High timing belt renewal mileage?

techie

I checked today on the renewal mileage on my car for its Cam Belt. (Seat Toledo 1.6 Diesel)

Both the dealer and also the Seat Customer care confirmed its 210000km :eek:

Has anyone else ever heard of this? It seems a high mileage to run on the original belt.

18MonthsaSlave

VW UP 1.0 belt lasts the life of the engine reportedly.

George Dalton

The water pump will probably start leaking before the cam belt interval is reached so it will end up being changed early.

techie

George Dalton wrote: »

The water pump will probably start leaking before the cam belt interval is reached so it will end up being changed early.

Thanks for that, I don't intend on leaving it until that mileage to change it, I assume if I don't get it serviced at a Seat Dealer then if anything happens the Belt then I am on my own?

Special Circumstances

210000kms - what's that? 3x the average life of a modern German timing chain? LOL.

George Dalton

techie wrote: »

Thanks for that, I don't intend on leaving it until that mileage to change it, I assume if I don't get it serviced at a Seat Dealer then if anything happens the Belt then I am on my own?

The belt is well capable of lasting the interval, I wouldn't be worried about it.

techie

George Dalton wrote: »

The belt is well capable of lasting the interval, I wouldn't be worried about it.

Ok thanks, I assume new type of belt so as I used to drive an Alfa

PeteFalk78

I had a V50 and recommended interval was 10 years or 200000km

Bpmull

I though it was 210k km or 4-5 years interval on that engine. So you'd still be doing the belt every 4 years maybe I'm wrong on that though.

techie

Bpmull wrote: »

I though it was 210k km or 4-5 years interval on that engine. So you'd still be doing the belt every 4 years maybe I'm wrong on that though.

Yeah the guy on Seat's Customer care said it would need to be checked at 5 years to see its condition and replaced if necessary then, if the mileage had not reached 210000km at that stage.

H3llR4iser

techie wrote: »

Ok thanks, I assume new type of belt so as I used to drive an Alfa

I would never trust a bit of rubber to last for 210000km. In any case, not over 5 years - the rubber itself decays with time and mechanical/thermal stress.

I am incredibly amused at the current claims of manufacturers - like the 30k+ service intervals.

Mycroft H

Because surely you know better than the engineers who come up with these things.

"Back in my day we'd to grease the kingpins once a week"

Guy:Incognito

Mycroft H wrote: »

Because surely you know better than the engineers who come up with these things.

"Back in my day we'd to grease the kingpins once a week"

Engineers come up with all the things that break in cars when they're not supposed too.:)

H3llR4iser

Mycroft H wrote: »

Because surely you know better than the engineers who come up with these things.

"Back in my day we'd to grease the kingpins once a week"

It's not always the "engineers" who write the manuals. As an engineer myself, albeit in a different field, I know compromises are made. Marketing wants its part.

If you say "this car needs service every 10.000km" and your competitors all say "20.000km", a lot of people will assume your car is unreliable. So, something like 18.000 ends up on the manual, even 'though the engineer(s) will complain.

vandriver

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I would never trust a bit of rubber to last for 210000km. In any case, not over 5 years - the rubber itself decays with time and mechanical/thermal stress.

I am incredibly amused at the current claims of manufacturers - like the 30k+ service intervals.

My Citroen C4 1.6 Hdi is just due its first new belt,at 180k km(only because its 10 years old now)
The quoted interval is 150k miles or 10 years.

techie

vandriver wrote: »

My Citroen C4 1.6 Hdi is just due its first new belt,at 180k km(only because its 10 years old now)
The quoted interval is 150k miles or 10 years.

What condition was the belt in?

Mycroft H

techie wrote: »

What condition was the belt in?

Got ours changed last year at 160,000 miles. It was in reasonable condition according to the mechanic. He said it would have lasted a bit longer.

1.6hdi Citroen.

vandriver

I'm getting mine done in the next week or so.I'll post up a picture of the old one.

R.O.R

Newer VAG stuff is 210k nowadays.

Don't remember us having a failure yet, that includes the 2012 Passat that came back yesterday with 230k on, still on its original belt.

techie

R.O.R wrote: »

Newer VAG stuff is 210k nowadays.

Don't remember us having a failure yet, that includes the 2012 Passat that came back yesterday with 230k on, still on its original belt.

Thanks for that, thats good to know.

TrailerBob

Timing belt intervals always intrigue me. I changed mine a couple of months back at the 80,000 mile suggested interval, and the belt that came off looked every bit as good as the new one that replaced it. I'd be confident it would do another stint... But for the sake of a few quid, better safe than sorry

unkel

It's still made out of rubber, isn't it? Rubber perishes over time. The belt will need to be replaced when it is 5 years old, even if the car hasn't been driven at all.

I wouldn't rely on a visual inspection, unless it is done by the dealer and the dealer will pay the full bill for any damage if the belt breaks after his inspection.

vandriver

vandriver wrote: »

I'm getting mine done in the next week or so.I'll post up a picture of the old one.

As promised!
It shows thousands of hairline cracks over the whole non-toothed side of the belt.

Timing Belt (rear) by vandriver, on Flickr

YbFocus

That's as much as I'd like to push it!

vandriver

It shows why there is a time limit(in this case 10 years and a couple of months),if you haven't reached the mileage limit.

techie

vandriver wrote: »

As promised!
It shows thousands of hairline cracks over the whole non-toothed side of the belt.

Timing Belt (rear) by vandriver, on Flickr

What mileage is that at?

unkel

Jaysus, looks like you've been lucky enough it's still whole!

I don't mind a bit of belt roulette with a car only worth banger money, but that's pushing it, dude

vandriver

181,000 km and 10 years 4 months.

billy few mates

My last car was something similar, 140K miles or 8 years iirc...