Golf MKiv Cambelt.

What engine?

Regardless of manufacturer intervals I'd think about changing belts 5-6 years, 60k miles at least. If you say what engine is fitted (preferebly with the 3-letter code- look for a sticker in the boot under the carpet or a sticker on the cambelt cover- someone will be able to tell you the official interval.

The covers on most engines come off without trouble for inspection.

version with 81k on

Its the 1.6 16V petrol version..

petrol version with 81k on

I'm not sure about official intervals on that, but at 86K and 8 years old I'd change it (them? Some 16V VAG engines have 2 belts).

You might want to ask on

A couple of random thoughts, and I maybe confused so hopefully somebody who knows their stuff can correct me as necessary. I believe its worth getting the water pump changed at the same time, because when the impellor (which is plastic and does not last forever) breaks up it can be as bad as the cambelt going - being as how they are connected. I "heard" VW still use plastic impellors but some of the third party ones don't and are better.

Certainly though, by my liited logic if you don't know the hstory at 86k I would be thinking get it changed sooner rather than later.

there is no official change interval according to autodata, vw say to inspect at 60k, then check every 20k. change the belts (there are 2 on all variations of that engine) plus the waterpump. then you can rest easy as far as that all goes.

Can i get the cambelt cover off somehow to have a look at the state of it? Tried to remove black flat cover with vw logo and 1.6 16V on it but it wont pull off and i cant see any fixings..any idea hoe it comes off? I presime than i can unclip (?) the left hand belt cover and have a look. When you say 2 belts do you mean cam and alternator? Tks

the top part of the cover unclips iirc. there is one belt to the inlet cam, and another from inlet cam to exhaust cam. the alternator belt is easy to change, the cam belts are not, if the alternator belt fails it is not a disaster, if the cam belt fails it is !!

Pulling the cover off will not tell you much. They look OK till it snaps. Even looking at a broken one its only the break that's clean across or teeth can strip out.

I think the intervals are 60/70,000km and its worth a change,to be sure.

Its on the left hand side oposite the the coolant tank area.

I'd get it/change it now if I was you, even for peace of mind. VW I think state every 4 years or 60k last time i looked.

Be cautious if thats the manual version the gearboxes on those are poorly designed.

It's worth changing the pump forn two reasons: One is the platic impellor, which breaks up and causes overheating. The other is that if it seizes, it will beak/strip the cambelt.

That's the same as our Lupo then. I had it changed at 40k/7-8 years- I thought that was plenty long enough.

I had mine done after 100k on my focus.. money well spent, it runs so much better now LOL

Then your code is probably BCB.

Same as mine!

Mark

b series engines are 1.4, but vw do not have bcb

I'm positive they do, I've ordered stuff for mine from the dealer quoting the code BCB.

How strange, I am surprised since autodata do not list a vw bcb engine, but I suppose they could be mistaken.

My copy does. Volkswagen > Golf (98-06) > 1.6 16V. There are four codes listed:

ATN AUS AXD BCB

Amusingly, I noted the engine code for the 1.6 FSI is BAD. Yep, they are not wrong!

Chris

can I ask what year your autodata is? mine is 2004 and lists the three a's as you have, but not the bcb, if I do an engine number search it does list a couple of b?? but they are 1.4 and still not a bcb. I guess I will have to try to get a more up to date version.