Weird Vibration After New Timing Belt 99 Beetle

Sold my 98 TDI Beetle at 224,000+ because I now have my parents' 99 TDI Beetle and no sense having two sitting around. Timing belt was due on the 99 so I did that. Also one CV joint (right front) needed replacement.

Anyway, since the timing belt service and CV joint service there is now a weird vibration throughout the motor (you can really feel it in the accelerator as well as hear it) at about 2,000 rpm. Drives me crazy. Took it back and mechanic can't detect. Never felt anything like this in my 98; smooth as silk always. I am beginning to hate this car and am thinking about asking the person who bought my 98 if I can buy it back!

Any ideas as to what this might be? Power seems normal, mileage normal.

Was the vibration there immediately after the repair or did it develop after time? Who did the repair and what parts were replaced? Were new stretch bolts used on the motor mounts? Are the motor mounts verified to be tight?

He did the CV and the TB.

You got a bad axel or CV, depends on what they replaced.

Sounds as if the damper pulley was installed incorrectly. Look at the pulley's and belts when the engine is running. Are any of them wobbling ?

Is the vibration only when the car is moving?

Is the vibration dependant on engine speed or road speed?

Garage checked the cv and claim it's fine.

Haven't checked vibe at idle; appears at 2,000 then goes away. Freeway running is normal - just like my old 98. It's around 2,000 rpm only.

I'll look at the pulley and belt as suggested. Thanks for all your suggestions; I think I'll have to put the mechanic in the car and make him drive it when I go with him; he claims they can't feel/hear vibe.

Whitedog, I am too dumb to know what you mean by road speed vs. engine speed. Do you mean at idle vs. when I am running down the road? I have not run it up to 2,000 while idling yet.

Well either they fix it or.....still say it's a bad axle.

Do you have to be driving with the RPMs at 2000 for the vibration to appear?

Or will it occur if you are sitting still and run the RPMs up to 2000?

I agree about the bad axle. There are alot of BAD rebuilt axles floating around. Is it RPM dependant or SPEED dependant? RPM dependant and its likely related to timing belt change. SPEED dependant and its the axle.

l-o-l-a lola said:

I'll have to put the mechanic in the car and make him drive it when I go with him; he claims they can't feel/hear vibe.

Click to expand...

It kinda sounds like only when driving, but you know me. I like to be sure.

I also bet it's the axle. There are some cheap axles out of China (yeah, the make those as knock-offs too...) that the right axle is a solid shaft instead of the hollow pipe used by the OEM's. The additional length of the shaft and any imbalance will cause a harmonic in the shaft.

It's as simple as this...what diameter is the right side shaft? If its the same size as the left shaft, you've been shafted by your mechanic using Chinese... get the right part.

Yes, it seems speed dependant, i.e. only when driving. When I got home from the Dream Machines show at Half Moon Bay, CA last night I ran it up to 2,000 rpm in the driveway and did not notice a vibration or anything else out of the ordinary. Funny, they mentioned getting bad axles but told me I had a loose piece of the engine cover hanging down causing the vibration. Probably saw that and didn't check any further.

I'll take it back. It was really annoying over on Hwy. 1, where the small grades necessitate running in the 2,000rpm range more than I do on flat I-5 in my regular commute.

Thanks to all of you for your help.

forchristsakes.....it warranty. It's not even out of pocket except for an hour of his time....