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Iam going to get a 2000 Jetta TDI this week and the dealrer is going to put ina timing belt for me. Is it TRUE that there are TWO Different belts available? One rated at 60,000 miles and another at 80,000? The dealer told me that the autos need a belt at 80,000 and the 5 speeds need it at 60,000 but there is only ONE BELT? I think I read there are TWO TYPES of belts. Can someone get me the straight poop on belts?
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Your 2000 MY TDI came with the "old style" timing belt and tensioner, good for 40k miles on automatic TDIs and 60k miles on 5-speed TDIs.
In the middle of the 2001 MY, the "new style" timing belt and tensioner were introduced. The 2002 Owner's Manual suggests replacement every 80k miles, the 2003 Owner's Manual suggests replacement every 100k miles.
The "new style" timing belt and tensioner can be retrofitted to the older TDIs. But usually dealers take one look at your car and decline to install the newer timing belt. Or they say they won't offer any warranty on their work -- if they screw up the job and the belt fails, they won't replace the engine.
If your dealer will not install the newer timing belt, or won't warrantee their work, then walk away. Their mechanic probably replaces only a handful of TDI timing belts each year, but there are probably people in your area that do several each month. They know what they are doing and they won't wreck your engine. Don't know where in New Hampshire you are, but HermTDI is in Maine and he is (by all accounts) a TDI genius.
Tell the dealer to chop $500-600 off the price of the Jetta, and contact HermTDI to replace the timing belt (and water pump).