Dead Possum

My 2002 S8 just turned over 100k miles, time for a timing belt.

Got a quote from a local specialty shop in the Houston area for "about" $2,000. Quote includes belt, new metal-impeller water pump, tensioners, etc.

Does the price seem reasonable to you? Only point of comparison that I have is a T-belt service on my 2004 A6 done about 3 years ago for about $1,600.

Appreciate your thoughts and thanks!

Prospeeder

Thats alot of money, should be more like 1500$ parts and labor. its 7.9 hours, what 90$ an hour. A generous markup on parts for the shop would be like $600ish for the belt kit, $40-50 drive belt, $40-50 coolant and $35-50 thermostat, Shouldn't be 2000$ unless this place has crazy labor rate. Really consider a transmission service if it has not had one as part of your big 100k service.

Dead Possum

much appreciated! Quote seemed a bit high, will check with a couple of other shops and compare.

Re: transmission service, the shop owner strongly recommended against it. I understand that there two schools of thought about the tranny service, and this may be reason to take my business elsewhere.

Prospeeder

I just dont understand how anyone can think putting fresh fluid in a transmission could be bad. I have serviced so many, even ones for the first time with more than 170k and one even with 260k same fluid, and new fluid it shifted much better and is still working fine. When you see the horrific black shimmery crap pour out of the transmission you wonder why it wasnt changed sooner.

123quattro

Yes, but the new fluid has detergents in it that the old fluid does not. Those can knock crap loose that then sticks in the solenoid valves.

silverd2

Very much agreed...except that debris broken loose by new detergents "should" go straight to the filter...and clog it. PLUS (and worse), on many older transmissions, debri build up on clutches can replace worn off material...AND be washed away by new detergents, bringing on failure that was meant to be anyway.
Changing atf on a "failing" or "symptom producing" trans has NEVER fixed anything. Old fluid does NOT produce symptoms or even reduce performance or, IMHO, shorten the life a transmission. It's gonna die when it's gonna die.

If you find dirty, burnt atf from a trans, it has already failed and new atf will only speed up it's demise. If working properly, a trans at 100K miles should have atf that does NOT smell burnt, still has color and nothing more than minute metal "sand" on the magnets. Changing the filter at high mileage is the only "preventive" maintenance that makes any sense. Old fluid still lubes and produces more than enough pressure to operate components in the trans.

There are countless documented accounts of trans's failing immediately after an atf change...esp those already with issues and/or burnt debris-filled atf.

I have never read or seen one shred of evidence that atf changes extend the life of any trans or fix any issue...only "theory" with NO real world evidence to back it up.

For every high mileage "success" story after regular atf changes, there are more to match it when NO atf service was ever performed.

An auto trans is gonna die when it's gonna die...and when it comes to the 5HP24a, they ALL die sooner or later...many well before they should...BY BAD DESIGN...NOT atf problems.

Cheers

omarcarbomb

I paid $1200