Timing belt Lifespan (miles)?

BeetlePD

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Beetle 2005
I just replaced the timing belt in my 2005 Beetle TDI plus serpentine belt, and few other items. $1300 (ouch). I told the dealer that’s too expensive and next time I’ll just trade this car for a new car.

EDIT: I don’t mean the manual’s answer. I mean how long it snaps? Doing a search I see some have gone 110,000 until the belt broke.

Once the Beetle is done I’m getting a Inline-6 diesel BMW (used). That thing is powerful.

Thanks :)
 
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Tdijarhead

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2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
80k on the Pd belt

80k provided of course they changed the water pump and roller and tensioner which dealers have a habit of not doing all of them.
 
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cleaver

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None - did own '01 and '02 Jetta TDI
...and over half the price if you go to an independant mechanic. Make sure the dealer replaced everything that they should have.
 

oilhammer

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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
I have everyone go 100k on the PDs. I've never seen one that made me think otherwise, and have seen a few with over 150k :eek:

However the VAST majority of these are piling up a lot of highway miles in a relatively short period of time, which means an easier life on components like the belt.

I know there have been people who have had a belt failure on PDs before 100k, but I would call those outlier exceptions, not the rule.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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I have no data to support this, but I've always thought that VW shortened the interval for PDs from 100K to 80K to encourage people to look for cam wear during the service. Given the component design and use I don't see why the interval would be any shorter than the 100K miles that works for the ALH.
 

BeetlePD

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ALH? The 1999 to 2004 TDI? I drove 50,000 miles last year so a 100K belt would be 2 years from today
 
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kjclow

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Wasn't the belt replacement changed from 2000 to 2001? IIRC, my 2000 beetle had a recommended change at 60k.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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ALH intervals were originally 60K for manual, 40K for automatic
In 2002 they went to 80K manual, 60K automatic (I think)
2003 all belts were 100K miles.
I think today (some 18 years later) you'd be hard pressed to find a 60K mile belt kit. They're all 100K.
 

Powder Hound

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There are always the dealers that insist on changing the t-belt at 40 or 60k miles, whichever is appropriate on your car, just because they want to sell overpriced service rather than recommend what the car really needs.

100k miles on the intervals for my ALH works for me. At the rate I'm driving now, I'll forget how to do one before I hit the next time to change. Oh, wait, there's all the others hanging out at my house...

Cheers,

PH
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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Dealers are required to replace a belt with the part number that originally came on the car. So on a 2000 TDI, in the past they would have to put on a 60K belt. However, these days I believe 60K kits are gone, so they have to go with 100K. But they might still tell a customer that the next service is due in 60K. Because that's what the maintenance schedule says.
 

kjclow

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Every time I take the jsw to get an oil change, they always put the sticker for next change at 5000 miles. I gave up arguing. My first oil change on the Ram was included but they did the same thing. When the service writer was going over the repair sheet, I handed him the sticker and said I can figure out when the next 10,000 miles are gone better than they can.
 

D_Bill

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Timing belt

fwiw - with my now retired 01 jetta my buddy insisted I do the vw belt at 60/80K but switched to Continentals kit which is supposed to be 100k.


On my now new to me 02 golf the seller told me the dealer did it at 92K and it has 167K - so - C's kit is going in this week .



fwiw 2 - I was pleased ( no problems ) with C's kit .
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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I'd be surprised if there are any 60 or 80K timing belt components for ALHs left in the market. Everything has had 100K intervals for many years.
 

Pat Dolan

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Once the Beetle is done I’m getting a Inline-6 diesel BMW (used). That thing is powerful.

Thanks :)
And you are complaining about the cost of maintaining a PD VW???? I agree, the BMTrouble-you diesel is a fantastic engine, but I suggest you learn more about the cost of maintaining the car wrapped around it.
 

BeetlePD

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I know a used BMW 335d I-6 that only costs $9000..... that’s about one thousand less than what this Beetle cost me.
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

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335ds are inexpensive to buy, and not terribly expensive to maintain if you stay away from the dealer. They have some chronic failures, mostly related to the emissions. Happily a lot of the components now have an extended 120K mile 10 year warranty. But if you're outside of that and want to keep the emissions system intact, it can get pricey. An adblue tank (common failure) is $1,800 or thereabouts. Nox sensors, which seem to fail every few years, are $640 each (there are two). And the big expense is CBU (carbon build up) cleaning. Dealer charges $4K, but you can have it done by an independent shop (including the amusing walnut shell blasting) for $1,000 - $1,500.

