Hi, first post after newbies intro. I have just entered the world of the hot hatch golf. My MK5 GTI is proving to be a lot of fun, after driving an BMW X5 diesel for years the nimble and fast GTI is very welcome. The service history on this vehicle is lacking so I am in the woods to an extent. I have spoken to people with contact to the previous owner and they tell me that the timing belt and coolant pump have been changed. There is no reciept as it was a love job by a Mercedes AGM tech. It is a bit complicated, but these people have no financial or other gain to be made by this statement. I would like to get the belt and pump checked to see if this is correct. I am a bit "sensitive" with approaching the "stealer dealers" for a qualified inspection as I can guess the outcome now
I am in the western suburbs of Melbourne, and was wondering if there is anybody that would be recommended or maybe even some tips to check it if I do it myself. I have changed timing belts on previous BMWs and have the tools but perhaps not the patience. What should I look for to see if the belt has been recently replaced.