2015 Jetta TDI(2l.) interference diesel, Timing Belt Snapped at 128,000 kms.
My question is, since this is, supposedly, an interference engine, why was there no damage internally? We parked at Costco, engine was running perfect, came out and it did not start. Towed to dealer, they changed dead battery, tried to start it-no luck, so after inspection they discovered problem. Changed water pump and belt, and it fired up as usual. 1500 kms. later runs flawless. (No codes?) Asked service how this is possible, and was told I got lucky. Then handed me a bill for $3200.. By the way, I have the 'dieselgate extended warranty until approx. 261,000 kms. Belt shows absolutely no wear, cracks, etc.. By the way, If VW of Canada does not reimburse, I'm taking them to small claims court.Hey, I'm 77 and retired. Truly love all your posts. thanks...
why was there no damage internally?
like they said... lucky. The valves must have stopped in the up position.
If you were driving down the interstate at high speed instead of low-speed operation in a parking lot when the belt broke it would very likely have been a different story. With luck like that you should be buying lottery tickets!
If VW of Canada does not reimburse, I'm taking them to small claims court
Good luck. I'm sure the owners manual states you should change the timing belt.
ye it does, at 195,000 kms. and---here is the oddity, On the gas engine it says, in the manual, to inspect at 90,000, replace if need, then inspect at 90,000 again,but if not replaced then keep inspecting at every 30,000. on the TDI, absolutely no mention of inspecting it at all. Asked service and they said cuz it's a lifetime belt. I guess it ws, until it snapped.
By the way, I have the 'dieselgate extended warranty until approx. 261,000 kms. Belt shows absolutely no wear, cracks, etc.. By the way, If VW of Canada does not reimburse, I'm taking them to small claims court.
Good luck with that. Timing belt changes are regular maintenance and would not normally be covered by warranty or be eligible for reimbursement unless maybe it was an original factory belt that failed before the recommended replacement interval. Check the terms of the warranty carefully.
I did check warranty, and it clearly states that the coverage extends to 'the long block assembly'. Which to me, means pistons, valves, timing chain or belt, etc.
You most likely broke your timing belt when you attempted to restart the car, and you were lucky enough to have all of the valves in almost perfect alignment so the pistons didn't hit the valves. You were quite lucky, actually. Valves rotate at 2x engine speed, and the pistons fire once just before every Top Dead Center, which means they fire at every 360⁰. You hit that sweet spot where all of the valves were either closed or just partly open. I'm with @chucktobias. You should play the lottery, that doesn't happen often, lol.
Wait...$3200 to replace timing belt and water pump, and it had no damage from the belt breaking?
Must be because I don't know much about diesel, but if it had no damage, why would it not be costing no more than maybe $1000?
If the water pump is internally driven by the crankshaft and not a serpentine belt, that explains it. They almost always need to take the engine out of the car to replace the water pump and timing belt, which costs a lot to do.
I did check warranty, and it clearly states that the coverage extends to 'the long block assembly'. Which to me, means pistons, valves, timing chain or belt, etc.
It doesn't really matter what it means to you. What matters is what it means to the warranty provider. Timing belts are a wear item requiring periodic replacement. Typically a warranty will not cover wear items. Check the fine print, or ask them.