120k timing belt question

We just hit 120k miles with our 2010 Jetta TDI. We have serviced the vehicle by the books at the VW location we bought our car. The dealer didn't do the 80k DSG service, and we didn't find out till 100k miles, so that is when it was done. So now that the 120k mile service is here, we will save a little by not having to do the DSG till 140k miles.

I am still planning on keeping the car at the moment, so my question is, am I asking for trouble if I wait till 130k miles? 140k miles? The timing belt is an expensive service, and with what is going on with the TDI's, I kinda want to wait to see if they come out with a fix for the cars. I don't want to spend all this money and then the fix isn't something I like, or we decide to sell the car back in a year.

So is waiting till 130k miles a big deal, or should I have it done when we take the car to get serviced? That's probably the max I'd let it slide, if I plan to keep the car, but if it's towards the end of the year when we rearch 130k miles, I would have to make my decision on getting it done at that point, or trying to wait a little longer.

On the 2011 MY going forward, the interval for the timing belt is at 130k instead of 120k on the 2010. I did mine at 130k no problem. Some would say not to chance it as the risk is high. I certainly wouldn't go past 130k myself...
I would suggest finding an independent mechanic to do your timing belt versus the dealership. The job will probably be done better and will likely cost you much less.
Good luck

I waited until 130K with my 2010 Golf TDI and it didn't blow up. Considering the interval changed to 130K and the parts probably didn't change, and that the 120K service interval certainly must have included a margin of error (~ +/- 10%...?), waiting until 130K was a chance I was willing to take.

I'll probably wait till 130k miles then. That should be around September/October for the amount my wife drives. If the service changed to 130k miles on 2011MY's and the parts didn't change, then I feel better about waiting till 130k miles.

I have tried to find local guru's, but had no luck in the past when it came to DSG service. I stopped looking after 80k miles, because no one wanted to do it, or said they didn't do side work anymore.

This place is less than 30 min away.......http://www.vcarshops.com/florida/vw-parts-unlimited-lakeland-fl

Donald

dmarsingill said:

This place is less than 30 min away.......http://www.vcarshops.com/florida/vw-parts-unlimited-lakeland-fl

Donald

Click to expand...

I know exactly where that is. Are they a recommended guru place though? I used to drive by that place all the time when I dropped my old coworkers off. Funny thing is, after looking at the street, some live in the two houses next to the shop, and a few others across the street where the big tree is in the front yard, lol. The area around that is very sketchy. I know you can find good places in bad areas sometimes, so I'll call and talk to them one day.

I would not wait. You don't have to worry about the belt., you have to worry about the cheesy factory installed water pump w/ plastic impeller and belt tensioner. Before I turned in my jsw with 118K, the tensioner shaft had a wobble in the bearings.

There seems to be a lot a variation in TB component wear. At 120k miles all of the components on my golf seemed like new. Minimal wear on the belt itself- at least visually.

I wouldn't wait to change it. I did mine around 110k miles, and the idler pulley was already weeping grease. The water pump also felt a bit notchy; probably scored bearings. The belt itself on the other hand looked new. Point is, if any of those fail causing the belt to seize and break, you're in for a whole lot of heartache.

FWIW, my indy did the job for $840.00 out the door.