1.8T timing belt

[Bhatti, Mohammed]

>>>>>>>>>
However, I was told that since my car has the improved timing belt tensioner it's safe to go past 60K before doing the timing belt; he suggested it be done at 75,000 miles.
<<<<<<<<<<<
Are you sure that you have the improved tensioner?  The old one was a ball-and-socket and the new one is spring tensioned from what I can remember.  I have a 97 A4 1.8tqa and when I did mine it had the old ball-and-socket tensioner.  The old tensioner had a habit failing.  Check the archives at rb.com under Audi forums and also AudiWorld and you'll see plenty of examples of failures for the old design.  And it was that the timing belt broke, but the tensioner broke.

So yes, I'd recommend changing it now unless your mechanic is 100% sure that it has the new tensioner, but even then, change it now.  This has been pretty much the list consensus and I wouldn't bet against it.

hth

--

mohammed

97 A4 18tqa