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Could someone tell me when the cambelt should be changed on a 2003/03 1.4 S polo?

Its only done 16,000 miles.

I have searched but nothing came up.
cheers

recommended by vw is every 4 years or 60k

So that translates into NOW. Might be a good idea to change the waterpump at the same time as its driven by the cambelt - also use a VAG cambelt kit as it contains most of the tensioners and idlers/relay pulleys. One extra item to buy, as it is curiously left out of the cambelt kit for the 1.4 petrol engine, is the "missing small relay pulley" - the one from the 1.9 TDI engine is the same part number - it is included in the kit for the 1.9 TDI and all other engine cambelt kits but not the BBY etc kit!!
Strange but true!! Also my independant fixer reckoned that it is ultimately these pulleys that seize up and cause the belt grief - not the belts failing by themselves - he keeps a stock of these pulleys for that purpose. I can give you the pulley part number if you need it - as the VW garages will simpily not bother to change it as a matter of fact.

I beleive they have dropped the boundary to 40k or 3 years now thats what they told me when i got conned out of £350 to change it!!!!

RUM4MO wrote:So that translates into NOW. Might be a good idea to change the waterpump at the same time as its driven by the cambelt - also use a VAG cambelt kit as it contains most of the tensioners and idlers/relay pulleys. One extra item to buy, as it is curiously left out of the cambelt kit for the 1.4 petrol engine, is the "missing small relay pulley" - the one from the 1.9 TDI engine is the same part number - it is included in the kit for the 1.9 TDI and all other engine cambelt kits but not the BBY etc kit!!
Strange but true!! Also my independant fixer reckoned that it is ultimately these pulleys that seize up and cause the belt grief - not the belts failing by themselves - he keeps a stock of these pulleys for that purpose. I can give you the pulley part number if you need it - as the VW garages will simpily not bother to change it as a matter of fact.

Iwill have the part number if you have it.
cheers for the replies

Iwill have the part number if you have it.
cheers for the replies[/quote]

Right the (upper) small relay pulley is p/n 058 109 244 and cost approx £25.
Remember the water pump if you change it is actually an exchange part so is approx £35 after you get £20 back on the old one - p/n is 036 121 008 LX ( the X means exchange) and the cambelt kit p/n is 036 198 119C approx £90 plus two bottle of G12+ "juice" approx £13.

Please note all these p/n are for the BBY 75PS engine - but this engine also goes by other codes.

Interestingly, for this engine, this small pulley is not even listed as an individual part but is sold of a larger assembly complete with an extension arm - so that means only this part needs unbolted from the larger assembly - does this mean that failure (seizing) of this pulley will always destroy the extension arm? I can't answer that one but my fixer certainly replaced this pulley as an individual part - and the number I gave you is the number on the old pulley (all parts were returned to me) - by checking ETOS I found it was actually listed under one of the TDI engines.

Cheers for that. Is a straight foreward DIY job?

zippyy wrote:Cheers for that. Is a straight foreward DIY job?

No, I think that you realy need the service aids to hold things in place - remember that there are two belts on these engines - I got a good VAG indep to do this work at the same time as the TCA bushes were replaced (with Seat Ibiza Cupra ones)

I've had a quote for£230 for the parts and fitting inc water pump. Is this a good price?

zippyy wrote:I've had a quote for£230 for the parts and fitting inc water pump. Is this a good price?

Yes that seems okay as long as it means genuine VAG parts all round - and remember that extra relay pulley if your kit does not include it (ie if your engine is BBY etc 75PS 1.4 petrol).