from experience....The time it broke on me 87k miles...pissed me off cuz i just got the kit like the day before it broke. not sure but the belt got its teeth ripped off like 9 in a row...then after 6months of storage during a cold winter with no heated garage my only guess is the tensior froze up when i started it up and caused it to jump two teeth causing a CEL and etc so i changed the belt and found i had a plastic water pump in there and it was broke....i should be good now for 4-5 years before i do that again...all new parts including a metal pump in there now... either the audi mech who rebuilt my head didnt change the waterpump like i asked and paid for or the one he used from audi was indeed a plastic....if thats the case you people paying someone to do your timing belt MAKE SURE THEY USE A METAL WATERPUMP...

 

Rubber breaks down and gets brittle over time. Add to that a climate that can be 100 degrees in Summer and -20 in Winter.
Anyone into vintage cars knows not to run old tires even if they have never seen pavement.
I'm changing mine at 30,000 and eight years. $700 vs. ???
I will have the shop save my belt and give a report on the condition.

 

That's your choice, but Here's the question: What mileage should you change the timing belt? Here's your answer: Five years or 60,000.
Once again replacement is generally determined by mileage, not time. There are always extenuating circumstances and freak examples, but going on this site and telling people to change their timing belt every five years only confuses the issue more. There is already enough confusion.
My Audi maintenance manual suggests replacement at 105,000 miles. The more knowledgable members on this board choose 60,000 miles which is safe and conservative. You are free to do what you want, but it does not apply to everyone.

 

My Audi manual says to change my belt and tensioner at 75,000 miles. I have a 2004. So, you need to check your specific car. However, everyone agrees that it's more prudent to change the belt before or at 60,000 miles, which is what I will be doing.

 

By '04 they finally got smart and lowered it. Well i guess that would be printed in '03 after a bunch of cars having TB issues and they couldnt afford paying out $4k for engine replacements.

 

Changed mine yesterday on an 04 with 50,000 miles, what a bitch, couldn't get the idle roller fitted due to the belt being so tight, so had to take the water pump back out, fit the roller & then refit the water pump. The old water pump had already started to break up, you could just break peices off it real easy, the belt was like brand new & the tenstion roller looked fine but I think this is the week link that causes the belts to break early. I have the Bentley workshop manual which in my opinion is garbage! This site was far more informative & a godsend!