By: Master VW / Audi Tech Jeff Hustin of European Auto Tech

Interference Engines, The Sleeping Time Bomb in Today's New Cars.

These engines use a rubber timing belt to synchronize the internal engine components.Today's modern Hi Tech VW and Audi engines use this technology to squeeze the most power out of these small engines.

As designed, they push the limits by opening the valves farther and keeping them open longer, while the pistons come dangerously close to the valves as the engine rotates.

When everything is synchronized perfectly, your engine runs strong with quick throttle response.With these close tolerances everything MUST run in synchronization. The problem is like a TIME BOMB, if this rubber timing belt brakes, these close tolerances are our worst enemies. The result will be catastrophic internaldamage to your engine. The resulting in repair costs could be in the $5,000 to $7,000 range.

The balance is to get the longest life out of your timing belt, but have it replaced before it ruins your engine.

The manufactures push for longer interval on services and suggested repair intervals. This makes their cars look more economical and longer lasting, but to the car owner, this is pushing your car to its limits, often exceeding common sense.

The manufacturer recommends an oil change every year or 12,000 miles sounds high, doesn't it?

The same thing is recommended with your timing belt. The factory repair manual recommends replacement as high as 105,000 miles. We know form experience that these belts can break as low as 70,000 miles. This is especially true in our hot climate here in Tucson. They also know this from class action lawsuits, that they often never make it to the recommended replacement interval.The manufactures have so many different recommendations on this replacement. As we can see year to year, model to model, automatic to manual transmission and gas to diesel they are all different.

The long and short of it is, if you're timing belt brakes you're in for an OUTRAGEOUS repair bill.Here at European Auto Tech we set a conservative standard at 60,000 mile interval for the VW and Audi vehicles. We feel this is a safe mileage interval for rubber timing belts out here in the southwest desert, without chancing the inevitable.

Jeff Hustin