The garage doesn't know if my van needs a new cam belt - what should I do?
My Volkswagen Caravelle T5 needs a 100,000 mile service. There's some confusion about the frequency of a cam belt change and the dealers are all saying different things. They can't tell from the national database whether one has even been fitted (but it should have been, when it was four years old). Any ideas?
Asked on 1 August 2017 by Andrew Trevvett
Answered by
Honest John
If in doubt, change timing belt, tensioner, waterpump and alternator belt. Better to spend £500 - £600 on that than £5000 - £6000 on a new engine if the belt snaps.
Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.
The Good Garage Guide
From economical vans to those that have the largest payloads, we have a shortlist for everyone - click to find out which will suit your needs.
Undecided on which van to buy? Our Top 10 shortlists can help...Similar questions
I have a 2010 Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 turbo that's around 41,000 miles. Driving on the motorway last week, it began to lose power and then completely died. Had it recovered by the RAC and taken to a local...
I drove my Alfa Romeo through a floodwater, which was lower than the sill, at lowish speed. How likely is it that this could've wrecked the engine? The car is heading for write off subject to the insurer...
Our 2011 Volkswagen Caravelle broke down suddenly (no warning lights) a month ago. A local, non-franchise Volkswagen garage replaced the number one injector. The van broke down again on a long run last...
Related models
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Similar cabin to Volkswagen car models, very quiet and refined on the move, luxury feel, plenty of rear space, strong performance from 2.0 TDI engine, upmarket looks.
Elsewhere on 
