How to Inspect and Replace the Timing Belt on a VW 2.0 L Engine

[PanzyPatrol]

Amazing video! Thanks!

[kmhowells2]

This is amazing, thank you for posting I've been dreading doing this once it gets warm, but after seeing it done, I feel fairly confident I can pull it off!! Thank you!!

[SandpiperN121PP]

What a great video! I really appriciate it because I am getting my timing belt, water pump and serpentine belt all replaced tomorrow and was very curious as to how it was all put together. I am at just over 90,000 miles on my New Beetle which has this same engine in it and am curious. Just how often should I get the timin belt replaced? I know at 100,000 miles is the recommended but will my new one be the same or should I get it check again sooner. Thanks again for the awesome video! :)

[ghat13]

how do you keep the cam pulley from moving while your removing and/or installing the belt

[scammersbuster]

This was a great video! Was very helpful. I just wished it included more details such as: Re-installing the Motor Mount which turned out to be a pain in the derriere, how to change tensioner & water pump. I have a 2000 VW jetta 5-speed with broken belt. I will need to know how to check for crankshaft TDC. The info given in video is for automatic tranny. Couldn't find the Timing window on my 5-speed tranny. Also would need to know how to safely turn crankshaft & camshaft to TDC....

[CORRIGEEN71]

great to hear an american say mm

[thetwopointslow]

I've got the same car as this one-- 2004, 2.0L, BEV code. Thanks for the time spent making this video! It's very useful

[sulakmartin1]

I would recommended to wait till the engine is cooled down, for approx. 4 hours, Highly recommended to use locking tools for camshaft and crankshaft, then I would replace it with kit incl. water pump,roller and tensioner, set every think up as described and crank it twice in full cycle to ensure that the cam and crank shaft are properly adjusted, then check the marks

[15mechanix]

very good

[fantomasz73]

next time remove that right wheel

[GermanCarDepot]

it's very important to make sure the bolts on the engine mount are not over tighten or under tightened. I often see and change drop because of improper torque application to the Volkswagen or Audi motor mounts. At German car depot our technicians have the knowledge is rarely a week that goes by where every check has not done a few timing belts. German Car Depot is the place to go when your car is in sunny South Florida. ollieracepnc

[BrentAudi]

Fantastic video! Thanks so much for sharing this video!



[swissmissdesigner]

They just changed my timing belt in 2.5 hours in a repair shop on VW 2003 Jetta.

Is that possible? I am wondering because everyone saying that takes 4-6 hours.

Possible that they didn't change but charged me? On the top of it the car has a noise after the replacement of the timing belt. Any thoughts please.

[lupuradu]

Wouldn't be easier to take off the wheel completely?

[MAlex500]

There is no notch present on my camshaft pulley like he was talking about locating @ 3:33 in video. If I dont have a notch how do I still time car to the correct time? (NO notch AT ALL!!!)



[TheBob877]

Thanks a ton for posting this! Between this and the awesome DIY at VWVortex I felt prepared to do the job myself and saved a good thousand dollars or so.

One funny thing, I looked ALL over the cam shaft sprocket and saw NO mark for TDC anywhere. I have the less common BBW engine (is it a California thing?) And apparently VW didn't see fit to include it.

Oh, and spend the $20 for the tensioner tool. I had a HORRIBLE time tensioning it and bent a few pairs of snap ring pliers in the process.

[Caraballo90]

Thanks for your demenstration, it work well. I have never changed a timing belt in my life,,alll i did was paid attention to your video and saved hundreds off dollars. It only cost me 28 dollars and five hours of my time. Car started right up.

[expertmax1]

Mistakes : You did not properly torque the tensioner bolt. Never cut your old timing belt, if the auto part sent you the wrong belt, you can always put your old belt back and drive there. You should always check if the tensioner needs to be replaced, it usualy does after 90k miles. You should always use an engine mounting braket which is holding the engine from the top, you may damage the oil pan. Never use air tools with hex box.

[7gatorz]

Hi thanks for posting this video. I have an AZG engine in my 2.0L Golf. My car doesn't seem to have the square window next to the ignition pack as seen in your video at 12:22. Do you know where it may be in my car? Or, is it possible that my car doesn't have this window? Thanks in advance.

[TurkiyeCumhurbaskani]

I don.t have the guts to do this myself for my 2007 GLI, dealer wants $1000

[flojogrande]

One thing I wanted to add early on in the video. I just went on a head and removed the tire. Easy to do and will give you optimum room and light in that area so you can see. I have the car sitting on jacks. I'm going to tackle this on vacation within the week. It's a second car. I would like to be operating it as it is my economy mileage vehicle over my 4.0 liter V6 truck. I'm finding out VW did not make this vehicle maintenance friendly. Transmission service, Spark plugs etc...Pain in the Butt!

[flojogrande]

I've viewed your video a few times and this time around I'm taking notes and steps. I've also read the procedures out of a Haynes manual and they actually have you remove the spark plugs off. Did you do this? I replaced those plugs about two months ago. That in itself is a pain in the ass. The worst of it just getting the boots off of those recessed plugs. Now I know there is a special tool for that...that is even better than those curbed end needle nose pliers. Haynes has you relieve fuel psi.

