How would I know if my A4 needed a new timing belt? Would I have any warning prior to it failing???? Thanks for answering my rather naive quest. <edited><editID>AudiNewbie</editID><editDate>38093.8285300926</editDate></edited>

 

i'm a newbie too, sorry i cant help. my car has 100k on it, and i had no clue if the previous owner has changed the timing belt, but i took it to my local mechanic and he said i have 10k left in it, so im changing it in a week to be safe.

 

most likely you would have no warning

 

there could be warning - but only if luck is on your side. If the car starts to sound like a diesel then it could be the belt flapping around because the tensioner is dying. Happened to me.

But there are times the tensioner will simply die flat out and the belt will slip or break and the engine crunches up.