Ashby L
Active member
A few months ago i was driving back from work when my Jetta stalled on me when downshifting from 4th to 3rd. I know for a fact it was not user error as i was in the correct gear. The car jolted pretty hard when i downshifted then died. i coasted down to a stop then attempted to restart it. It would crank but no start. The first thing I checked was under the timing belt cover to make sure my belt didn't snap. i was relieved to find that it was still there and in tact from what i could see at the time. Then i thought it was a fuel related issue with the injection pump as i could not see any fuel flow through the clear fuel line when cranking. Today i took the timing cover fully off to further inspect the situation and found the belt was in tact but a single tooth was missing from the belt which i found laying behind the cover. So now it has me thinking it jumped timing. i was wondering if that is possible or common to have happen with only a single tooth missing and do these symptoms resemble that of an engine that has jumped timing? i mean it cranks fine with no odd sounds that i would expect if the timing was off. though the damage could already be done. Would the timing affect the injection pumps ability to deliver fuel? are there any diagnostics that i could run to figure this out? i am new to this engine so i haven't fully grasped the diagnostic process. Thanks!