2005 Passat serpentine belt change

raunch

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2009
Location
inland nothwest
TDI
2005 passat
New to my Passat and the forum. The car has been great and there is a wealth of information on the board. However I have been to find any serpentine belt information specific to the '05 Passat and the BHW engine.

A serp belt change seems simple enough, but when I started to go after it last night, I found another tensioner for the A/C compressor belt. For this tensioner I could only find one allen head bolt and after loosening it, the tensioner would not move. This tensioner appears to be on a bracket that should rotate. So my first question is, how to deal with that tensioner?

Second question is, any tips/tricks for removing the serpentine belt? I'm going to replace the belt in the hopes that the squeal stops. The squeal shows up at low rpm's when the steering wheel is turned. I'm hoping it's the belt protestesting the load from the power steering pump, and not the pump itself. However, the pump does groan a bit when put to work at the low rpm's.

Thanks.
 

coalminer16

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
It really isn't good practice to turn the wheel all the way to one side and hold it there, so that may be part of the noise. Old cars always made noise doing that (yes I know this is newer, just making a point). I just changed my 04 golf belt and it had a square nob at the end of it so a wrench could be put on it. It wasn't fun to install but that is how I did it. I think the allen bolt is for holding the tensioner on the car. The tensioners on newer cars are self adjusting and you need to force it back to loosen the belt enough to remove and then install. I would have someone there to hold the wrench. Some you need to have a 1.2 inch drive to hold just as a thought to. I don't know if the new belt will help your noise though. Check for cracking, they don't tend to stretch much. Also check if you tensioner has enought tension as the spring could be worn.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Two Allen bolts for the A/C belt adjuster.

However a squeal is probably the alternator clutch pulley going bad.
 

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
See http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=200181 about the alternator pulley, and how to r/r the serpentine belt on that side.

As oilhammer said, there's two bolts for the other one. The pivot one (that you found) and one at about 1-2 o'clock from the center of the pulley on the pivoting bracket.
 

raunch

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2009
Location
inland nothwest
TDI
2005 passat
MOGolf-Thanks for the link. Great stuff, I've seen some of your others as I've been lurking, but didn't check that one out.

Some more info on the squeal: It occurs, for instance, when coasting into the driveway and making the turn to get in. At this point the motor is at idle and the PS pump will groan a little too. I'm going for the belt first because of what happened with my 6.2 alternator belt. This belt would also squeal while under load, but only while cold. After starting the 6.2, the alt belt would squeal a second and then squeal some more whenever the glow plugs would fire up. The belt was squealing while under load from the alternator. This is similar to what is happening in the Passat, only the load is coming from the PS pump. I'm thinking I ought to replace the tensioner while I'm in there, as the belt does look OK.

Thanks all for the info. I'll let you know how it turned out after I replace the belt.
 

andrewclark

New member
Joined
Oct 21, 2009
Location
Virginia
TDI
2005 VW Passat GLS TDI
I’m somewhat mechanically inclined but have not turned any wrenches in quite a few years. This is my first used car in a long time. But am very reluctant to spend the money to take it someplace.

With that said, where on the difficulty scale of 1-5 would this fall if I choose to try to change the alternator clutch myself at the same time as I work on the belt? I’m leaning towards just doing the belt. See reasons below.


I think mine’s the power steering pump too:
I’m new to TDIs, but I have read all the alternator clutch pulley messages and I'm fairly certain I'm having the same power steering pump issue that Raunch had back in January.


Raunch, did the new belt and/or tensioner fix the noise?


The sound I'm getting is very different than the noise the pump makes when turning to one full lock or the other (The users manual says that noise is normal and not to do it for any length of time). My noise only happens when using the power steering at idle, even if just making slight wheel turns. I don't think my pump itself is making any noise, just the belt, because once I get up to 1k+ RPMs everything feels and sounds smooth and the pump does not strain. With mine the sound is not so much a squeal but is more like a chirping that I can actually feel in the steering wheel as well, like the belt is skipping over the pulley. When cold (morning starts or after work) I don't hear the noise, but when it warms up to 190 I get the chirping as I pull into parking spots or adjust my parking position.


The alternator:
That's not to say I won't be experiencing the alternator issue sometime soon. I bought the car a month or so ago and that day near the end of an 8 hour drive home at night I experienced a quiet ratcheting like noise under the hood and my alternator (battery shaped) light came on. I say ratcheting because I don’t know another adjective to describe it, but when I opened the hood to check it out it sounded like a steady shaking of a Chiclets box. Chik-ka-chik-ka-chik-ka. Not any squealing or chirping. It only lasted about 20 or 30 seconds then stopped and my alternator light went out. It has not happened since, but the writing is on the wall. I’m just afraid if I pay to get it checked out they won’t find anything wrong unless it happens again.


I concede that the two issues may be related, but with the power steering noise my alternator light never comes on and with the alternator noise I never felt anything in my steering wheel. The power steering noise just started this weekend.
 
Last edited:

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
You need an alternator pulley.

And that other noise is the chain drive trying to break its way out of the bottom of the engine. :D
 

OCPD

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Location
oc, ca
TDI
'04 Passat PD
similar noise, alternator already replaced w/ bosch--mistake??

VW dealer (parts dept) said the Bosch alternator is interchangeable w/ Valeo. Both have same amperage/voltage (120 amp 14v I believe). VW Mechanic who had the only 33 tooth bit in Sacramento area (on a saturday, but why?!) to swap pulley mentioned that new alt clutch was "better." This mostly fixed squealing noise, although alternator workshop light came on again once briefly after switch, and I noticed that tensioner vibrates when belt squeals.

