparity >

Just don't start into the adult beverage too early. ;-) I bought both the Haynes and Bentley manuals when I was seriously thinking about doing it myself. Plus I have a decent tool set and experience in rebuilding various and sundry car systems years ago when I was a poor grad student. Ultimately, I decided it was not worth my time, effort, and aggravation.

As a businessman running my own small manufacturing operation, I mark up both labor and materials and don't begrudge a mechanic doing the same.

Don't forget the thermostat, that also needs changing at the same time..

You are a very wise man, one after my own heart. May your cars always be reasonable to fix and run well. Mine have been, with this very same philosophy.