When should I change the timing belt on my 2003 Golf with a 2.0 engine?
Car has 74,000 miles. Do these ever break on Golfs?

Do you think its safe to wait to 100,000 miles? Or should I change this
now?

thanks,
TL

What does your owner's manual specify as the replacement interval?

"Tom Levigne" <toml37 (AT) excite (DOT) com> wrote

Tom Levigne wrote:
Yes they do break and it almost always is sometime not too long past the
scheduled replacement time. Look in your owner's manual and it will tell
you when to replace it. If fact you will find a lot of interesting things
in that manual. It's cold and dark these days, a good time to spend an
evening reading the manual.

If you don't have a manual try google, eBay or the dealer.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 05:16:50 GMT, "Tom Levigne" <toml37 (AT) excite (DOT) com> wrote:

to see if you can tell if the water pump or a bearing is starting to show wear?
Do you start the car with the air conditioner in the on position?
Do you drive in conditions of extremes - hot and or cold and smog?
Is your engine going to be fixed for free if it breaks?
That 104,000 mile replacemnet of the belt suggestion is if all the other preventive
maintenances have been done.

Does your car have an interference engine? In case you don't know what an
interference engine is, it is an engine that will destroy itself if it gets
out of time (the valves will strike the top of the pistons). A broken belt
results in the engine being out of time.

So for an interference engine, it is imperative that the belt be in good
condition. A rule of thumb is to replace the belt every 60,000 miles.

For non-interference engines, a broken belt will leave you stranded, but at
least the engine will still be OK.

Tom Levigne wrote:

Yes, I understand what type of engine I own and I refer to the owner's
manual regularly.
Thank you but I was just looking for some actual experience that people may
have had.



"Papa" <bikingis (AT) my (DOT) fun> wrote

My 2003 manual suggests that I am to inspect the timing belt and
rollers at 80,000 mile. Replacement at 100,000 miles. The timing belt
looked ok when I replaced it. Idler rollers were a bit noisy but they
were part of the replacement parts kit. I happen to have a tdi which
may have a different service inspection and replacement schedule from
yours. No, I have not had a timing belt break in 20 years of water
cooled VWs. I replace as scheduled. I guess I have about 400,000 miles
of watercooled VW driving in three different cars.


On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 17:28:40 GMT, "Tom Levigne" <toml37 (AT) excite (DOT) com>
wrote:

"Tom Levigne" <toml37 (AT) excite (DOT) com> wrote

You mean the "experience" of a destroyed engine, and/or the "experience" of
installing a belt after it breaks? Common sense, as one other poster has
already stated, should be your guide. Re-read your owners manual. The
suggested time for replacing belts is there. Stretch that time out, and you
will probably pay some expensive consequences.

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:18:48 +0000, al <acickx111 (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

2003 manual which is supposed to cover the 2.0L engine along with a
slew of other engines. I looked twice and could not see the service
interval for that engine's timing belt. I have a tdi which I see along
with 6 cylinder negines and the 1.8t. Am I blind? Well I know the
answer to that question but is it another typo/ommision?