Hello all. I have a 1999.5 Jetta with the the A engine and After I took the car to VW to get the brake light switch recall repaired they told me I need to replace the Timing belt. They want $750 to replace it. Has anyone had any experience changing these? I have changed the timing belt on my old 95 ford probe and kept the timing right with marking the teeth positions, but I just recently bought the Jetta and havent been able to look into it too much. I just know that if they are messed up the whole engine will be screwed. Is this replace as easy as most?

 

It is a very intense job. That's why it's so expensive. Just take off the timing belt cover and look for any cracks or other signs of wear. The width limit is 22mm. Mine is at 22 it's just such a big job I haven't done it yet.

 

take it to a idependent vw shop shouldnt be more than 400 with a waterpump

 

The funniest thing is, the parts (Belt, tensioner, water pump, and thermostat) are right around $100-$120. It IS a big job though, because the new belt needs to go on EXACTLY the way the old one came off. Might as well replace the water pump and thermostat while you're in there too.
Don't know what labor costs are in your area, but a competent tech should give you some peace of mind on a difficult fix like this...

 

oh boy. i feel your pain. i was supossed to change mine 5k miles ago. lol the quote i got for my 2000 jetta 4banger was $1,180. like that other guy said... the parts are cheap but the job has to be done perfectly. if one of the pulleys is moved even a little bit it can do some real damage to your engine. this guy at a shop wanted to charge me 480 dollars but i'm not gonna take that chance. gonna go in and have it changed on friday as well as the tranny fluid. here in the santa cruz, CA are is $130 an hour at the volkswagen delearships. YIKES!

Danny