Re: Water Pump Seizure in 2.8 V6 90CSQ

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <35BB923C.2E54@ibm.net> "Scott D. Keimig, Ph.D." writes:

> Any collected wisdom out there on this subject?  Are Audi water pumps
> prone to breakage at 6 years/65K or are they expected to last
> indefinitely? Shouldn't as a matter of course this service be completed
> at the 60K service? Is any help available from AOA? TIA!

There's a fair bit.  60k miles is now <Nomex> generally </Nomex>
accepted as the upper bound for a cam belt's safe life.  Many of us (me
included) have gone to 45k.

There's also the age factor - I'm fond of quoting the S1 engine that
lies wrecked at Historic Motorsport in Daventry here in the UK because
its cam belt failed with almost no miles at all on it - but nine years
of sitting around.

My own view is that cam belt changing by inspection is fraught with
difficulty - it takes _CONSIDERABLE_ experience to spot a weak belt
while it's still on the car.  If you look at the relative radii, it's
obvious that the greatest bending stress occurs on the idler roller, yet
this is the _inside_ of the belt and invisible from the outside.

Frankly - at 5k outside the usual 60k warrantly limit and at six years,
you're probably on your own.  My view is that the advice you were given
was deficient and below the standard that _I_ would expect from a
responsible dealership.  I suggest you name the dealership so that the
rest of us can avoid them, and also notify AoA of your dissatisfaction.

--
 Phil Payne
 Phone: 0385 302803   Fax: 01536 723021
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