Audi cambelt & service intervals, by engine
Of the 3 Audi engines covered here, 1 runs a chain, 2 a conventional belt. A Audi with a chain and a Audi with a belt can sit in the same showroom in the same year, so the model name tells you nothing useful on its own. 2 of these carry no published interval here, because the figures in circulation don't reconcile and we won't pick one.
4 timing drives. Tap a column heading to sort.4 timing drives.
Volkswagen Group 1.0 / 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.5 TSI (EA211)
- Audi models:
- A1, A3
- Drive:
- Belt
- Replacement interval:
- —(unconfirmed)
- Interference:
- Yes
Volkswagen Group 2.0 TDI (EA189 / EA288)
- Audi models:
- A3, A4
- Drive:
- Belt
- Replacement interval:
- —(unconfirmed)
- Interference:
- Yes
Volkswagen Group 2.0 TDI (EA189 / EA288) — oil pump
- Audi models:
- A3, A4
- Drive:
- Wet belt
- Replacement interval:
- None scheduled(reported)
- Interference:
- Yes
Volkswagen Group 2.0 TSI (EA888 gen 3)
- Audi models:
- A3, A4
- Drive:
- Chain
- Replacement interval:
- Chain — none(reported)
- Interference:
- Yes
| Volkswagen Group 1.0 / 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.5 TSI (EA211) | A1, A3 | Belt | —(unconfirmed) | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Group 2.0 TDI (EA189 / EA288) | A3, A4 | Belt | —(unconfirmed) | Yes |
| Volkswagen Group 2.0 TDI (EA189 / EA288) — oil pump | A3, A4 | Wet belt | None scheduled(reported) | Yes |
| Volkswagen Group 2.0 TSI (EA888 gen 3) | A3, A4 | Chain | Chain — none(reported) | Yes |
Questions people ask
Does a Audi have a cambelt or a timing chain?
Both, depending on the engine. Audi has sold belt-driven and chain-driven engines alongside each other, so the answer comes from the engine under the bonnet rather than the model name or the year. The table on this page lists each engine we cover and which it uses.
When should the cambelt be changed on a Audi?
It depends on the engine, and in some cases the published figure has been revised since the car was sold. Each engine in the table shows the current interval, its confidence tier and its sources. Where we show nothing, we haven't established a figure we would stand behind — ask a Audi dealer to quote the schedule against your VIN.
Does a missing cambelt change show up in a Audi service history?
Only if it was done in a network that records it. A documented belt change is one of the most valuable single entries in any service history, because the alternative is paying for the job again or gambling on an engine. If the record is patchy, a franchised dealer can confirm what the network holds against the VIN.
Proving the work was actually done
An interval only helps if you can tell whether the job happened. How Audi records servicing, whether the owner app shows completed work, and what a dealer will release — all of that is on the Audi service records page.