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64 Sloper Road, Cardiff,
CF11 8AB
Audi Timing Belt, Cam Belt and Chain Replacement in Cardiff
The first question on any Audi is which engine you actually have, because the answer decides whether this is a routine job or a big one. The 2.0 TDI runs a cam belt, also called a timing belt, with a published interval. The 3.0 TDI V6 and the 2.0 TFSI run chains, and on the V6 that chain sits at the back of the engine against the gearbox. Same badge, completely different jobs.
Which engine is in your Audi?
The 3.0 TDI V6 in the A4, A5, A6, A7, Q5 and Q7 drives its chains from the gearbox end. There is no way in from the front, so access means separating the engine and gearbox. The 2.0 TFSI EA888 has its own reputation for chain tensioner wear. The 2.0 TDI is a belt. Here is what to watch for:
• A rattle for the first seconds after a cold start, loudest from the bulkhead end
• On a 2.0 TFSI, a chain rattle that settles once oil pressure builds
• Timing deviation or correlation codes stored on a scan
• On belt engines, a cam belt that is cracked, glazed or oil contaminated
• Any oil leak dripping onto the belt, which destroys it far faster than mileage does
On the 3.0 TDI V6 the chain is at the back of the engine
We are here to give you expert advice
Give us the registration and we will confirm the engine code before quoting anything. On an Audi that one check is the difference between a straightforward timing belt and an engine-out chain job, and nobody should be guessing at it.
When you leave your vehicle with us having timing chain or wet belt services it is in the safest of hands!
Audi does not publish a change interval for the chains, only for the belts. In practice chain wear tracks oil condition and service history far more closely than mileage, which is why a stretched service regime shows up as a rattle years before a well-serviced car of the same age.
If you are buying a used 3.0 TDI, listen to it from cold before you commit. On that engine the chain job is expensive enough to change whether the car is worth buying at all.
The 2.0 TFSI EA888 tensioner is the other one worth knowing. A revised part exists, but plenty of cars were never updated, and a slack chain on a direct injection petrol does not give much warning.
On the 2.0 TDI, the belt is an interference design. If it snaps the valves meet the pistons and you are buying an engine, not a belt. That is the entire reason the interval exists.
Quattro models add labour on some of this work because of what has to come off to get access. We will tell you up front if yours is one of them rather than surprising you with it later.
Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda and SEAT share these engines across the group, and we work on all four every week, so the same experience covers your car whichever badge is on the grille.
What a timing belt change includes
On the belt engines we fit the belt, tensioner and idlers as a kit, and we strongly recommend doing the water pump at the same time where it is belt driven. The pump is inexpensive while the front of the engine is apart and expensive once it is back together.
Chain, guides and tensioner work
On the chain engines we replace the chain, guides, tensioner and sprockets as a set. Fitting a new tensioner to worn guides is a false economy that brings the car straight back to us.
What it costs
The figure depends entirely on the engine and whether the chain is front or rear driven. We will not quote an Audi chain job over the phone without the engine code, because a guess helps nobody. Ring us with the registration and we will tell you exactly what is involved.
No belt record in the service history?
Service books write it as cam belt, cambelt or timing belt, so check for all three. If there is no entry anywhere in the book, assume it has not been done. We can inspect the belt condition and give you a straight answer before you commit to any work.
More reason to trust us to replace, maintenance or repair your Audi timing chain, cam belt or wet belt is we are accredited with major motor companies
We have been trading for over 20 years and have gained major accreditations with well known motor companies.
Being approved by the TSI, the IMI, the RGI and the IGA should give you confidence that we are the turn to independent garage that can service your Audi vehicles timing chain or wet belt.
We have fully qualified Audi technicians certified by the IMI. This means if you have any timing chain or wet belt problem we can sort the issues out for you quickly at competitive rates.
Contact A1 Diagnostics
Get in touch today for expert advice or to book your Audi vehicle in for an appointment to assess the work that needs to be carried out on your timing chain, wet belt or cam belt. We can inspect your Audi vehicles timing chain and decide the best route to take.
Related services
• Timing chain and cam belt replacement for all makes and models
• Audi servicing and repairs in Cardiff
A1-Diagnostics and ECU Repairs64 Sloper Road
Leckwith,
Cardiff
CF11 8AB
Tel: 02920 220 380
Opening Times
Mon – Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm
Email: info@a1-diagnostics.com