General advice on Timing Belt Service
09-14-2013, 06:16 AM
#11
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agreed. Actually i'd postulate that the highest stress point is starting and stopping.
But you simply take your chances if you don't change it. It may well go 125k. Or, occasionally, 50k. I happen to use 75k as a good interval.
By the way, i do not find a 10 year old car to necessarily be old. Over the past 3 years i've invested in total, and i mean total reworking of the brakes, suspension and a complete "nose job" timing belt/etc service - one major per year. Drives like a new car and will go another 60-70k beautifully. $1500 is 3 payments on anything nice, maybe.
Grant
But you simply take your chances if you don't change it. It may well go 125k. Or, occasionally, 50k. I happen to use 75k as a good interval.
By the way, i do not find a 10 year old car to necessarily be old. Over the past 3 years i've invested in total, and i mean total reworking of the brakes, suspension and a complete "nose job" timing belt/etc service - one major per year. Drives like a new car and will go another 60-70k beautifully. $1500 is 3 payments on anything nice, maybe.
Grant
09-14-2013, 07:10 AM
#13
09-14-2013, 08:22 AM
#14
AudiWorld Super User
I also observe that these cars' engines have a 7K redline....and I have been known to bump up against it!!
09-14-2013, 08:24 AM
#15
AudiWorld Super User
My old volvo sohc engines were bulletproof except for the belt and tensioner (ok, those were regularly replaced every two belt changes every 140K miles!) . Some people even never changed the belt/tensioner except when they broke. A flatbed is free with AAA and they just felt a one hour plus $100 worth of parts wasn't worth the reliability issue with no engine damage.
09-14-2013, 08:38 AM
#16
it's an interference engine for sure, belt broken usually means engine valve rebluid. OP said keep an eye on it. But you cann't keep an eye on it make nonsense. when it broke, your engine is gone.
However, My suggestion is how would you evaluate the "risk". 10 year old is not so old for a car, but for audi, most rubber parts tend to fail here and there. I am sure the car need some serious repair other than the TB at this time.
if you want to keep this audi for another 10 years, do the TB.
however test it for another 10k is not a bad idea. what if you done the TB and find your tranny is going to be replaced?
what i will do is. drive the car for a while, if it doesn't hate you, and you wanna to drive it for a long while. Then do the transmssion fluid change, spark plug change, TB change, suspension swap.
Remember, when doing a TB change, not only change the TB.
change EVERYTHING.... roller, tensioner, thermo, water pump...
However, My suggestion is how would you evaluate the "risk". 10 year old is not so old for a car, but for audi, most rubber parts tend to fail here and there. I am sure the car need some serious repair other than the TB at this time.
if you want to keep this audi for another 10 years, do the TB.
however test it for another 10k is not a bad idea. what if you done the TB and find your tranny is going to be replaced?
what i will do is. drive the car for a while, if it doesn't hate you, and you wanna to drive it for a long while. Then do the transmssion fluid change, spark plug change, TB change, suspension swap.
Remember, when doing a TB change, not only change the TB.
change EVERYTHING.... roller, tensioner, thermo, water pump...
If there is ANY repair cost other than belt replacement and tensioner, pulleys, etc., then it's an interference engine.
My old volvo sohc engines were bulletproof except for the belt and tensioner (ok, those were regularly replaced every two belt changes every 140K miles!) . Some people even never changed the belt/tensioner except when they broke. A flatbed is free with AAA and they just felt a one hour plus $100 worth of parts wasn't worth the reliability issue with no engine damage.
My old volvo sohc engines were bulletproof except for the belt and tensioner (ok, those were regularly replaced every two belt changes every 140K miles!) . Some people even never changed the belt/tensioner except when they broke. A flatbed is free with AAA and they just felt a one hour plus $100 worth of parts wasn't worth the reliability issue with no engine damage.
09-14-2013, 08:42 AM
#17
but it certainly help on other parts. rollers... engines wear...
My idea is don't throw parts on a car you are still not familiar with. if you drive your car for years and you know it. then you can go hard on it. that's fun of driving an audi...
09-15-2013, 07:41 AM
#18
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
it's an interference engine for sure, belt broken usually means engine valve rebluid. OP said keep an eye on it. But you cann't keep an eye on it make nonsense. when it broke, your engine is gone.
