My 80,000 miler B8 has developed a worrying squeak when either stationery or moving at any speed.  It emanates from the engine area and I believe it to be belt squeak.   I have bought a spray to deal with this but there are no belts whatsoever visible from above.  Will the removal of any of the various plastic covers reveal any or all of the belts ? If so then which one(s) ?

cheers,

steve.

Could be a cambelt or auxillary drive belt. The question is, when we're all the belts last changed? 

4 hours ago, Steve Q said:

Could be a cambelt or auxillary drive belt. The question is, when we're all the belts last changed? 

I hope that you are right, since a belt change is preferable to any engine repair that might be necessary.  I’ve had this car for about 18 months and although I had it serviced immediately after I bought it, I don’t believe that the belts were changed then.

Given that a broken cam belt on my Alfa Romeo 156 GTA required a new engine, I guess that I’d better replace the belts on my RS4.

Thanks for your kind response.

9 hours ago, Steve123 said:

I hope that you are right, since a belt change is preferable to any engine repair that might be necessary.  I’ve had this car for about 18 months and although I had it serviced immediately after I bought it, I don’t believe that the belts were changed then.

Given that a broken cam belt on my Alfa Romeo 156 GTA required a new engine, I guess that I’d better replace the belts on my RS4.

Thanks for your kind response.

You're welcome. Definitely get it changed before it snaps. If it's cambelt youll need to change the water pump at the same time.

Hello Steve (S4).

Pardon my ignorance, but does this engine have belt driven camshafts rather than chain driven? 

If indeed belt, then I wouldn’t even start it, leave along drive it, before the belt/s are changed. Of course, the noise maybe from the auxiliary belt, but in view of your earlier experiences, it would be a daft suggestion to believe it could be, and to ignore the vital cambelt. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

Thank you, guys, for your input, which is all very useful stuff.  I don’t know if my RS4 B8 has a belt or a chain, that was what one of my earlier posts this week was about, since nothing is visible from the top.   Does anyone know ?  I’ll see if the handbook has anything to say on the subject.        On another subject, though, this is my second A4 type Audi.  The first was a V8 S model and now I have the B8.  A motoring journalist friend of mine advised me against S and RS AUDIS due to the high cost of frequent repairs.  I think he was right. I also run a Bentley Continental GTC and a DB9, never mind two high performance Alfa’s.   The two Audi’s have cost me much more in repairs than the rest of them put together.............now I think of it, apart from general servicing, neither the Aston nor the Bentley has cost me a bean.........don’t mention the depreciation, though !

Hello Steve, 

Belt or chain? 

If you just ring up the Parts Dept. of your local Audi dealer and ask them for availability and cost of the timing belt, the answer will clarify belt or chain! 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

 

That’s a good idea, Gareth. Thank you.