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Unsure what to do here.
Booked car in Garage A for a service - it's at an age where the cam belt needs replacing - 5 car years old in March. Quoted £250 for belt and pump fitted - this includes VAT. They called today and only realised when ordering parts that it has and electronic pump so now £440. Bugger. Phoned around and was told by Garage B that it has a normal pump and a secondary electronic pump but I only need to change the belt and normal pump - £300 plus VAT. Garage C says it actually has 3 pumps - 2 electronic and one normal - only need to change normal pump and belt - cost £410 all in. Phoned Garage A with these revelations and they said they'd only change belt then look at normal pump when belt off - check for leaks, bearings etc.
Confused as to what I actually need doing now. Don't want to pay £440 if don't need to...by the same token I don't want to save a few quid now then my engine goes bang in 6 months because the pump 'looked alright'. Bit odd that 3 'experts' should all such different versions of what's in my car - they all had my reg plate FFS.
Anyone first hand experience of this with Golf or other car?
Pay the £250.00 at garage A and get the normal pump done at the same time ..
My mk4 golf.
Timing belt tensioner. There is two types of tensioner the one the searches on all the parts websites say. Andthe one it actually needs.
Similarly alternator pulley.
Pumps don't NEED changing with the cam belt. They just suggest it because it's cheap and easy to replace just in case when the cam belt's off. But they aren't intrinsically unreliable. The traditional belt powered ones anyway.
It took me and our garage a long time to work out if we had a cam belt or chain in our mk 6 golf. We had a chain so didn't need changing. I found the VW UK website on-line chat good - if you give them your reg they'll tell you chain / belt. They may help with your pump query.
Mechanical water pump failure can cause engine failure. If it jams and causes the belt to slip then this can be catastrophic. Can't see any reason why you'd need to change the electronic pumps though as they are not connected to the cable train.
Our golf water pump failed despite dealer changing belt prior to our buying
Only a mad man would do a belt and not the pump. If it runs off the belt I'm no.1 cheapskate bam and will happily cut corners if I can but if I have the belt off I a. Replace it and b. Do the pump and tensioner as a given.