[A4] '01 A4q 2.8 Timing Belt Change Interval & Cost

[Pbadore at aol.com]

I change mine at 60,000 miles myself although some Audi service publications 
say longer.   The European recommendation for the Passat 30v 2.8l engine (same 
engine code as Audi) is also 60,000 miles. To be safe you should change the 
water pump at the same time because it is driven by the timing belt along with 
the idler pulley, tension pulley and hydraulic damper. Also, put on new spring 
retainers on the water hose plastic quick connect ends. For the 30V V6 these 
are probably pn 1JO-121-142 but the V6 pn doesn't show in my old ETKA for Audi 
(only VW 1.8l turbo). One of my cars blew off an old hose spring after a 4 
hour drive summer's drive and a hot shut down after a timing belt change (the 
local Audi service writeup person told me that Audis come back to their 
dealership the same way) . In my experience the 30v Audi V6 has a much better more 
robust timing belt system than the earlier 12v v6 engines but it better in my 
opinion to be safe than sorry. Also, make sure no oil seals or gaskets are 
leaking oil into the timing belt area. Good luck.         



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