markcincinnati

My wife has a 2014 SQ5. Maintenance has been performed EVERY 5,000 miles at the dealer (who we like and trust). At the 45,000 mile mark, we purchased the 55K and 65K (Service Pack I) from Audi (Audi Care). At 55K -- well you know if you've had one this long -- the maintenance list is extensive and includes "inspection" of the supercharger belt and the serpentine belt.

Well, here we are, now, at 71,000 miles and have purchased the next service pack which covers 75K and 85K intervals. Dealer says 75K is a larger than usual service interval and, it too, requires the "inspection" of the two belts noted above. Side note: due to my wife's high use of the car (almost entirely on Interstates at over 50 miles per trip) our service adviser told us that her SQ5's belts have been inspected EVERY 5,000 service interval.

According to Audi Care rules, the inspection is part of Audi Care -- the replacement is not. We are not concerned so much about the cost of the belts as we are "when" it would be typical to have the belts replaced as part of a pre-emptive maintenance task, so that a belt does not break on one of those (very frequent & routine) Interstate trips of 50+ miles).

Apparently, such high mileage on an SQ5 is "rare" enough that our service adviser doesn't have any "history" regarding what the life of these belts "ought to be."

Naturally, we don't want to buy and replace belts "just for fun," but we also don't want to live close to the edge either.

The plan -- and plans change -- is to keep the car to over 90,000 miles and then (hopefully) re-up for whatever is the then current SQ5 again (my wife LOVES this thing).

So, the question I submit to this erudite board is -- what is your guess, opinion, etc, regarding "the end of the safety net" for either one or both of these belts given 71,000 miles NOW and a thought of trading this 2014 SQ5 in for a 2018 or 2019 MY SQ5 in about 22,000 - 25,000 miles?

In short, if this car was yours and you planned to keep it as noted, when would you spend money for one or both belt replacements (and, if you care to share, "why?")

Thanks.

• 2014 S4 (P+) Ibis White w/Magma Leather
• 2014 SQ5 (Prestige) Panther Black w/Magma Leather

33 Audis Life-to-date

tomaszp72

The 3.0T engine has been out in may Audi vehicles for years. Ask this question on the S4/A6/Q7 forums and somebody should have an answer for you. Audi service also should know pretty well what it would be.
Then post it back here, everybody with the 3.0T engine would be interested in knowing.

riceboy22

If I'm reading Audi's maintenance schedule correctly, it indicates that the front V-belt is supposed to be replaced at 55k miles and subsequently every 60,000 miles. Did they already do that at the 55k service? If so, then it sounds like doing the belt replacement once should be sufficient.

Perform first at 55,000 miles and thereafter every 60,000 miles.
Ribbed V-belt - Replace only the belt for the compressor drive (front belt) (all vehicles with the 3.0L V6 TFSI)


Here's a DIY that someone posted for reference: DIY: Supercharger belt (front V-belt) replacement

markcincinnati

[QUOTE=riceboy22;24852577]If I'm reading Audi's maintenance schedule correctly, it indicates that the front V-belt is supposed to be replaced at 55k miles and subsequently every 60,000 miles. Did they already do that at the 55k service? If so, then it sounds like doing the belt replacement once should be sufficient.

Perform first at 55,000 miles and thereafter every 60,000 miles.
Ribbed V-belt - Replace only the belt for the compressor drive (front belt) (all vehicles with the 3.0L V6 TFSI)


=====

After reading the above, I called my service adviser and waited while he pulled up the actual service record for my wife's SQ5.

At the 55,000 mile service (performed at 53,800) the Supercharger belt WAS replaced under the Audi Care program (remember, we bought genuine Audi Care after the last (45K) Audi Care service was performed.) The Audi Care post 50K program covers 55K and 65K and the second Service Pack covers 75K and 85K.

"IF" the serpentine belt needs to be replaced at 75K miles -- which is determined by a technician and the service adviser -- the belt is replaced under Audi Care. "IF" not then, it will be replaced at 85K (unless something happens in between, which probably means it would not be an Audi Care replacement, since the chances of the belt failing while within a mile of a dealer are slim.)

The cost of the belt (not the price + installation, however) is $40. This is the kind of thing that may be installed under "customer good will" for long term, repeat buyers. The dealer service Manager has a "customer good will" fund and this is exactly the kind of thing that makes this list.

I am not taking anything for granted, but the replacement of the supercharger belt is a MUST do at 55K and 115K, and the serpentine belt is "routinely" replaced at 75K -- there is some good news about this belt.

If this belt fails, the car will not self-destruct; an older Audi might have had a TIMING BELT, which, if it failed, could have resulted in the valves and the piston surface "kissing" -- and this is one kind of kiss NO ONE wants, because it would be very very costly indeed were this to happen.

Thankfully, the timing "belt" is a chain on the 3.0L engine and is, therefore, said to be a lifetime part.

Nothing REALLY is lifetime -- but the timing belt in this engine would seem to outlast the rest of the car, apparently.

Thanks for YOUR help. Your help actually helped me SCHOOL my service adviser -- not bad for a day's posts. Much appreciated.

Redd

The folks who make belts like that, with premium names and top reputations, are folks including Gates, Goodyear, and Firestone in the US. Al of them say pretty much the same thing regarding rubber hoses, belts, engine mounts, and other parts.

The rubber itself takes damage from heat, ozone, and stress. The stress is determined by someone choosing an appropriate part (i.e. the width of the belt) and the tension placed on it, so the manufacturer can't really speak to that.

But they also say that every rubber part should be replaced at five years, simply because heat and ozone will be weakening it. And that, in turn, is subject to "inspection" since physical cracking and other problems really are the way to tell if it needs replacement. Of course no one ever changes their engine mounts, but as they age, they get stiffer and transmit more engine vibration.

Honda used to use interference engines that chewed themselves apart when a timing belt failed (probably still do) as does Audi. Toyota chose not to. The tradeoff is also lower performance with the safer non-interference fit.

A friend of mine had a 440 GTO years ago. Timing CHAIN on that also. And as he found out, it was not robust enough and they had to be changed every 40,000 miles. Ooops.

"Lifetime part" just means they'll send someone around to kill you when you become an inconvenience.(G)