timing belt replacement cost

What is a reasonable cost to expect for a complete timing belt change? I was just quoted $1,000 for the whole deal.

2003 TDI wagon

Thanks

Quoted by a dealer? Do not let a VW dealer mechanic work on your car, esp. a timing belt.

Try to find a tdiclub mechanic in your area to do the job, then buy a timing belt kit from one of our own trusted sources. That should cost around $300. Changing it out could be another $300, give or take.

Prices have gone up. expect to pay $750-$850 for parts and labor.

Do Not go to the dealership. They have a history of charging more, not replacing all the parts, and botching the job (due to not using the proper lockdown tools).

I recommend going to someone on the trusted mechanics list in the 101 section. This is one of those jobs that is important to have done right.

$1,000 was cost from a reputable mechanic, not the dealer. He does good work it just seems a bit steep since diesel geek cost for the kit is $350 or so.

It is steep IMO. Is the mechanic on the trusted mechanics list?

If you update your profile with your location we may be able to help more.

I just bought my 03' wagon and had it done by my VW mechanic - complete job out the door for $700.

I just bought my kit from a vendor and had my local mechanic do the job and it cost 475 labor. Thats what comes up in the computer for labor its 5 hrs at 90 per hour. That what any shop will charge is 5 hrs labor.....

mcote13 said:

I just bought my 03' wagon and had it done by my VW mechanic - complete job out the door for $700.

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You got it cheap then, they were a trusted mechanic right?

It's about $300 in parts and labor is generally around $450. parts and labor can both fluctuate a bit.

puter said:

Prices have gone up. expect to pay $750-$850 for parts and labor.

Do Not go to the dealership. They have a history of charging more, not replacing all the parts, and botching the job (due to not using the proper lockdown tools).

I recommend going to someone on the trusted mechanics list in the 101 section. This is one of those jobs that is important to have done right.

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The Dealer is $1500 plus in my area for this.

--Nate

$1000 doesn't seem outrageous, maybe a little high.
But you never said where you're located? NYC?

The labor cost depends on who does the work. Someone who works out of his driveway or yours does not have the overhead costs of someone who has a regular shop. The high-cost shop may or may not do as good a job as the guy who travels around with his tools.

So for someone planning a timing belt job, start with selecting a quality timing belt kit, then find an experienced TB pro -- someone who works on TDIs most of the time, who does not cut corners. For most TDIs, it's a once-every-100k-miles job, so worth traveling even hundreds of miles if necessary rather than let some rookie experiment on your engine.

Just because a local mechanic has diesel engine experience, does NOT make him the logical choice to work on your TDI engine. He won't have the necessary tools, he will not have the VAG-COM or VCDS program to fine-tune the timing. And he may not understand the little things that are crucial, like the correct position of the tensioner, even if he's able to follow a set of instructions or a checklist.

OP: where do you live? we may be able to recommend someone.

With a name like BozemanTDI, if I had to guess he is not close to any of our TDIClub gurus. He is almost 500 miles from Drivbiwire in Boise. There is a shop in Worden MT, but we do not know much about it.

Make sure he has the proper lockdown tools and get a quality timing belt kit.

As you said the kit is $350. The ALH engine is more work to change the belt than the later BEW/BRM, so $500 give or take for labor is probably about average. Guru prices should be lower. So $1,000 is on the high side but not outrageous. Just MAKE SURE that the guy uses all the locking tools, replaces every single stretch bolt, and does the vag com timing. Alot of mechanics that usually replace TBs on gas engines use mark and pray all the time, because (I assume) there's enough clearance on most gas engines to get away with a tooth or two off. Not on the TDI.

I had my TB changed this weekend. If you're near Ashville, NC I highly recommend Landon Grindstaff. It cost me $300 for the kit from idparts.com and another $375 in labor plus misc items like coolant. I called up some other gurus and it seemed like it was going to be between $700-850 out the door depending on who I took it to.

Sbeghan said:

I had my TB changed this weekend. If you're near Ashville, NC I highly recommend Landon Grindstaff. It cost me $300 for the kit from idparts.com and another $375 in labor plus misc items like coolant. I called up some other gurus and it seemed like it was going to be between $700-850 out the door depending on who I took it to.

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You should post to the Trusted TDI Mechanics thread, describing the work Landon did and how he may be contacted. (assuming, that is, that he wants to be on the list)

Before you do that though, did Landon use the lockdown tools?

Landon is one of the south(east) US TDI gurus and has been for some time...

I am considering doing this job myself on our 05 BEW wagon. I ordered a timing belt kit from Peter and his metalnerd tool kit. Is that sufficient?

I have a Bentley as well as the TB post from here. I'm no TDI guru, but a fair wrencher with a clutch replacement under by belt on the TDI as well as many engine swaps and just about anything else on other vehicles.

What do the experts think? Soft in the head to try it or what?

thanks,

Rick

sounds like you can handle it. read the instructions all the way thru before you start.
Once you get everything apart, you should have a good understanding (from instructions) of what it is you need to do to get everything right on reassembly.
You'll likely need to buy more tools, wrenches, extensions, depends on what tools you have now, be sure to use a torque wrench where necessary. You'll also need a VCDS (vag-com).

If you get the proper tools and all the parts the work on the ALH engine is pretty easy (not familiar with other kinds). I would say 5 hours to do it as long as nothing goes wrong is a bit on the high side.

After doing it the first time I would say that I could do the entire job again in less than 3 hours.

The instructions posted on this site are excellent and contain pretty much every nut and bolt you have to remove/replace.

Use the torque specs on this site and not the one from the Bently manual.

Bob_Fout said:

Landon is one of the south(east) US TDI gurus and has been for some time...

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Sorry, my bad. I didn't recognize the name.

puter said:

Sorry, my bad. I didn't recognize the name.

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That's understandable given the geographic distance, plus he's not very active on the forums (he works full-time and does TDI stuff on the side).

If I lived in Memphis, I would go to oilhammer or paramedik.

oilhammer and paramedick were my other choices, Oilhammer wanted $875 for it. Paramedick was the most economical. They are all about the same driving distance from me and I was driving through Asheville anyways so I went with Landon ($682).

BobnOH said:

You'll also need a VCDS (vag-com).

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Why do you need vag com for the BEW engine? There's no IP to time.

Tools??

I may be short a tool or two...

The TDIPARTS Metalnerd kit has Crank lock, Serp L pin, cam sprocket pin/pump pin and tensioner holding pin. Don't I need a cam lock bracket and a cam sprocket puller also?

Did I see a gathering at HO5Gs soon???

As always, thanks for all the help!!

wetskier2000 said:

I may be short a tool or two...

The TDIPARTS Metalnerd kit has Crank lock, Serp L pin, cam sprocket pin/pump pin and tensioner holding pin. Don't I need a cam lock bracket and a cam sprocket puller also?

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Not for the PD. There's an excellent how to on myturbodiesel.com, if it hasn't migrated to this site as well.

bozemanTDI said:

What is a reasonable cost to expect for a complete timing belt change? I was just quoted $1,000 for the whole deal.

2003 TDI wagon

Thanks

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Didn't I change your previous timing belt? Or was it that you contacted me but never made it to Twin Cities? I know Bozeman is in Montana. Drivbiwire is probably closer to you.