mendelo

Yes, it is the dealer who is trying to sell me the car that tells me the timing belt looks brand new. The mechanic observed this through the inspection cover. If there is no inspection cover for the 2.7 t motor for the timing belt, right there that is telling me that information is false. However I cannot find out if there is an inspection cover. Guess I could ask him to show me.

I did call the original dealer and they were very helpful. They have all the maintenance records up to late 2009 (including replacing the suspension air bags, so that was good to know). However no record of the timing belt work. Then the car dropped off their list. The selling dealer also provided me with the carfax report which , about the same time frame also shows the car as being newly manufactured and sent to the dealer (same as it did when the car was actually new). That was puzzling. The carfax report is very clean , just annual vehicle registration renewals.

So without any proof, yeah, I should lower my offer by about $2000.00 because it will have to get done.

Thanks for everyone's advise

OzzyLime

You can easily pop the front timing belt covers to get a look however that's just the cam sprockets and some of the belt. Most TB belts look fine even when old. Even if you could get a look at the roller and tensioner it wouldn't tell you much.

More proof: Had a friend over once when I was pulling apart the old motor, he said the timing belt looked "fine" and he was your average shade tree mechanic. Little did he know that belt had 90K on it and had just jumped timing.

Just Me

yes you can see it by removing the protective cover. No that does nto mean the important parts are in good shape. $2k is a dealer price for the job - shop around and find a good indie to do it for $1200-1400

G

mendelo

Yes, I did find a local shop that quoted $1300 all in. That includes the complete kit ( tensioners, water pump etc.)

However I should have read my email a little further as one of the reasons the mechanic at the independent dealer thinks the belt has been recently replaced, apart from the like new appearance, is that is is a Gates belt, not an OEM VAG part number. I guess that makes sense, plus as you stated, it is a fairly easy step to at least remove a protective cover so I suspect they did look after all. I had my doubts.

OzzyLime

I hate to sound like a pessimist but... even with a replacement belt: is the WP, tensioner and roller new? Those are the gotchas. I say offer them less anyhow since those components are suspect without a receipt/history.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

I'd check a little further. The carfax information sounds suspicious. Good to know the air suspension was fixed...it's one of the more expensive issues with Allroads.

You're planning on buying a relatively expensive car with ~80K miles on it. The leasee returned it for a reason. Price your offer accordingly. There are lots of audi's around that are CPO or with a good at least two year warranty.

Act accordingly.

ECS Tuning-Audi

Unless they can provide proper documentation that the belt has been changed I always assume it hasn't been done.

It's honestly not worth the risk to take some one's word with these engines.

We have great deals on our timing belt kits check them out below!

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Jason

mendelo

Thanks for the advice. You are correct, the price of the car should reflect having to get the belt done.

One of the shops when I called to get a price flat out told me - and he said he was turning away business - not to buy the car. Not this particular car, but any allroad. Said that he has never had any owner that was happy with their allroad. He recommended finding an A6 Avant instead.

4Driver4

Clearly he has not serviced anyone active on the Allroad board. I think those guys sleep with their keys.

Just Me

Then the belt is not original. So far so good. Its the rest of the stuff that you mst now wonder about. Ahh, mysteries.