Hello, I am new to the forum but am a long time Audi TT owner. I bought a new (at the time) Audi TT Quattro Coupe in 2003. During the time it was under warranty I didn't drive it much because I was in college at the time. Due to that fact I had my local Audi service center perform all the tune ups covered under warranty at vastly lower mileage then suggested. (i.e. my 60,000 mile tune up was done at ~ 35,000 miles).

The warranty is long gone now and I'm very confused as to what to watch for in my car as it continues to age. No one in my family keeps a car for more than 2-3 years so this is kind of new territory for us. My car is currently at 71,000 miles and I keep reading topics about replacing the timing belt. The dealership said this around the time when you'd replace it, however, I've been reading online that it's typically replaced more towards the 80,000 to 100,000 mileage range. Does it seem premature to be replacing the timing belt now? Also, is there anything else I should start watching for? I perused the FAQ, is there maybe another topic someone could direct me to that might help? I don't really want to spend 200 dollars to take it in to my local dealership every time I hear a rattle or something seems odd. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I live in Iowa so we get some rough winters and I don't really want to get stuck some place in the cold

BPM

 

At that age and mileage a timing belt isn't out of the question. I replaced mine in my 03 a4 last summer because it was starting to crack (you can visually inspect it for any glaring defects and decide for yourself).

Mileage was around 70k at the time too. Cold winters and a lot of sitting will help the aging process with these things.

You don't want to stretch the life of the belt to save some cash- you'll be paying a LOT more if it shreds itself and bends some valves.

Also-water pump and valve cover gaskets and cam plugs and seals should be done at this time-you'll save yourself some oil leaks in the future.

 

I am not recommending this, but I am working on my son's 2001 TT at the moment. It has 187K miles on it, and he has NEVER replaced the timing belt..... I will be changing it, and various other components, soon

 

The recommended time for TB replacement is 60K mile or 5 years. Original replacement time was 105K miles but the 1.8 began blowing up, law suit followed, audi denied problem,lost law suit.

So, new period is 5/60. Get her done! The 1.8 is a zero tolerance engine so when the belt fails, or more likely, when the tensioner fails, the valves will crash into the pistons. There is no warning. Get the water pump changed at the same time. The pump has plastic impellors and they are known to fail. New WP has metal impellors.


ECS tuning and dieselgeek both offer full TB/WP kits at very resonable prices. Have a trusted indy mechanic do it ($500-700) or your dealer ($1000-1500).

Other TT unique things to consider:
haldex oil and filter every 20K miles...regardless of miles.
brake fluid flush ever 2 years regardless of miles.

Other items (brakes, suspension, etc) are like any other car and usually get replaced as they wear out or break.

cheers

 

Right. I have been working on cars and motorcycles on a hobby basis for 50 years or so. I am well aware of the perils of a timing belt failure in an interference engine. But I had to chuckle when my son told me that in 187K miles he had never had the belt replaced. I posted that information as I thought maybe some of you would be amused by it also.... Obviously he was VERY lucky, but I cannot help but smile when I find out that the belt went that long. And I know he has screamed that engine every day since he bought the car new in 2001. Apart from that, and as far as I can tell, he has had all the routine maintenance done at the stipulated intervals. He also had new boots installed on the front drive axles when they leaked, had a new clutch put in, and some other fairly major stuff done to the car also. But he just never had the timing belt replaced. He bought a new replacement vehicle this year, and the TT has been sitting outside his house under some trees, covered in pine needles and bird ****, rarely driven. That's why I've got it. I am going to refurbish the thing in my shop, as a Winter project for a retired old fart. I'll do most of the work myself, except the repaint and repair to the dented rear quarter panel. I've got the timing belt kit coming from ECS, and I'll replace the belt, water pump, thermostat etc myself. It's not rocket science, and I have the Bentley shop manual. However, I am not really familiar with this little Audi covered-over roller skate. Never worked on an Audi before, so I am hoping I can get some good information from you kids from time to time. And thanks for the response so far.

 

The most active TT forums with the greatest knowledge base are:

quattro world: quattroworld.com Forums: TT Mk1

fortitude: Fourtitude.com - TT (Mk1, a4 chassis)

and the UK TT forum: The Audi TT Forum :: View forum - TT Forum - MK1 TT (8N)

All three have experts. I surf them regularly for knowledge gathering.

cheers and GL with the repairs and maintenance.

 

OK. Thanks for the links. I'll check them out.

 

Change the timing belt ASAP! Mine failed at 83700 miles and cost me around $4000. The realistic recommendation is to change it at 60000 miles not because of the belt but the tensioner, so make sure the tensioner is replaced.