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Polo BlueGT 1.4TSI service schedule
Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 12:55 pm
by archiemorley
Hi guys, I'm sorry if there is already a topic about this but I have got myself pretty confused. My car is due its service, which is fine - I am going to change the oil and filter this week, spark plugs were done last year (the car has 56,000 miles and is a 2016). However, I can't find any info in the service book about when my cambelt/ 'toothed belt' is due. I got the car a year ago from an Audi dealer who told me the interval was 75k miles, but all I can find online from VW is 40k or 4 years or something like that. What does anyone think? I have seen blueGTs with 38k miles but over 4 years old that have had their cambelts changed already, it seems like quite a low interval to me? Thanks in advance for your help.
Re: Polo BlueGT 1.4TSI service schedule
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 8:31 am
by Mikeso51
The subject of cam belt change interval crops up regularly, and most recently earlier this month.
viewtopic.php?t=76457
This particular thread relates to the 1.2tsi but the same advice goes for the 1,4tsi.
Mike
Re: Polo BlueGT 1.4TSI service schedule
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:03 am
by Mikeso51
Just to add to the link I posted earlier:
The Blue Gt uses the EA211 1.4tfsi engine, and it’s interesting to read what VAG said regarding cam belts when they introduced this engine back in 2012.
From a release on the official VW site:
“Take the example of overhead camshafts (DOHC): the camshafts are not driven by chain here, rather by a single-stage, low-friction toothed belt design with a 20 mm wide belt and load-reducing profiled belt wheels. Thanks to its high-end material specification, this toothed belt's service life reliably spans the entire life of the vehicle.”
The cam belt change recommendation given by VAG Germany, which is no time limit and a 133k mileage limit, Is consistent with this. The only European subsidiary who doesn’t follow this recommendation is VAG (UK).
So one might reasonably ask where VAG(UK) gets a 5 year belt change interval from? RUM4MO has given one possible explanation, but as far as I am aware VAG(UK) has never provided any credible technical justification. I do however recall that when they were pressed very hard on this a while back they reluctantly backtracked and said that a belt change at 5 years was not mandatory. It was acceptable, they said, to simply check the belt condition after 5 years (and annually thereafter), and only change it “if necessary”. Despite this their printed information continues to be ambiguous, stating “check and change”, and dealers still insist a change Is mandatory.
Make your own decision, but like RUM4MO I will not be changing the belts in either of my two cars fitted with the engine before 8 -10 years unless I see signs of deterioration when I do am annual check.
Re: Polo BlueGT 1.4TSI service schedule
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 10:33 am
by archiemorley
Mikeso51 wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:03 am
Just to add to the link I posted earlier:
The Blue Gt uses the EA211 1.4tfsi engine, and it’s interesting to read what VAG said regarding cam belts when they introduced this engine back in 2012.
From a release on the official VW site:
“Take the example of overhead camshafts (DOHC): the camshafts are not driven by chain here, rather by a single-stage, low-friction toothed belt design with a 20 mm wide belt and load-reducing profiled belt wheels. Thanks to its high-end material specification, this toothed belt's service life reliably spans the entire life of the vehicle.”
The cam belt change recommendation given by VAG Germany, which is no time limit and a 133k mileage limit, Is consistent with this. The only European subsidiary who doesn’t follow this recommendation is VAG (UK).
So one might reasonably ask where VAG(UK) gets a 5 year belt change interval from? RUM4MO has given one possible explanation, but as far as I am aware VAG(UK) has never provided any credible technical justification. I do however recall that when they were pressed very hard on this a while back they reluctantly backtracked and said that a belt change at 5 years was not mandatory. It was acceptable, they said, to simply check the belt condition after 5 years (and annually thereafter), and only change it “if necessary”. Despite this their printed information continues to be ambiguous, stating “check and change”, and dealers still insist a change Is mandatory.
Make your own decision, but like RUM4MO I will not be changing the belts in either of my two cars fitted with the engine before 8 -10 years unless I see signs of deterioration when I do am annual check.
Hey Mike, Thanks very much for clearing that up for me. I'll inspect my belt when I service the car tomorrow but I'm sure it will be fine. I will follow you and RUM4MO in not changing the belt until reasonable, and maybe by that point I will have gained the confidence to replace the belt myself (I did my old volvo earlier on this year) Cheers again.. Also, I can't find a huge amount of info on the internet about how much oil I can expect my car to take from empty, All the figures I can find range between 3.7 and 4l. This website says 3.8
https://www.motorreviewer.com/engine.php?engine_id=116
Do you reckon that sounds about right? Thanks very much for your help again
Re: Polo BlueGT 1.4TSI service schedule
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:13 am
by Mikeso51
You might find this post from the Briskoda web forum of use. Gives details from factory manual for checking cam belt on similar 1.4tsi engine.
https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/4 ... nspection/
As for oil capacity, I’ve never measured it exactly, but just under 4 litres is about right.
Mike
Re: Polo BlueGT 1.4TSI service schedule
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 4:32 pm
by archiemorley
Mikeso51 wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:13 am
You might find this post from the Briskoda web forum of use. Gives details from factory manual for checking cam belt on similar 1.4tsi engine.
https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/4 ... nspection/
As for oil capacity, I’ve never measured it exactly, but just under 4 litres is about right.
Mike
Ok, thanks very much for that
Archie