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VW Lupo 16V Cambelt & Brake fuid Change

I contacted a local garage a couple of weeks ago about a cambelt & brake fluid change on SWMBO's Lupo Sport 16V (AFK 100bhp engine). I don't have the time or facilities to do that myself, and it's overdue really- the car has only done 40k miles but is 7 years old. The fluid has been changed before, but not in the last 3-4 years.

The alarm bells rang slightly when they insisted that there's only one belt- there are 2, one main timing belt and another between the inlet & exhaust cams. I knew this from checking them when I serviced it last year. However, they have a good reputation, and have never ripped me off at MOT time.

Anyway, I dropped it there last night, and this morning, they called to say they couldn't do either job because they required special tools. There's no Haynes BoL for the Lupo, but the 16v engine is used in the Polo, Leon, Ibiza, and Fabia. I have the Fabia BoL, and it describes the belt change- having skimmed through it, you do need some locking tools, but surely these are available?

I can't believe the braking system needs any special tools to change the sodding fluid.

I'm wondering if basically either:

a) They've looked at it and just don't want to do it. They're quite a busy garage, so can probably pick and choose.

or

b)They've discovered the £300 they quoted for the 2 jobs above and an MOT is off the mark (they're doing the MOT). I thought it sounded reasonable, given the cost of parts and the fact it's a bit fiddly.

c) They can't be bothered getting the locking tools.

Has anyone experience of the above on a 2000-ish 1.4 16V Lupo, Polo, Fabia, Ibiza, etc? I can't believe it's that specialised on an engine used in so many VAG cars: lets face it, the Lupo is very similar to a Polo, and there's thousands of those about.

They're suggesting an independent VAG specialist.

Reply to
Chris Bartram
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The belts from VW are less than £30 & a full kit are less than £80 (Regular Trade Customers) & yes they do have 2 x belts

Autodata quote 1.9 hrs to remove & install

Info:

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Reply to
A C

Double that and you might have a more accurate time! VW times are notoriously short on Autodata, as they're menu times, so don't include times for all the other bits that need removed. Probably not too big an issue on a Lupo, but on Passats where the front end has to be stripped, the times don't include the extra time needed to put the vehicle into the service position (ie remove bumper, front cross member, move radiator etc.)

Worst time I had from autodata was 1.6hrs to do a 6 cylinder lorry headgasket. It took that long to get the head stripped to get the bolts out!

Reply to
moray

Thanks for the info. I'll ask a couple of VAG specialist independents. Any thoughts on the fluid change? Surely that's straightforward?

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Will be, until a bleed nipple breaks off.

Reply to
gazzafield

I'm hoping it won't, as the car has had at least one fluid change, so hopefully they won't be utterly seized.

I've now had another quote from Midland VW- and it's a bit cheaper. Not so cheap that it scares me, but a bit less.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Generally speaking on a fairly new vehicle, that hasn't been subjected to the attentions of overtightening the nipples should undo with no problems. Don't try and use an open end spanner (danger of rounding off the nipples) but a well fitting ring spanner. Lightly smear the area around the base of the nipple with grease when finished, for the sake of the next unfortunate to tackle the job, then refit the caps. Keep the master cylinder well topped up during the exercise and do not shake the spare fluid container around, as this will entrain air in the fluid with a risk of re-emergence into the system, causing symptoms of air in the system i.e. soft brakes that harden up when you pump them.

I use one of the cheapo one-man bleed tools personally and like to lead the hose upward immediately from the nipple, so if there is any tendency for the master cylinder to draw fluid/ air back into the slave cylinder the air will have floated up into the fluid, away from the area of the nipple entry. You will have given time for this to happen by pausing at the bottom of the downstroke on the master cylinder.

The only other disadvantage of this method, apart from the time involved, is the fact that if there are any rough, corroded patches inside the bore of the master cylinder, where the piston normally doesn't stroke, you will rip the master cylinder seals to pieces, requiring new components. Another reason why vacuum systems are used professionally for hydraulic bleeding!

Reply to
Narre

"gazzafield" wrote in message news:CuidnQ6-G snipped-for-privacy@pipex.net...

Any half decent garage should have oxy-acetylene and that makes getting bleed nipples off astonishingly easy.

Reply to
Doki

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