I see where some people say to have the thermostat and water pump done too. Is there a reason for this? Just wonderin'?

Thanks for the help!

BTW, They quoted me a price of 497.00...Does that seem right? It is a dealer here in Iowa so maybe things are just a little cheaper...

I just took my car with 90,000 in for the t belt and water pump. The belt looked good, you could still see some lettering on it. Water pump looked good too. Mechanic thought it had all ready been changed.

I'll hold off for awhile but my mechanic figured about $400-$500 for the tbelt change plus cost of water pump, thermostat, tensioners, seals,etc.

BTW, the reason to do the water pump & thermostat at the same time as the tbelt is to save labor cost since you're right there.

The waterpumps are known to lock up and that will cause the belt to snap which in turn will destroy your valves and possibly pistons.

Yeah its a pain in the *** to get to the timing belt. I think the total completion time for my 99 A6 quattro was about 6 hrs providing the mech knew exactly what to do. So since its so much labor accessing the Timing Belt and other things around it such as water pump and Thermostat. It just makes sense for them to do it all at once. As for your total price i would say its a steal. Im paying about $800 in Jersey.... but i get labor free charge so it all works out..

Thanks for the help! I didn't know that the waterpump could cause the belt to go...

Would you do it before or after 100000 miles? I am close but I am thinking since I have the money I might as well do it now... but it looks like the belt is in pretty good shape...

I am guessing that you have a 2.8, because you could never get your timing belt service done on a 4.2 or 2.7T for 500 bucks...

Yes DEFINITELY do it before 100k miles, they are known to snap in the 90k range. The sooner the better, peace of mind you know!

Btw, how the heck did you SEE the belt and it looks in good shape? Are you thinking of the serpentine belt? Because the timing belt is inside the engine and there is no way to see it unless you rip the engine apart. So if you are getting close to 100k miles and you have the money, YES get the timing belt service done!

yeah, i was wondering about that $500 because that seemed aweful cheap. i have the 4.2, and it cost me a little over $1200 which was a bargain considering the dealership wanted almost $1700 to do it. anyways, yes, listen to these guys and get it all done at the same time, it will save you time and money in the long run. and definitely try and get it done before 100k miles, because it's worth the peace of mind to know that it's not going to snap the morning that you decide to call and make the appointment.