I have an 03 golf estate tdi its not the basic one. Its perfect for what I need. 210000k on the clock mostly motorway miles.

It just had its MOT and…. it passed… for the second year running.

It has some brakes advisories minor brake binding minor corrosion of the lines.

It also has a burst of white smoke if you absolutely hoof it which is consistent with the minor coolant loss it experiences (checked the oil it needs changed but its not emulsified).

Its also waaaaaaaaaay overdue a new timing belt.

Is it time to run it into the ground and wait to see what goes first? Or do i do the necessary. I’m quite happy to do the brakes its the timing belt/water ingress issue i’m not so sure about.

Currently it owes me nothing. And I’m pretty handy with the socket set but this is a far far bigger lump than i’ve dealt with before.

What would you do?

I’d do the timing belt because if that goes it’ll leave you stuck and likely write it off. Water leak I’d look for and see if it is simple but I wouldn’t do a minor strip down to fix.

Chuck in some radweld and enjoy, I wouldn’t throw money at it if it just passed the Mot and is running ok. Just be prepared to bin it if it goes POP.

I’d do the belt and then keep on top of general maintenance and run it into the ground. Get rid as soon as big bills come. That’s how I run my banger. A 2003 170000 mile 320d estate. Happy to do brakes, wheel bearings etc. But it’s going when a gearbox or turbo needs attention. Aiming for 200k though!

+ 1 for the timing belt.

I’d take it to your local Indy garage, explain what the water is doing and see what they say. It may be the water pump leaking which can be changed with the timing belt.

Simmy, good point. Worth changing the water pump at the same time as the timing belt

Think what it will cost to replace in time ams money. I’d investigate the water leak and go for the fix or cheapest repair and do the timing belt in the knowledge the water leak isn’t a major issue.

Worth fixing up – it’s probably good for another 200k miles. However if you’re getting white smoke when you hoof it along with coolant loss, then that sounds like a head gasket leak.

Wobbli.

Yep thats my thinking.

I’ll digout the haynes manual then admit to myself i’ll never get round to it and take it to the indy

I ha

I’d look at the belt as above, plus also all the hoses that can perish due to time. Not too major if one pops, but will be a pain.

210000k

must be a record!

I used to be religious about timing belts on my bangers. The last two I haven’t bothered. (Mondeo, Octavia) Both went double the milage and time without pinging and died for other reasons. I won’t ever bother again. I’m sure I’ll get caught one day, but unexpected total loss of the vehicle is part of the bangernimics equation.

If you drive 200miles in one day once a month a snapped cambelt would cost £££ in recovery, onward journey and maybe over night stay. If its purely a local car forget the cambelt.

but unexpected total loss of the vehicle is part of the bangernimics equation.

Depends on what we’re talking about here. I’m assuming the OPs car is probably requiring timing belt number two, or even three. If it’s never had a timing belt change, then that’s pushing it a bit…

I’m in a similar place though. Timing belt number two overdue. Niggling brake issues. Exhaust needed. I’m confident the engine will outlive the rest of the car and it would go for years yet, but there comes a point when you’re just bored.

Get rid as soon as big bills come.

Is timing belt and water pump not a big bill…? In my Touran they were £600 odd as they were done including service.

£250 for the gates kit (+ auxy -pump) fitted for my civic. That was an “engine out” job (not really but the indy had worked with worse in situ)

210k actual miles or 210k VW miles?!

Could be a lot newer/older than you think!

3-400 should cover belt and water pump, would that buy you an equivalent? On that basis I would do the work. Your the best judge of the water loss, definitely gasket, or a coolant hose leak and an iffy injector/glowplug?
Either way can you replace with better for the cost of repairs?

Corroded brake lines is one of those things that some MoT testers are keen on, had a car with corroded lines two years in a row, but not the following two, I hadn’t touched them.

hora – Member

If you drive 200miles in one day once a month a snapped cambelt would cost £££ in recovery, onward journey and maybe over night stay.

If you drive a 200000 mile old car without breakdown cover, you’re braver than me.

How’s the rest of the car? The list of faults is enough to put me off investing in it, but if the rest of the car is solid and trustworthy you’ll need to spend a chunk to get anything better.

(White smoke doesn’t necessarily mean water btw, it’s commonly repeated but my mondingo smokes white/very light grey on an injector failure. And let’s be honest, smoke on a 200K diesel isn’t anything out of the ordinary. It could be a useful symptom but you can’t rely on it imo)

None of the work should be that involved, assuming it’s not all corroded together, which it probably is. Even little jobs start to become a bastard on older modern cars with tight access and small fasteners etc. So frinstance, brake hoses are often fitted to the shell before other bits go in, making access a bastard with “remove part X” And then part X turns out to be held on with 6 machine screws that have corroded away to stumps, so it’s easier to break your arm in the middle and cut off your pinky and shove it through a gap the size of your eye than it is to actually move the whateveritis.

From the sounds of it, I’d run it into the ground. But ymm literally may vary.

But white smoke under acceleration + losing coolant does start to point to HG issue – unless the car leaves a little wet patch under it when left alone, or there is an obvious leak, like you would get with a water pump issue, or hose/rad leak for example.

Anyway the question is how much would it cost to replace? It might cost a few hundred quid to fix up, maybe a grand if a new HG is needed, but if you were to get rid how much to replace? If you spend the same on another banger then you might be letting yourself in for a whole load of other risks and issues. At least you know this car and when fixed will probably provide many thousands of miles of cheap and trouble free motoring.

Can you get breakdown cover on a 200k older car for a reasonable cost???

£43 a year for autoaid. Or do you mean breakdown repair cover? Pretty sure repair cover is a bust above 10yo or 100k miles.

Anyway the question is how much would it cost to replace? It might cost a few hundred quid to fix up, maybe a grand if a new HG is needed, but if you were to get rid how much to replace? If you spend the same on another banger then you might be letting yourself in for a whole load of other risks and issues. At least you know this car and when fixed will probably provide many thousands of miles of cheap and trouble free motoring.

Why I spent £800 on new front suspension. Sure I could have got another car but not one I know every problem on.

hugo – Member
210k actual miles or 210k VW miles?!
Could be a lot newer/older than you think!

Now then thats a question.

Rest of the car… its alright. Some rattles here and there and the wings are JUST starting to bubble on the wheel arch.

I’m definitely of the devil you know persuasion.

The cooland loss is minimal. Its not being lost while it stands as far as I can tell.

The car cost me nothing and its perfect for what i need.

I’ll roll it into the garage and give it a thorough inspection for known rot spots. And see if there is anything else. I also know the previous owner so i’ll tick off what he has had done and take it from there.

even at that mileage/age its worth more to sell than a cambelt would cost.

Cambelt costs a ton with tensioners. Provided its easy access thats the total monetary cost. You would probably end up just about as worse off after you factor in the time it takes to find a replacement, the cost of taxing, losing tax on your old car (unless you sell it on the last day of the month) insuring (even admin costs). Even a few hours labour costs would be worth it for me, I have better things to do with my life than poke around ropey old cars trying to find a diamond amongst broken glass….

Better still, buy a second one as a donor, then another just in case, then you can be ‘that guy’ 😉

never tried myself but probably worth a punt
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/engine-oils-and-car-fluids/car-additives/cooling-system-treatment/?542770100&0&

also mr clutch do a fixed price belt change to give you a ball park figure
http://www.mrclutch.com/cambelts/