Dear Scotty
I was gifted a 2013 Jetta S several years ago. It was a company car . We drove a lot of mostly highway miles . Its a good little car . The body is still in very good shape. Not much rust at all. So economical to drive it . We want to keep it as long we can. Should I invest in a new timing belt and waterpump kit?
I have studied the videos on how to do it. I am a pretty good mechanic. (learned a lot from you). I understand the importance of getting the timing correct.
Do these timing belts last forever . Or do you think I should do the job , and change it out.
Thanks for all the great shows. Real big fan.
Daryl
Clarification: Which engine? What is the mileage?
2.0 L Gas Engine 180 k . I may have found my own answer just a few hours after this post. I found out that the 2013 Gas 2.0 L engines have a timing chain. Is that correct ?
Thanks for responding
@djphotoman - Why the down vote? Everybody is trying to help get you the right information.
@djphotoman I have the same car with the same engine, it's a timing belt engine. You are probably due for the timing belt anyway since you are at 180k miles.
When in doubt, change the timing belt. The 2.0L engine is an interference engine, meaning neglecting the timing belt will destroy the engine.
In general, the timing belt should be changed every 60k miles.
It does not have a timing belt, it has a timing chain and an accessory driving serpentine belt, @venator77
@Doc No, this car likely shares the same EA827 2.0L engine as my Jetta. You are probably thinking about the EA888 2.0L, which does have a timing chain. I'm talking about the 2.0L naturally aspirated EA827
@venator77 I guess until he tells us exactly what engine he has, I agree with you. Which engine does he have?
@Doc It's certainly not the EA888 2.0L since OP stated that his Jetta is an S trim, which is the bottom trim for that generation. And if the trim specs from car.com is accurate, then the only engine that's available is the EA827 2.0L since the 5 cyl is standard from SE trim and up.
The 1.8t wasn't available until 2014 and 1.4t wasn't available until 2016, after the mid-cycle facelift.
Change the belt, tensioner and idler pulley and the water pump at the same time. Timing belts do not last forever. You are probably referring to the serpentine belt, since your vehicle has a timing chain.
Diesel - 1.4L, 2.0L - timing belt
Gas - 1.8L, 2.0L, 2.5L - timing chain.
Next time you need a question answered, please provide the engine and transmission information as requested in the first paragraph.
You should not mix up the 2.0T in the Jetta GLI for the 2.0L 8v in the regular Mk6 Jetta. While they share displacement, they are very different mechanically.
This engine is a VW EA113, engine code AXA. (matches specs of 115PS @ 5,200RPM, 125 lb-ft @ 4,000RPM)
It's based on the older EA827 engines, outside of the US that modification was used on commercial vans.
It's timing belt-driven, people wrongly claim that these engines are "non-interference" - but this one bends it's valves.
but please verify, It's almost impossible to know for sure.
If you want to keep the car for a long time, replace the timing belt -
when the belt will brake chances are the engine is going to be totaled.
importance of getting the timing correct
It's not about correcting timing, this engine doesn't even have VVT for that - it's about the engine not blowing up.
A timing belt replacement has little to do with 'getting the timing correct',
If you have a chain (you don't) it can stretch and cause incorrect timing, belts (like your car) snap and total the car.
Do these timing belts last forever
The manual clearly tells you the replacement interval, on European cars it's usually between 37.5k miles (Renualt K-series) and 150k miles (Ford "FOX" EcoBOOM engine, belts often snapped before then but in some cases it was cheaper to get a new engine than what the dealer charged for the work) - on 90% of euro cars it's 65k - 75k miles OR 7-8 years.
In the case of an 8 valve Jetta - the recommended interval is usually 75,000 miles.
CHECK YOUR CAR'S MANUAL.
Or do you think I should do the job
If you were unsure wether timing belts last forever, I think you should leave it to a professional.
Prices for a replacement range from $300 - $1,000 with labour, on VW belt replacements usually not that expensive.
@dan - Thanks for clearing that up. Very confusing.
@dan The recommended interval for the timing belt is actually 60k miles according to my owner's manual.
Perhaps this finally sheds some light: the gentleman below has a 2013 VW Jetta with the 2.0L gasoline engine, and shows how to replace the timing belt:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EDhoRwnnuxQ
