Hi guys me again,

sorry to be a pain 

on my car mentioned above what’s the interval for changing timing belt 

Official audi figures 140,000miles but many dealerships and independents still recommend every 5 years.

Sean.

This matter has been extensively discussed over the past year or two. Please search the Audi forums to get the full range of advice and suggestions, which in essence suggest getting the belt changed more frequently.

Cliff 

hi thank you for the previous answer about timing bent interval change A3 8Y 1.5 

I’ve looked through 10 pages on 8Y forum and can’t find the discussion about it,

inkers the discussion is else where in the group 

any ideas where I’ll find it please 

The information is not limited to just the 8Y forum. Search for "cambelt" with the "everywhere" filter. Unfortunately the search function is not very discriminating so you will need skim through a lot of irrelevant stuff.

• Older Guidelines: 40,000 - 60,000 miles or 5 years.
• Newer Models/Engines (e.g., 1.5 TSI): Can be significantly higher mileage (e.g., 100k+) but still with a time limit (e.g., 5 years). When in doubt, a proactive change (e.g., at 60k miles/5 years) offers peace of mind against potential engine failure, which is very costly. 
  PLEASE NOTE:- 
• The quotations in this post are challenged on accuracy under my post of 18 January. 
  Please read. 
  Magnet ( Gareth) - Moderator. 

Edited January 18Jan 18 by Magnet
Correct inaccuracies.

Does it have to be specifically 5 years I’m asking this cos bought car November last year its26.0000 miles but yes 5ish years old 

Have you asked your local Audi Service Dept.?  Can’t hurt. 

1 hour ago, Sean1972 said:

Does it have to be specifically 5 years I’m asking this cos bought car November last year its26.0000 miles but yes 5ish years old 

Hi can't see what the problem is, if its five years or near get it changed, had a few posters on here that have had incredibly low milage cars that have thrown a belt because they thought the milage should count, you must of paid well for a car with that milage so why dither about another say £500 for a cam belt change which will rubber stamp engine life for another five years, in the final analysis what's your car worth with a blown engine?.

Steve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alan.

Where did you get the information from that you posted  4 hours ago?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Google. Most sources seem to agree on 5 years. 
 

Thanks Alan, but we have to attempt to quote from authorised sources, and your mention of ‘…but still with a time limit (e.g. 5 years) is incorrect as we know it. There isn’t any time limit currently quoted by VAG ( that is the contention).

I did quote the mileage change recommendation in an earlier post against another thread, and I recall it’s something like 125k miles without time limit - but all members are advised to recheck this since the memory  is not what it was! 
I must also disagree with your differentiation between Newer Models. 
We understand the removal of any time limit applies retrospectively to all models. 
Many thanks,

Gareth. 

15 hours ago, AlanH said:

Google. Most sources seem to agree on 5 years. 
 

And Google is infallible?

On 1/17/2026 at 5:44 PM, AlanH said:

Have you asked your local Audi Service Dept.?  Can’t hurt. 

They will quote chapter and verse and you’ll be even more confused. It’s not just the belt, it’s the bearings on the pulleys. New kit comes with tensioner pulley, etc. normal course is to replace water-pump and auxilliary belt too.

Thank you

Thanks Sean,

So what are you going to do regarding your cambelt? 

I phoned my local Audi they said 149k no years 

 

over £1000 if Audi do it.

ive only done 26.000 miles,

its finding a garage/mobile mechanic with the correct timing tool to do it 

 

Thanks.

Yes we know, and it’s well recorded, what the dealer told you. Which equates to no recommendation to change on an age basis. 
Boiling it down, it’s now up to you (in caps) to decide which of the recommendations you go for. In your case you can wait a long time before you cover 149k miles. 
Perhaps it’s worth bearing in mind that the cambelt and its associated assembly takes more of a hammering on low mileage vehicles, where numerous gear changes occur, and particularly where stop/start is deployed.
Perhaps you’ll come back to us with your decision Sean. 
Regards,

Gareth. 

Thinking slightly differently - have you thought about the audi all in plan. Your car is under 6 years old and this would give you 2 years warranty, 2 services, 2 mot and 2 year roadside assistance and take you to 8 years ownership without cam belt and waterpump worries? Not cheap at about £900 though.

Edited January 19Jan 19 by joe6
Accuracy

Yes I have the all in plan would that cover the cost of the replacement 

I have been informed by a couple of garages I deliver to that I’m being a little premature in think about doing it at just 26.000 miles 

but I will try the ALL IN PLAN as mentioned above 

8 hours ago, Sean1972 said:

I have been informed by a couple of garages I deliver to that I’m being a little premature in think about doing it at just 26.000 miles 

but I will try the ALL IN PLAN as mentioned above 

Hi they must be top flight garages [NOT] my guy would be laughing his socks off, I wish I could catalogue the amount of things cam belt related that I have witnessed in the last twenty odd years of using my garage, I am always down there off and on and the latest was a customer with a three year old Citroen that was told at the last service he had better get the belt done SOON. Nah he thought its only done 20k and there it was in full gory glory having a cylinder head rebuild around £1800 without the new belt kit, Citroens small engines are notorious for banging out belts because they are wet belts, to sum up I have run well over a million miles between five taxis and never had a belt fail and I attribute this to changing the belt when he has suggested, so my Passat which has a 120k change interval gets its new belt every 80k because as a cab it gets far more action than the average family car, again what's cheaper a belt or a rebuild thats if you haven't jammed a valve through a piston which means SCRAP at the end of the day you have drawn from a rather large pool of experience and at the end of it the choice is still yours, the essence of this forum is to save members money and stress.

Steve.

Is it right that the 1.5 mhev petrol engine that I have in my Audi has a timing bent and tensioners on 1 side and water pump and smaller Belt in the other side of engine,

Any body k is if the Audi ALL IN plan will cover the cost if this,an above post mentioned about the all in plan 

I really appreciate every body who took the time to read and reply to my post.thank you,

im in a bit of a predicament,I purchased the Audi in November last year,with 25.000 miles,

I posted about the timing belt,

I really am not sure what to do (as silly as it sounds)

Audi say my timing bent isn’t due till 140k 

With no year interval,

I’ve heard from lots of people,some saying get it done,it’s not going to be cheap to get done.so my predicament is,I don’t won’t to not get it done for a while and worse case senario it breaks or tensioner issue causing massive issues

on the other hand I don’t want to unnecessarily pay to get it done when it isn’t due,

I appreciate it’s my car and only I can