'00 Passat V6 - timing belt at 80k miles?

Go with what VW says, not the dealer... Timing belt is expensive (plus the tensioner, and probably the water pump while they are down there) and if it's still good, and meant to last until 105K, why waste your money (get to check it tho, for sure).... I wish my TDI could go that long, I have to change every 60K KMs.

Perhaps there is good reason to have your belt changed early that the dealer knows about, but I would think even 105K Miles is a very conservative number as VW doesn't want engines breaking due to snapped belts.

I had this same choice with my Accord. The manual stated 90K for the change but the dealer recommended 90K OR 6 years whichever came first. The reason behind this was the factory assumed 15K per year as an average usage; hence, 90K/15K = 6. The dealer had seen NO failures before 6 years but had seen failures before 90K miles.

I had mine changed at 6 years and the belt looked brand new. No advice, just a data point.

Jack

1-If you are the first owner and it breaks before 10years/100,000 miles then it's FREE! 2- Then figure you will be without the VW to drive for a week, maybe longer 3-Open your hood and look for a small red tag just above the radiator. My 99 GLX Passat has one and it states to replace the t-belt at 75,000miles. I know later cars the tag was missing. 4- So it's a gamble on what you want to do. Do it now and pay today's pricing or wait and see what happens. 5-But if it doesn't break by 99,999.9 miles better get it done or figure $1500+ for repairs when it does break. 6-I would do the t-belt, tension rollers, waterpump all the same time.

I never could figure why VW states 105,000miles when the early cars had a sticker stating 75,000miles?

Yes the early 1.8t's had problems with the tensioners coming apart. Audi had the same issue. As of yet I haven't seen any changes with the V6 engine.

In that case I say don't replace it now. Replace it at 100000.1 miles.

Is the v6 an interference engine?

If so, I'd get it replaced pretty much on VW's recomendations. An interference engine will be pretty much destroyed if the belt goes while driving it.

Mike

Yes it is!

I just had my t-belt done on my '99 1.8T with 90,000 on it. I had VW do the work, I didn't want to use the whole weekend to do the job myself. I asked them to save the belt, because I wanted to take a look on how it wore. To my surprise it was not in bad shape. Even when you bent it backwards it did not split. I think I cold have gotten 100,000 out of it with no problem, but I hated to think of the mess I would have if it did snap. Valves and pistons do not get along when they are slammed against each other. To my knowledge, VW will not give you a new motor, they will rebuild the old one. Not a great deal in my eyes. Good luck, and change the belt at 90,000.

Weldon Cimbrik '99 Passat 1.8T 5spd '99 Beetle 2.0 5spd

As of yet I have never seen piston damage to date. But, smart move to get it done early.

Apparently either the belts are better or the tensioners are better in a way that makes the belts last longer. The "official" timing belt life has gotten longer on TDI's too. The suggested interval on my '04 TDI is

100K miles, while for older ones it is something like 60K.

There is more to it than just the belt breaking. Before it breaks it stretches, then it can slip teeth or slip off and get caught. The tensioner can't compensate for all the stretch.