timing belt and water pump

[queenie]

i have a 2000 vw beetle turbo. im at 110,000 miles. they say i should get my timing belt and water pump done now. they estimated $750. does that sound right? I am going to be saving my money up for it. just wondering how important is it to get it done? do i need it done? they said my car engine could die if i were to not get it done and it broke. i dont want that to happen. but then could it never break and i could have saved money? ill be looking at my budget to see when i can get it done. it'd be between as early as march and as late as october . i got this car from a dealership , used, probably from a private person who traded it in. would the mechanic be able to tell if the timing belt has been done? he may have actually looked at it and said it looked worn.

[Smileybug]

Get it done ASAP! At 110k, you are over any sort of interval given. 105k is what is given for the 1.8T but common knowledge is get it done between 60k-80k. If the belt fails, you will have engine damage, costing much more than $750. And that sounds reasonable to me. The belt WILL break if you don't do anything about it. Its a piece of rubber. Rubber will deteriorate over time. Not sure what year your car is, but you are definitely overdue on mileage for sure.

[esse10]

You could do it yourself fellow org member I just did mine two weeks ago and it's driving on a cloud now..LOL Look up the thread I posted a couple weeks ago here in the 1.8T forum there are several links with pictures there on DIY Or buy the parts online and find a local mechanic to do it for you, stay away from the vw dealer for sure. If it has never been done on your car before I would DO IT IMMEDIATELY cause the water pump empellar is plastic and don't last.Why take the chance of losing the whole engine.Good luck man

[Smileybug]

The water pump won't cause all that much damage. Might overheat if it completely fails, but losing the timing belt is the much bigger issue. THAT will cause you to destroy the head on the motor at least depending on the conditions of it failing are.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by queenie

i have a 2000 vw beetle turbo. im at 110,000 miles. they say i should get my timing belt and water pump done now. they estimated $750. does that sound right? I am going to be saving my money up for it. just wondering how important is it to get it done? do i need it done? they said my car engine could die if i were to not get it done and it broke. i dont want that to happen. but then could it never break and i could have saved money? ill be looking at my budget to see when i can get it done. it'd be between as early as march and as late as october .

110k and the Timingbelt Serivice hasn't been performed yet? I would check with the previous owner to see if that service has been performed. Usually it is done around 75-80k miles. The timing belt along with the water pump, tensioner, pulley, thermostat, accessory belt etc... If just one of these things fail and the timing belt either skips a couple of teeth or breaks then your valves and pistons will have a very explosive party and your engine will be toast. Best case scenario you will need to rebuild or replace your head and that will cost you between 2500 to 3000 bucks. But most likely you will have some pistons that are damaged as well and then the entire engine will need to be rebuilt and that will be more costly than what that car is worth.

$750 is very reasonable. Most dealers charge between 1100-1600 bucks for that service. Now you can do it yourself for about $260. Here is a popular kit that includes everything you need to do this service:
Vw Beetle Timing Belt - Beetle Timing Belt Kit - 1.8 Liter

It's not if that belt will go but when. You are on borrowed time and need to make this your priority before doing anything else on your car.

[esse10]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

110k and the Timingbelt Serivice hasn't been performed yet? I would check with the previous owner to see if that service has been performed. Usually it is done around 75-80k miles. The timing belt along with the water pump, tensioner, pulley, thermostat, accessory belt etc... If just one of these things fail and the timing belt either skips a couple of teeth or breaks then your valves and pistons will have a very explosive party and your engine will be toast. Best case scenario you will need to rebuild or replace your head and that will cost you between 2500 to 3000 bucks. But most likely you will have some pistons that are damaged as well and then the entire engine will need to be rebuilt and that will be more costly than what that car is worth.

$750 is very reasonable. Most dealers charge between 1100-1600 bucks for that service. Now you can do it yourself for about $260. Here is a popular kit that includes everything you need to do this service:
Vw Beetle Timing Belt - Beetle Timing Belt Kit - 1.8 Liter

It's not if that belt will go but when. You are on borrowed time and need to make this your priority before doing anything else on your car.

IMO, I don't think you would need the cam seal or the crank seal that comes in that kit. I would just check them for leaks everytime I would change the T-belt and maybe perhaps change the seals out when the car get's up there in the 250-300k mile mark-leaking or not leaking. My 2-cents on the seals.

[D2Beetle]

Not to cause any concern or alarm, but it will break, it is just a matter of time and this post shows you the cost of not doing it.

Regarding the common statement, "... if it isn't broke, don't fix it." applies to the seals. When I do a Timing Belt change, the only parts I change are the timing belt, water pump, idle roller and tensioner, that is it.

[queenie]

where is the timing belt located? am i able to see it by popping open the hood? would u be able to tell by looking at it if it needed to be replaced vs or if it had rescently been done?

[Smileybug]

How long have you had the car?

Its perfectly likely that the job hasn't been done. And if it hasn't you really are on borrowed time. Its on the passenger side of the engine under a cover. You'd need to take the engine cover off (I think) and get the timing belt cover off to inspect it. And its really hard to say if you'll be able to tell...if its cracked or anything yeah, but sometimes a belt may look just fine but still be original.

