Cambelt and Sparkplugs

[poloag]

Hi,

My car was built in Jan 2017 and has 58k miles, would others suggest replacing the cambelt and spark plugs?
It starts and drives perfectly.

Thanks

[RUM4MO]

Can you tell us which engine type and code is in your car please.

JAN 2017 build but "1.2 63 plate" !

[poloag]

Look book Shows

Eng no CJZCC *****
kW 66

Thanks

[RUM4MO]

Okay, so an engine from the EA211 family of engines.

Spark Plugs, which are not iridium tipped should get replaced every 4 years or XX,000miles, I've replaced the plugs on my wife's August 2015 Polo once and have new plugs to replace them at this year's service along with the air filter which is also a 4 years or YY,000miles service item.
Cambelt, now this is where it gets messy/tricky, VW Group UK importers all recommend replacing the cambelts at 5 years or ZZ,000miles, all the individual VW Group marques official workshop manuals make it clear that these cambelts on this family of engines are "longlife" and so do not not get included in the normal servicing of that car. Instead they should get examined for condition after so many years, and then at every following service re-examine and replace as and when necessary, ie when they look like they are starting to look aged/damaged. The cost of replacing these belts is quite high! So, as far as if or when to replace the cambelt, that is as good as it gets information-wise from me.

[poloag]

thanks, i heard that the coils tend to break when replacing the plugs, have you experienced this.
have you replaced the cambelt on yours, how easy is it to examine or do you need to pull off covers to see it.
i've read that people recommend replacing the water pump at same time of cambelt change.

thanks

[poloag]

Just spoke with VW Dealer they recommend Cambelt change at 100k miles and costs £299 inc VAT.

[Le_Combattant]

thanks, i heard that the coils tend to break when replacing the plugs, have you experienced this.
have you replaced the cambelt on yours, how easy is it to examine or do you need to pull off covers to see it.
i've read that people recommend replacing the water pump at same time of cambelt change.

thanks

Remove the coil when engine is warm. Otherwise, the rubber will stick to the spark plug.
Don't forget to put the dedicated grease (green one) at the end of the coil pack (where the contact will be made with the spark plug).

[Le_Combattant]

Just spoke with VW Dealer they recommend Cambelt change at 100k miles and costs £299 inc VAT.

Only 299 for camblet ? Are you sure ?

[poloag]

what grease are you referring to please.

Yes she said 299£, unless she made an error.

[Mikeso51]

I would be surprised if you needed a cambelt change so early in the car’s life. I check mine annually (2 low mileage cars same age as yours) and both look like new. Official instructions for checking are here:

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/4 ... nspection/

£290 for a cambelt change by a main dealer is around half what others have paid, so something is awry here. Incidentally, the water pump is on the other end of the EA211 engine and not driven by the cambelt, so no logic in changing it when the cambelt is changed.

Removing the coil packs is easier with the factory tool T10530. Very expensive from VW, but cheap clones are available from the usual suspects (eBay, Amazon, AliExpress etc)

Hth

Mike

[RUM4MO]

thanks, i heard that the coils tend to break when replacing the plugs, have you experienced this.
have you replaced the cambelt on yours, how easy is it to examine or do you need to pull off covers to see it.
i've read that people recommend replacing the water pump at same time of cambelt change.

thanks

As suggested by someone else, only ever remove these coils using the correct type of tool, it has an expanding "shaft" that fits down into the hole in the coil's top section that the securing bolts passes through, then you tighten up and so the expanded "shaft" grips the steel bush in that hole - and you pull up vertically - or at least in line with the coil's axis. These coils are in 2 parts, first the top section with the electronics and the HT connector which is available as a spare part. It seems that some unlucky people have ended up with these 2 parts separating and so the HT connector gets left down the hole, the fix to get you out of this mess is to apply compressed air to the centre of this part and that should expand the rubber section and so "unstick" it from the body of the spark plug, which will help you to now pull it up out of that recess.

I've not replaced the cam belt on my wife's 2015 Polo - yet, I don't know when or if I will, I just don't want to be the first DIYer that ended up trashing an engine because he got caught out! I always did replace or get the cam belts replaced on the older 1.4 16V VW Group engines, along with the water pump and some extra idler pulley - all in a bid to avoid trouble, that worked for me on 2 cars.

[poloag]

thanks Mike, she was quoting £470 for a major service, so perhaps the £299 cambelt was a bolt on?

Thanks RUM4MO

[Le_Combattant]

My car is 9 years old ans has 132000 km on it.

Last service was done on January, no report about the camblet. Its a CJZC engine also.

Maybye forz her 10th birthday, I will consider the cambelt replacement

[poloag]

wow!

[Le_Combattant]

wow!

What ?