Timing belt replacement 2003 VW Jetta TDI

Hello everyone, my timing belt will need replacing in about 18,000 miles and I need some advice about what I should do. I talked to a mechanic and he told me to replace a few other parts along with the timing belt. (timing belt tensioner, etc). Can I get away with replacing just the belt or do I have to replace everything else with it? If I do need to replace other parts, what exactly do I need to replace? Also, what is the average cost of this repair if I'm taking it to a shop? If anyone has any recommendations for a shop in central Wisconsin, let me know. Thanks

I can’t give you an accurate quote for the parts and labour but you certainly need to replace the following:
Tensioner and rollers
Water pump
Timing belt
Coolant flush and refill

Don’t cut corners and don’t cheap out on the parts - you don’t want the shop to do it again

Get the kit with all the parts needed.
Labor is the shop rate X's 5.5 hours
I paid $440 in labor ($80/hr) plus $250 for kit from IDParts.
https://www.idparts.com/alh-timing-belt-kit-038109119m-p-449.html

KAT90 said:

Get the kit with all the parts needed.
Labor is the shop rate X's 5.5 hours
I paid $440 in labor ($80/hr) plus $250 for kit from IDParts.
https://www.idparts.com/alh-timing-belt-kit-038109119m-p-449.html

Click to expand...

Great company to deal with


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ianradcliffe43 said:

Hello everyone, my timing belt will need replacing in about 18,000 miles and I need some advice about what I should do. I talked to a mechanic and he told me to replace a few other parts along with the timing belt. (timing belt tensioner, etc). Can I get away with replacing just the belt or do I have to replace everything else with it? If I do need to replace other parts, what exactly do I need to replace? Also, what is the average cost of this repair if I'm taking it to a shop? If anyone has any recommendations for a shop in central Wisconsin, let me know. Thanks

Click to expand...

Does the shop know to follow the factory procedure TO THE LETTER and use the correct tools? Does the shop know how to verify that the cam, crank, and pump timing are correctly indexed? Does the shop know about replacing the 4 TTY one-time use engine mount bolts which MUST BE REPLACED with NEW bolts?

These are serious questions that need to be correctly answered to know that the shop is qualified to do the job.

Good luck.


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I recommend bringing the car to one of the TDIclub gurus close to you to do the job so you know the job will be done correctly.

Good luck.

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I'm in the process of changing the TB on my 2000 Jetta for the 4th time. The engine is just shy of 370k miles. The TB is over the 100k mile limit.

I purchased the $255.00 kit from Idparts, plus four harmonic balancer bolts.

For what it is worth, I've never flushed the engine coolant, and it still has at least 50% of the OE coolant! I "vacuum" the coolant out when doing a TB change and then put it back. So, very little is lost during the work process. The expansion tank is a good place to observe for tell-a-tale signs of what's going on in the cooling system. Mine looks just fine...

As n1das suggested, find a guru to do the job. JasonTDI (I believe that's his user name) may not be very far from you. I believe he is in Verona, WI.

Take it to Jason

I can recommend going to JasonTDR in Oregon, WI. Worth the trip.

To address your concern, YES - he knows exactly what he's doing. Very honest, and has been a vendor on the trusted list here for a very long time.

jasontdr.com

Hi, I'm here.

Thanks for the referrals guys. Yes, I know what I'm doing. Yes, I'm insured and run a legit shop. I've done thousands of timing belt jobs and I go over the rest of the car for you. For pricing PM or email me. or simply call or text.

Oh, sand you HAVE to replace everything. Any shop that says otherwise is kidding themselves.

... 'cause often it's one of the "everything"s that fail in advance of the timing belt... tensioner, rollers, waterpump. Engine mount bolts.

Vince Waldon said:

... 'cause often it's one of the "everything"s that fail in advance of the timing belt... tensioner, rollers, waterpump. Engine mount bolts.

Click to expand...

Agreed. When you have a timing failure, it is rarely because the T/B failed.

May, 2017, the Water Pump locked up on the ALH in my Vanagon ......... escaped a disaster, luckily! The WP had about 50k miles on it.

But, I have seen two TB failures.

1. The OE (40 or 60k mile belt) on a 99 NB stripped teeth at 105k miles.

2. The OE TB on a 2003 Jetta stripped teeth at 152k miles.

And, I have seen a solidly documented OE TB (2001 Jetta) go to 149k miles no incident.

And, I have seen a solidly documented TB and kit from Idparts go 142k miles no incident (I did the work but lady just kept driving it...).

And, I've seen several in the 100k to 120k range with no issues!

Yes, take the car to Jason. The timing belt job is a routine service item, but also easily done incorrectly. And the consequences of doing it wrong are dramatic, and expensive. Best to have an expert do it.

And you can figure that enough coolant gets replaced when you r&r the water pump, that a coolant flush isn't really needed.


Cheers,


PH