There is occasional slight "catching" metal sound (alt clutch??), accompanied by slight squealing and vibrating of serp tensioner/belt. I guess I have two ?'s: (any info is MUCH appreciated)
-Is the bosch ok to put in place of Valeo?
-Is an aftermarket tensioner ok to use here considering OEM equip is apparently way over-priced?
 

OCPD

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Location
oc, ca
TDI
'04 Passat PD
looks/sounds like serp tensioner was bad

I went ahead and put in the aftermarket tensioner (from Oreilly/Kragen--Gates part # 38326), and all sounds looks good. A little vibration/rocking (1/2"-3/4") of tensioner, but no sound and much less movement than before (+/- 2").

Is movement normal? Any info on the life-expectancy of aftermarket part?
I'm hoping to not have to do this again for several years or another 85,000 miles--not that it wasn't awesome to do!!:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:

jeschons

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2010
Location
Gold Canyon, AZ
TDI
2005 VW Passat
Alternator Clutch Pulley Failing

Hey Oilhammer:

Yep, my alternator clutch pulley failed. Slid out into the fan. Doesn't look like any damage, though. Had to cut the serpentine belt to get home. I'm going to take a whack at the clutch pulley, but how to I get the tensioner to relax so I can put the belt on? Any help would be greatly apprecaited. I enjoy reading your tips on this site. Thanks for the help.

JE
 

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
jeschons said:
Hey Oilhammer:

Yep, my alternator clutch pulley failed. Slid out into the fan. Doesn't look like any damage, though. Had to cut the serpentine belt to get home. I'm going to take a whack at the clutch pulley, but how to I get the tensioner to relax so I can put the belt on? Any help would be greatly apprecaited. I enjoy reading your tips on this site. Thanks for the help.

JE
Read more in the B5 forum.
 

OCPD

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Location
oc, ca
TDI
'04 Passat PD
No Bentley to check part #. Still screaches when turning wheel

oilhammer said:
Have you checked that part yet?
I took VW's word that Bosch (pn 038 903 018 QX) would work in place of OEM Valeo, but I'm wondering if the pulley alignment between the two is slightly different. :confused: Considering they (VW) also tried to sell me regular 10-40 at least twice, they have lost my confidence. I still hear alot of slipping/screeching when turning wheel.

Is the alternator clutch IN the pulley itself? So even though I replaced the alternator and swapped the old pulley to new alternator, if the alternator clutch is in the pulley itself, that could have been the problem all along?

Failing P/S pump maybe? I recently flushed fluid but no difference. I have to "back and forth" alot to fit in my parking place at home, but try to avoid maxing out pump and turning wheel w/o moving back or forward when possible. Knowledgeable guy @ Kragen said it could be a loose/damaged belt from all the other recent "action" in region (replaced alternator, tensioner), even tho tensioner seems tight. I guess

I'm going to try to replace s-belt unless I hear back otherwise. Though I've been reading up, I'm not sure if I'll have to put lock carrier in service position to remove A/C belt in order to r/r serpentine belt. Any help is still VERY much appreciated. At least alternator workshop light stays off now, though the "screech" is telling me somethings not quite right. Thanks again anyone who can help,
James
90k on odo, but I live in Los Angeles :eek: no bueno para el "whip" def. #4 (bad for my car)
 
Last edited:

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
OCPD said:
Is the alternator clutch IN the pulley itself? So even though I replaced the alternator and swapped the old pulley to new alternator, if the alternator clutch is in the pulley itself, that could have been the problem all along?
Yes and yes.

I've also seen balance shafts so out of synch with the crank that the pulsations from the engine crank cause big stress on the serpentine belt and tensioner jumping around. Of course, once the engine was unchained the problem stopped.
 

OCPD

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Location
oc, ca
TDI
'04 Passat PD
Again Thanks

MOGolf said:
Yes and yes.
Much appreciated AGAIN MOGolf :rolleyes: I'm planning to unchain in the next month or two as long as finances allow for parts. Anyone in California (or anywhere West of Texas for that matter) able to assist w/ "labor on a budget?" :eek:
Putting lock carrier in service position now. I'll let you know if the serpentine belt takes care of it. Thanks Again!!!
 

OCPD

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Location
oc, ca
TDI
'04 Passat PD
Serp/AC belts replaced--noises gone!!

I'm not sure if the oem alternator was actually bad or simply serpentine hydraulic tensioner, but after replacing belts (there was a slight notch in AC belt, other than that looked fine) screach when turning wheel is GONE. In hindsight, I'd have waited on replacing the alternator, done pulley first, and not simply taken the ECU's word for it and replaced most affordable parts first (pulley/alt clutch, tensioner & belts).

After reading many other threads I'm not the only w/ similar noise & alt workshop light. So maybe a bad serpentine tensioner set all this in motion (no doubt oem one was DONE)? Or possibly the alternator WAS bad (I doubt this as no noticeable drop in electric charge, only screech & slight chipping/catching noise & light). Either way it doesn't appear the oem alt clutch/pulley is having any problem--which would have been my guess after reading threads here.

I did upgrade oem battery to 80 AH as it was losing power (GLAD I did!--thanks for thread Oilhammer!), maybe this "did in" the factory alternator? Anybody know life expectancy of oem alt?

Thanks again
James
 
Top