Otherwise things aren't crazy expensive, except the NAV unit on cars that have that feature. If it fails you kind of have to replace it, since it runs the HVAC. And the part is about $3K. Ouch.
 

BeetlePD

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I don’t usually fix stuff that breaks. My Civic Hybrid had a bad battery but I just kept driving (even $1500 used was too much). It also had cracked brake light where someone backed into, cracked headlights, stone damaged windshield, broken horn, broken cruise control, stolen radio, and bad struts.

I just kept driving until it hit 200,000 and then junked it.

Almost zero dollars on maintenance costs (except oil/fluids)
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

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I don't think that strategy will work with a 335d, at least not for long. Emissions systems failures will either put it in limp mode or shut it down if it's not getting DEF. Unaddressed carbon issues will cause misfires and clog the CAT and DPF. The BMW isn't as simple as a Civic hybrid or even a PD VW TDI. Ignore it and that $9K won't look like that good an investment.
 

BeetlePD

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DEF qualifies as a fluid, which I would replace as needed (like oil). If there’s a major system failure then I’d junk the BMW rather than repair. Many years ago I had a Dodge Omni with a bad catalytic converter and rather than spend 1000s replacing it, I just got rid of the car.
 
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Btravelen

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midwest USA
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2005 TDI Passat Variant
Uhh.. DEF is replaced when the tank gets low. It's consumable

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
I don’t usually fix stuff that breaks. My Civic Hybrid had a bad battery but I just kept driving (even $1500 used was too much). It also had cracked brake light where someone backed into, cracked headlights, stone damaged windshield, broken horn, broken cruise control, stolen radio, and bad struts.

I just kept driving until it hit 200,000 and then junked it.

Almost zero dollars on maintenance costs (except oil/fluids)
You are a strange one. :p
 

Pat Dolan

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DEF qualifies as a fluid, which I would replace as needed (like oil). If there’s a major system failure then I’d junk the BMW rather than repair. Many years ago I had a Dodge Omni with a bad catalytic converter and rather than spend 1000s replacing it, I just got rid of the car.
I can't keep up with the VAG market any more, so have no idea what is going on with the BMTrouble-you set, but you might consider a fairly big upfront load and de-smog - IF there is aftermarket route for that engine. It can't break if it is not there, but it may be too far down the road to be able to run less some of the hardware.
 

BeetlePD

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Yes I know DEF is a consumable like fuel. That doesn’t change the point I was making about only replacing cheap stuff (oil, fuel, trans fluid, etc).
You are a strange one. :p
A car is an appliance. When my Tv or refrigerator or laptop goes bad, I don’t call in a repairman. I throw them away and buy new (or used). I use the same philosophy with the appliances called cars.
 
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oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
Yep, that'll get expensive. Hopefully some day you'll figure it out. Otherwise, make lots of money, you'll need it! ;)
 

tikal

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If there was at least the 535d wagon less than 10 year old to consider but I doubt it can be even imported.


Nothing to see here, move on ... :-(
 

BeetlePD

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Yep, that'll get expensive. Hopefully some day you'll figure it out. Otherwise, make lots of money, you'll need it! ;)
It’s cheaper to junk a broken car and replace it witha used car for ~7000 dollars (and low 30 to 40,000 miles) than to spend 1000s of dollars replacing expensive Hybrid or emissions on an old car that is literally falling apart

Example: Instead of spending 1000s replacing my Civic Hybrid battery and other damaged components, I junked the car at 200,000+ miles. The replacement car was another Civic at only $7000 and just 35,000 miles (and not falling to pieces).
 

tditom

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It’s cheaper to junk a broken car and replace it witha used car for ~7000 dollars (and low 30 to 40,000 miles) than to spend 1000s of dollars replacing expensive Hybrid or emissions on an old car that is literally falling apart

Example: Instead of spending 1000s replacing my Civic Hybrid battery and other damaged components, I junked the car at 200,000+ miles. The replacement car was another Civic at only $7000 and just 35,000 miles (and not falling to pieces).
I would call it poetic justice for your timing belt to snap at 80001 miles.
You're out of your element on this site, which caters toward people who enjoy these cars and caring for them- and don't share your "cars are appliances" viewpoint.
 

MichaelB

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SE Wisconsin
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2014 Passat SE DSG
I would call it poetic justice for your timing belt to snap at 80001 miles.
You're out of your element on this site, which caters toward people who enjoy these cars and caring for them- and don't share your "cars are appliances" viewpoint.
You nailed that one right down squarely on the head.:cool:
He should also start making plans to junk his PD when the timing belt system fails or the cam is shot don't you think? I guess he is just one up on the rest of us eh?
 
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