Timing Belt inspection - Pics

[kwimberly]

Just ordered the "plus" timing belt kit from MJM. Great price and free shipping.

I have 71,000 miles. I think it's time:

[joe.audi]

you cant really do a visual just change it

[03 silverbullet]

? ok ? mine looked nice and shiny too and when i started to take it off the teeth on it were rounded off. I had 102 k on it though

[Affinitive]

Just ordered the "plus" timing belt kit from MJM. Great price and free shipping.

I have 71,000 miles. I think it's time:

Smart man to be checking that. Good resolution on that pic too. What kind of camera ae you using there. I've a got a 9.2 mega pixel and I can't get such good pix to show my customers.

Anywho, for 71K on the ticker, it actually looks surprisingly good. Only seems to be showing normal stretching and and surpisingly minor cracking for the age and mileage. One of my customers with an 05 B6 and 49K mileage looked a lot worse than that.
Generally speaking, 60K is a pretty good and fairly safe rule of thumb on 1.8T's in the B5 and B6 cars. The TT's and other font wheel drive stuff will often times go further with conservative drivers. Regardless though, get into a good habbit of regular inspections on the belt. Obviously only takes 30 seconds to do by pulling the belt cover back a little.
Also, in your case since you have an AMB engine code, you wana make sure you set the "pre tension" properly since you have that adjustable tensioner pulley. Same goes for late AWM engines as well. If the "pre tension" is set too tight, the belt won't last long at all and the water pump will fail prematurely.
Proper proceedure for doing this should be easy enough to find.

C

[monkey323i]

you cant really do a visual just change it

+1.

often it is that the plastic water-pump that fails and cause the still great shape timing belt to snap.
Some tensioners got seized and cause the timing belt to snap, too.


make sure your new water-pump is not made by plastic (most of them are now made by steel or metal material.)

[Frey7190]

Ya, sorry you cant just pop off the covers... I tried that... My mechanic laughed so hard when i told him what I did.. THEN he showed me a Passat that he had in the shop for a TB.. Apparently the part you see isnt the part to be really looking at, the inside of the belt has "teeth" and the teeth fall apart... Since you cant see the teeth, you have no idea how its doing... The belt from the passatt (which was lying next to it on the floor) was A++ on the outside, but the belt was missing over a 1/2 foot of teeth!!

IMO dont risk it.. If your at the time of replacement, suck it up, and have it done... I know it hurts to think you have to spend all that money, but think of it this way... 1000$ TB replacement, or 6000$+ Engine rebuild! AHHH

[MikTip]

Just ordered the "plus" timing belt kit from MJM. Great price and free shipping.

I have 71,000 miles. I think it's time:

Unfortunetly the top of yor timing belt is not what you want to be inspecting...it the underside, with the teeth.

Also its the rotating parts, the timing belt turns, which often fail, before the timing belt. This is why theirs a "mileage" change interval, and its not based on a visual inspection...

[A4 Moda]

I just changed mine. I have 71K on it as well.

got the ECS ultimate timing belt kit.
Took me a whole day to complete, but I got it done.

Make sure you mark your crank sprocketand the block before you take the belt off.

GL

[7speed]

I just changed mine. I have 71K on it as well.

got the ECS ultimate timing belt kit.
Took me a whole day to complete, but I got it done.

Make sure you mark your crank sprocketand the block before you take the belt off.

GL

Whats the deal with your turbo situation ?

[A4 Moda]

Thanks again for the N75 bro.
Really appreciate it.

[kwimberly]

Thanks for the info re. the proper inspection method. I'm definitely not going to rely on the visual inspection. Like I mentioned - I ordered the kit from MJM, and there's a local AZ'er who will most likely be hooking me up with the install. 71,000 miles seems like the perfect time to change it!

[zz2h33]

I was told by a reputable Audi mechanic that Audi DOES look at the back side of the belt as a gauge to how worn the belt is (as you're pic shows). If you can see the ribs starting to show through the back side of the belt, as you can see on yours, that's a sign it needs replacing. Also, things like worn edges and cracks obviously. But, as others point out, the main reason a belt breaks is due to a pulley or water pump going bad. 9 times out of 10 those will begin to give you an audible warning before failing, but not guaranteed.

[A4Avant02]

I just changed mine, at 71 k miles, using the MJM kit. My belt looked similar and once it was off you could really see the wear and cracks. The plastic impellor on the water pump looked fine, but it got replaced too.

[braker15]

I've got 87k on my b6, and no plans/worries about changing TB.

[old guy]

I've got 87k on my b6, and no plans/worries about changing TB.

Just an FYI, I changed mine at 80K. The belt and tensioner looked fine. However the water pump was just beginning to leak a little. The water pump is more likely to bite you than the TB.

Cheers!

[MJM Autohaus]

We appreciate the orders, fellas!

Checking for dry rots isn't such a bad idea and it's never a bad idea to do periodically, but keep in mind that your tensioners and/or rollers can also fail, leaving you with bent valves to use as decorations in the garage.

Don't sleep on the maintenance, fellas. Buying 20 new valves ain't cheap!

[lookaught]

I've got 87k on my b6, and no plans/worries about changing TB.

Good thinking.

[dougyfresh]

Just an FYI, I changed mine at 80K. The belt and tensioner looked fine. However the water pump was just beginning to leak a little. The water pump is more likely to bite you than the TB.

Cheers!

I changed one back on Dec 20th for a fellow AZ member and it had 9x,xxx on it. Everything looked fine except upon very close inspection the ribbed side of the timing belt itself was showing signs of wear (stress marks). Something you would never see if the belt is on the car.

I also changed a timing belt on a B5 2.8L back on Dec 19th and that looked mint. It had close to 100k on it as well.

It is hit or miss with these motors. Given the cost of repair if the timing belt breaks (new cylinder head with valves) it is better to err on the conservative side (shorter odometer intervals) in replacing it. That is why I use a 60,000mile interval replacement on my personal vehicle.

As Old Guy mentioned, the water pump and the o-ring used to seal the water pump against the block are most likely your short straw (most limiting item).

[boy412]

We appreciate the orders, fellas!

Checking for dry rots isn't such a bad idea and it's never a bad idea to do periodically, but keep in mind that your tensioners and/or rollers can also fail, leaving you with bent valves to use as decorations in the garage.

Don't sleep on the maintenance, fellas. Buying 20 new valves ain't cheap!

Indeed. I had the water pump go and did a TB service. Then 10K later the tensioner failed. Had to do the bloody thing all over again!

:(

[manguyen]

Anyone know what the deal is with the Timing Belt Class Action????

[alexza4]

I changed one back on Dec 20th for a fellow AZ member and it had 9x,xxx on it. Everything looked fine except upon very close inspection the ribbed side of the timing belt itself was showing signs of wear (stress marks). Something you would never see if the belt is on the car.

I also changed a timing belt on a B5 2.8L back on Dec 19th and that looked mint. It had close to 100k on it as well.

It is hit or miss with these motors. Given the cost of repair if the timing belt breaks (new cylinder head with valves) it is better to err on the conservative side (shorter odometer intervals) in replacing it. That is why I use a 60,000mile interval replacement on my personal vehicle.

As Old Guy mentioned, the water pump and the o-ring used to seal the water pump against the block are most likely your short straw (most limiting item).

very very true, this is indeed just a hit or miss. also depends alot on how hard the car was driven. i did mine at alround 90K (should have done earlier though) and all including the belt looked to be in perfect shape. but then again you see them fail at 60K... just replace it and be done with it, don't chance it like i did. if you do the change yourself it isn't even worth waiting.