However, My suggestion is how would you evaluate the "risk". 10 year old is not so old for a car, but for audi, most rubber parts tend to fail here and there. I am sure the car need some serious repair other than the TB at this time.
if you want to keep this audi for another 10 years, do the TB.
however test it for another 10k is not a bad idea. what if you done the TB and find your tranny is going to be replaced?
what i will do is. drive the car for a while, if it doesn't hate you, and you wanna to drive it for a long while. Then do the transmssion fluid change, spark plug change, TB change, suspension swap.
Remember, when doing a TB change, not only change the TB.
change EVERYTHING.... roller, tensioner, thermo, water pump...
However, My suggestion is how would you evaluate the "risk". 10 year old is not so old for a car, but for audi, most rubber parts tend to fail here and there. I am sure the car need some serious repair other than the TB at this time.
if you want to keep this audi for another 10 years, do the TB.
however test it for another 10k is not a bad idea. what if you done the TB and find your tranny is going to be replaced?
what i will do is. drive the car for a while, if it doesn't hate you, and you wanna to drive it for a long while. Then do the transmssion fluid change, spark plug change, TB change, suspension swap.
Remember, when doing a TB change, not only change the TB.
change EVERYTHING.... roller, tensioner, thermo, water pump...
Of course, I got a flashing engine light for about 10 seconds and then it went off. I ran the codes w/ my Vag Com unit ($10 off ebay) and had multiple cylinder misfires, 16687 (P0303), 16689 (P0305) and 16684 (P0300) and a new one.... related to catalytic converter, 16815 (P0431)
When I bought the car (from auction) and ran codes it had a P0305 and P0300 code in there, but not the others. It has a slight rumble at start but it clears up very quick, and then a slight tick coming out of cylinder bank on driver side that increases when the accelerator is pushed. Other than this the car drives awesome. Quick acceleration and solid feel.
My plan is to drive it about 5K miles, then go for the TB service when I do the next oil change and at the same time see what it looks like when the valve covers are off.
I guess the next question would be: What do you recommend for a value approach to swapping suspension? And if there happens to be a bad lifter or worn cam lobe when we pull the valve cover, would you fix that? I am not clear on the long term issue there. Let's face it, the car is 11 or 12 year old, and if it can last another 50K miles with just changing the TB, and then the engine dies I'd be fine with that. By that time it will certainly be at least 15 years old.
09-15-2013, 09:59 AM
#19
I guess the next question would be: What do you recommend for a value approach to swapping suspension? And if there happens to be a bad lifter or worn cam lobe when we pull the valve cover, would you fix that? I am not clear on the long term issue there. Let's face it, the car is 11 or 12 year old, and if it can last another 50K miles with just changing the TB, and then the engine dies I'd be fine with that. By that time it will certainly be at least 15 years old.
Check your CV boots worn out or not, usually is the outer boots. I just replace two driveshaft at 90K.
suspension swap is not so hard but some dirty work. but I would put suspension on the bottom of to-do-list. fix the misfire problem first and then do the valve cover gasket and TB.
I suggest do major repair year by year. first priority is small things.
oil change, air filter change, fuel filter change. throw maintainence parts is no brainer to be wrong at 90K.
09-16-2013, 03:38 AM
#20
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ok, the front suspension on c5 audi is upper and lower control arm. I suggest you if your control is still oem one. replace only the bad one with oem parts(Lemfoerder or TRW).There is NO proof shows that aftermarket control arm kits(billstein, meyle) are better than the oem.
Check your CV boots worn out or not, usually is the outer boots. I just replace two driveshaft at 90K.
suspension swap is not so hard but some dirty work. but I would put suspension on the bottom of to-do-list. fix the misfire problem first and then do the valve cover gasket and TB.
I suggest do major repair year by year. first priority is small things.
oil change, air filter change, fuel filter change. throw maintainence parts is no brainer to be wrong at 90K.
Check your CV boots worn out or not, usually is the outer boots. I just replace two driveshaft at 90K.
suspension swap is not so hard but some dirty work. but I would put suspension on the bottom of to-do-list. fix the misfire problem first and then do the valve cover gasket and TB.
I suggest do major repair year by year. first priority is small things.
oil change, air filter change, fuel filter change. throw maintainence parts is no brainer to be wrong at 90K.