what happens if timing belt breaks on wife's car??

[MikeHill]

My wife has a 98 Cabrio 2.0. The local VW dealer would love to replace the timing belt for $1100. With this engine what happens when it breaks? If it would just stop running I'm going to wait, but if all manner of chaos would ensue then I guess I'll find someone to replace the timing belt.

Thanks.
_________________
77 bus, 2.7 liter Corvair/PowerGlide

[DaveM]

If it is an 'interferance' motor, a broken timing belt can cause some problems if valves are open and pistons hit them and will cost you more than 1100 in the long run. 1100 does seem kinda steep but then again, I got raped by a Firestone shop last fall when my water pump went out on a Sunday morning in my 93 eurovan and cost me over $800. The local shop I take it to normally said it should have cost around 600 or less.
_________________
Sounding like a broken record as to why You should be measuring protein during harvest in order to better your agronomic practices.

[mike yapps]

I'm sure they would like to replace the timing belt for $1100
I wouldn't put it off, I'd get it done, but elsewhere. It doesn't cost THAT much to do it.

[Glenn]

The belt on my wife's 91 Passat 2.0l 16v broke. It had 7 bent intake valves and one broken. The repair bill came to $3800.

BTW.. .the belt was replaced at 60k and broke at 78k. VWoA told me 12 months/12k miles and they would not help.

The dealer gave me 25% off.

That's the way VW treated a 35 year customer. And since then i've owned 3 Honda with my wife's 03 needing two repairs past the warranty period. Honda fixed them both for free.

They now have my loyalty.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[MikeHill]

I guess a new timing belt is on my list of "fun" ways to help spend my "economic stimulus" check. I found a local guy who said he'd replace the belt for $600. I'll be damned if I'm giving VWoA $1100.
_________________
77 bus, 2.7 liter Corvair/PowerGlide

[glutamodo]

Well, it's not VWoA you're paying, it's your local business that is franchised under VWoA. Still I see where you're coming from.

But really, 1100 bucks for a timing belt job??? Its been like 7 years since I was a full-time mechanic but that job can't be that bad - that's just an 8-valve engine right? I did a timing belt on a 98 Jetta 2.0 that I bought for a friend of mine and I don't think it was no $1100 job. Even 600 seems a bit high, but inflation has really jumped since I worked on them.

[oasis]

It was $670 for my daughter's Jetta -- also an ABA engine. There were other little things, too. So, $600 is quite reasonable.

$1,100 sounds more like a timing belt for a TDI.

Anyway, don't put it off. I have heard horror stories.
_________________
Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI

[Keith]

[HeidelbergJohn4.0]

And the dealers wonder why people don't want to use them for service? They want $145 for the oil changes for my W8.
_________________
71 LWB Manx style dunebuggy
71 Beetle
71 Volksrod
Machette Speedster
2012 Passat TDI SE (sadly sitting in a buyback parking lot somewhere waiting for it's heart to be ripped out.)

[Kelley]

[HeidelbergJohn4.0]

[/quote]

Ovalteen, I love your sig line. So true, so true.

I swear the commonwealth must heavily invest in monroe or gabriel or something. They never met a hill they couldn't pave over or a tree they couln't go around either.
_________________
71 LWB Manx style dunebuggy
71 Beetle
71 Volksrod
Machette Speedster
2012 Passat TDI SE (sadly sitting in a buyback parking lot somewhere waiting for it's heart to be ripped out.)

[Thomas the 66 fastback]

Get the timing belt replaced ASAP, my wife’s car 99 passat 1.8T had the timing belt slip and when I removed the head I discovered that all valves were bent and caused damage to the piston tops. It now sits in our garage because I can’t afford a new engine. I am seriously considering parting out the car. Anybody need parts?

[paxilill]

$1100 I replaced the timing belt, complete waterpump, thermostat and tensioner in my 1995 Jetta with a 2.0 in three hours while working in the street. I think the parts from autohauz were under $200.

That also included me changing the oil and flushing the coolant.

[oasis]

[1970vwv]

Wow! I'm thinking of becoming an vw mechanic!$1100 for an less then 1 hr job?

[wheelman21]

replace it....if it goes, you are going to wish you did. It cost around $900 for the job on my 1.8 TT, and that was at an independant that charges $35-40 less pr hour than the stealership.