Best to get the job done so you KNOW its been done and when so you can then plan for the next one in the future and be sure of the car's maitenance.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by queenie

where is the timing belt located? am i able to see it by popping open the hood? would u be able to tell by looking at it if it needed to be replaced vs or if it had rescently been done?

Unless there is some serious damage to the timing belt or visible cracking there is no way to tell when or if the timing belt has ever been changed or not. If you do see visible signs then most of the time it is already too late.

The timing belt is under a plastic timing belt cover and you can't really see it unless you take this cover off. Don't confuse the accessory belt with the timing belt. The accessory belt is visible without taking any covers off but not the timing belt. I wouldn't take a chance. If you don't have any receipts or know for sure the belt has been changed than do yourself a favor and change it along with the other items that usually go along with this change. (timing belt, accessory belt, water pump, tensioner and pulley). I would also recommend changing the thermostat at this time.
A shop will charge you about $750 for the timing belt service including parts. They don't include the thermostat and if you do want it changed it will cost you another 150 bucks or so.
Dealers will charge you anywhere from 1100 to 1700 dollars to perform this service. So don't go to the dealer but find a reputable VW/Euro shop in your area. Or better yet check out a few DIYs on this board and do it yourself for a little over 200 bucks.

Just don't let it slide. It is the most important thing you need to observe in the maintenance of your beetle. It's life depends on it. It's either Pay a little now or Pay a whole lot later.

[queenie]

i'm going to see if i can get my timing belt done in march or april . then i can feel relieved of getting that taken care of.

[Panda_Star]

Originally Posted by queenie

i'm going to see if i can get my timing belt done in march or april . then i can feel relieved of getting that taken care of.

Are you going to drive it? Trust me you do not want to do that
Mine had Timing belt put on at 80k at 110k that belt lost all it's teeth dramatically, but at low rpm atleast and now I am replacing the head the timing belt and associated parts, I'm doing it myself but a guy who does only VW's and Audi's quoted me 1600 to 2grand or more if he did it ugh.
really don't wait it is not something you want to play with.

[AndyBees]

As suggested by all those responding, you are definitely on borrowed time (no pun intended ) with your Timing Belt's miles and age......assuming it is OE.

However, here is a very interesting story......I'll make it as short as possible.

A friend of mine let the TB go on his V-6 '03 KIA Optima and it broke.........ready for this? It broke at 260,004 miles. The miles, etc., are correct because he is the original owner of the car.

............so, sometimes "we" can slip by on luck, but when you least expect it, the worse can happen!

Now, get 'er done and ASAP!

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Panda_Star

Are you going to drive it? Trust me you do not want to do that
Mine had Timing belt put on at 80k at 110k that belt lost all it's teeth dramatically, but at low rpm atleast and now I am replacing the head the timing belt and associated parts, I'm doing it myself but a guy who does only VW's and Audi's quoted me 1600 to 2grand or more if he did it ugh.
really don't wait it is not something you want to play with.

WOah, only 30k on a new timing belt??? That is very unusual!
When you changed it at 80k did you swap out the tensioner and the pulley? Something must have failed and locked up to make the timing belt loose it's teeth. That usually only happens if one or more components weren't replaced during the last timing belt/water pump service.

[2004NBTURBOS]

Yup..what he said!!
I was thinking the same thing.

[Panda_Star]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

WOah, only 30k on a new timing belt??? That is very unusual!
When you changed it at 80k did you swap out the tensioner and the pulley? Something must have failed and locked up to make the timing belt loose it's teeth. That usually only happens if one or more components weren't replaced during the last timing belt/water pump service.

Prevuios owner and best I can tell from the work order only the belt and a el cheapo water pump was put in

[queenie]

i'm getting done tomorrow 3-15:

the mechanic told me he would be replacing these things:

timing belt
water pump
serpentine belt-what is this for?
alt. belt-what is this for?

[Smileybug]

Serp belt and alt belt are the same thing...it runs your accessories (alternator, AC compressor, etc). I sure hope he plans on replacing the tensioner for the timing belt, as well as motor mount bolts.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by queenie

i'm getting done tomorrow 3-15:

the mechanic told me he would be replacing these things:

timing belt
water pump
serpentine belt-what is this for?
alt. belt-what is this for?

Yup, what Smileybug said.

How about the Tensioner and the Idler Roller? Those are very important parts as well. If they seize up your timing belt old or new will skip a few teeth and BAMM there goes your engine.
And YES, Smileybug is also correct in asking about the Passenger side Motor mount bolts. They are one time use only and if they are reused they can fail and drop your motor in the middle of
the Highway. They are usually included in every decent timing belt kit.

Here is really what should be replaced:
MJM Autohaus


Granted the Crank and cam seals are usually only replaced if they are leaking. The Thermostat should be replaced but isn't a 100% necessity. However in my book the Tensioner and Roller is not an option but a must replace with every Timing Belt service.

[queenie]

*QUOTED*
How about the Tensioner and the Idler Roller? Those are very important parts as well. If they seize up your timing belt old or new will skip a few teeth and BAMM there goes your engine.
And YES, Smileybug is also correct in asking about the Passenger side Motor mount bolts. They are one time use only and if they are reused they can fail and drop your motor in the middle of
the Highway. They are usually included in every decent timing belt kit.


* im hoping they knew what they were doing and did all the reccommended things!