[flojogrande]

I was just going through all the step by step in my Haynes Manual for replacement of the water pump and Timing belt, it mentions nothing about removing the Engine Mount. My engine is an AEG and the Vehicle is a 1999 VW Jetta. Your video is very thorough and in depth. Many tried to make a video on this but fell short. They ended up explaining most of it with little hands on that was actually viewable. I'm sure that's what everybody is impressed with your video. Thanks again for posting.

[Garen15]

Great video, very detailed

i went through this with my 2004 Jetta 2.0

sadly the belt stripped a few teeth and destroyed some valves :(

it turned into a big fix, it's back to normal now :D

[2009VWJETTATDI]

Thanks for the video and tips!

[eldoradony]

Just did this job and then found this video. This is right on accurate! Motor mount is a bit difficult to maneuver out but can be done. I would strongly recommend changing the water pump and tensioner pulley while the engine is apart. Gates and Dayco sell kits with all three parts for less than the sum individually.

[YeechBlitz]

@eldoradony Thanks for your posting.  Yes, the original VW water pumps break down frequently and earlier than they should, so replacing them with a water pump with a metal impellar is ALWAYS a good idea. I don't know, and haven't had a bad experience with the tensioner pulley, but it is no doubt a good idea to replace it.

[YeechBlitz]

@eldoradony You make a good point about changing the tensioner pulley while you are at it.

[sx2tmd]

what brand do you guys recommend to buy when working on vw?

[jbobo1974]

Thank you sooo much for this video! It was an amazing amount of help for me to change my water pump! Once again, thanks a bunch! Very detailed!

[YeechBlitz]

Yes. We found that the marks on the crank gear teeth were hard to see. It could be done but it was hard to get it right confidently.

[TheWarRelic]

Also... If one were to make a white mark on one of the crank gears teeth as a reference, this could be used to line the crank up with the cam instead of looking at that "window" right?

[TheWarRelic]

Awesome video!!! I cant wait to do my timing belt I'm at 99,120 miles. You did a great job!!! I do have have a question though.. If the white mark on gear lines up with the arrow why is it nesscary to line up the square window on the transmission?

[YeechBlitz]

@TheWarRelic You only need to line of the square window with the white mark if you take the timing belt off.  As long as the timing does not come off, you can use either method.

[YeechBlitz]

Your welcome, and I am glad the belts were good.

[rytageo]

A BIG thanks for your video; a friend of mine and I (mostly his work) replaced the water pump in four hours...all belts were in good shape...thanks!

[Shawzy147]

Thanks, very well explained : )

[YeechBlitz]

Correct. The mark is a line with a circle on the top. You keep turning the engine crankshaft and it will eventually appear in the window. It indicates TDC for Cylinder No. 1. You align two marks on the crankshaft pulley and engine, but those are very hard to see and not as precise as using that window.

[aa2p]

So when the cam pulley is lined up to tdc with the mark, the crank pulley should indicate tdc in that window correct? and also how does the window indicate tdc is there a mark or something? I couldn't really see it well

[sx2tmd]

I'm very sorry, my it's fault.

My car is a 2.0 automatic, but it is 03.

In a paragraph of the Haynes manual says that it is not necessary to remove the pulley to simply replacing the T belt. I noticed to them and They responded my back saying that it is needed to remove such pulley.

One more time, sorry. And thank You very much for your help.

[YeechBlitz]

@sx2tmd If you can tell me what type of engine it is, like AEG, BEV, or other, I might be able to figure it out. We have the full set of official VW manuals here. Find the VIN number for your car, put the VIN number into a VIN Decoder. Just do a Google search on VW VIN, and many sites that can do this will pop up. Let me know all of the engine info. I 'll give it shot.

[sx2tmd]

@YeechBlitz Nice gentlemen thank you very much for the video, I finally replace my timing belt and it is not really necessary to remove that bolt. Once I remove the bolt I release that the pulley comes off with a little of force but not necessarily without the bolt.

Thank you again, great video!

[YeechBlitz]

Thank you, ninjaassassin55.

[ninjaassassin55]

thank you very much for the info. it prepared me perfectly for the job. everything went smoothly accept trying to get that darn mount back in. not sure what that other guy was doing wrong, but you helped me a great deal.

[em7th]

Good Info. Thank you Sir.

[sx2tmd]

I did loosen those 4 bolts, but the pulley did not come out, it was stuck with that 19 mm bolt. Should I hit or pull that pulley to make it come off?

[YeechBlitz]

A light wack with a rubber mallet should take it right off. If not, and if your pulley is actually being held on by that 19mm bolt (the crankshaft bolt), then you have a different engine that this one. If it is different, and the crankshaft bolt is holding on the pulley, there is a good chance that you do not need to remove the pulley to replace the timing belt.

[janssen70]

@sx2tmd never ever remove the 19mm main crankpulley bolt thats asking for future almost undetectable problems in the future