Repair And Fix it

The Volkswagen (VW) belt tensioner pulley tightens the serpentine belt that turns the engine accessories, such as the air-conditioning compressor and water pump. The newer model VWs have an automatic tensioner pulley that tightens the serpentine belt as it stretches, but the older model VWs have a tensioner pulley that needs to be adjusted. The tensioner pulley shows symptoms when it is going out or requiring replacement.

Serpentine Belt Squealing

The VW belt tensioner pulley can become too tight or too weak, allowing the serpentine belt to wear prematurely or slip under normal operating conditions. The belt begins to squeal when the tensioner pulley is not tight enough, causing the engine to overheat because the water pump is not operating efficiently. This symptom can be caused by the tensioner pulley spring, which weakens over time and does not place enough tension on the belt. The serpentine belt can also begin to run too hot and prematurely fail. The tensioner pulley needs to be replaced when these symptoms occur.

Engine Overheats

The engine in the VW can overheat when there is a problem with the belt tensioner pulley. This symptom is caused by corrosion building up on the tensioner pulley that does not allow the pulley to adjust the serpentine belt. When corrosion builds up, the pulley becomes jammed or does not rotate, causing the serpentine belt to stretch and loosen on the engine accessories. The corrosion does not allowing the pulley to adjust to the stretched belt, creating the water pump problem. This corrosion is generally caused by road debris and dampness splashing onto the tensioner pulley. Proper lubrication of the tensioner pulley periodically can prevent this corrosion build-up.

Dead Battery

Another symptom of a VW belt tensioner pulley going bad is the battery not charging properly. A failing tensioner pulley does not provide enough tension on the serpentine belt, preventing the alternator from recharging the battery. The loose serpentine belt does not allow the alternator to turn fast enough to charge the battery, and the battery can quit working or fail to provide enough charge to the ignition and electrical system to start the engine. The tensioner pulley needs to be replaced or inspected when the serpentine belt is replaced to ensure that the tensioner pulley keeps operating efficiently.

The VR6 family of engines is a series of six-cylinder engines that Volkswagen Group has manufactured since 1991. These engines appear in a variety of Volkswagen cars, such as the Volkswagen Golf, new Beetle and Passat. The VR6 engines have staggered cylinders within the cylinder block and only require one cylinder head for all six cylinders. The removal of the cylinder head from a VR6 engine requires you to replace its gasket.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cables from the battery terminals with a socket wrench and remove the battery from the vehicle. Remove the air cleaner, mass air flow sensor and air inlet duct from the intake manifold.

2

Open the cap on the radiator, and place a drain pan below the drain plug under the intake manifold. Open the drain plug with a socket wrench and allow the coolant to drain into the pan. Replace the drain plug.

3

Remove the trim cover from the engine with a socket wrench. Disconnect the distributor cap from the vehicle with the ignition wires still attached. Detach the throttle cable from the intake manifold and disconnect the upper intake manifold from the engine block. Remove the fuel lines and electrical connectors from the fuel injectors. Detach the coolant hoses from the engine block with a socket wrench.

4

Screw an 8 x 10 mm bolt into the tensioner for the accessory drive belt to relieve the tension on the drive belt. Remove the drive belt from its pulleys and unscrew the bolt from the tensioner. Disconnect the alternator and the tensioner for the accessory drive belt.

5

Remove the heat shield from both exhaust manifolds with a socket wrench and disconnect the exhaust manifolds from the engine. Disconnect the mounting bolt from the cover of the timing chain and remove the timing chain cover. Remove the cover from the cylinder head and turn the crankshaft clockwise to align its timing marks. Mark the timing chain with white paint to indicate its direction of rotation.

6

Hold each camshaft in place with a 24 mm wrench and disconnect the camshaft sprockets from the camshafts with a socket wrench. Remove the cylinder head bolts from the cylinder head and lift the cylinder head from the engine block.

7

Remove the cylinder head gasket from the engine block. Clean any traces of the gasket from the cylinder head and engine block with a gasket scraper. Mount the new gasket onto the engine block with the word "TOP" facing up. Place the cylinder head over the dowels on the engine block.

8

Fasten new mounting bolts to the cylinder head by hand. Tighten the bolts to 30 foot-pounds with a torque wrench on the first pass, then tighten them to 44 foot-pounds on the second pass. Tighten the bolts by 1/4 turn on the third pass, then tighten them an additional 1/4 turn on the fourth pass.

9

Turn the crankshaft clockwise to align its timing marks again and lock the camshafts in place with special tool 3268. Mount the camshaft sprockets with the timing chain to the camshafts and fasten the mounting bolts for the sprockets with a 24 mm wrench. Mount the distributor drive on the camshaft and tighten the mounting bolts for the camshaft sprockets to 74 foot-pounds.

10

Connect the timing chain tensioner and the upper cover for the timing chain temporarily. Remove special tool 3268 from the camshafts and turn the crankshaft four complete turns clockwise. Tighten the mounting bolts for the upper timing chain cover to 82 inch-pounds with a torque wrench. Tighten the mounting bolt for the tensioner to 15 foot-pounds.

11

Replace the cover for the cylinder head with a socket wrench. Install the intake manifold and exhaust manifolds to 18 foot-pounds with a torque wrench. Attach the drive belt for the alternator belt and adjust its tension with the belt tensioner. Connect the coolant hoses to the engine block. Install the electrical connectors and fuel lines for the fuel injectors.

12

Install the upper intake manifold to the engine block with a socket wrench. Connect any electrical wiring and vacuum lines that you removed from the upper intake manifold. Attach the throttle cable and distributor cap assembly to the upper intake manifold. Replace the trim cover for the engine.

13

Install the battery, and attach the cables to the battery with a socket wrench. Fill the radiator with coolant. Replace the oil and oil filter.

Volkswagen and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a 2009 recall of 16,000 vehicles due to transmission problems. NHTSA began investigating the issue after hearing reports of power loss in 2009 and 2010 Volkswagen vehicles with DSG automatic transmissions.

Affected Vehicles and Reason for Recall

On August 20, 2009, Volkswagen and the NHTSA recalled Audi A3, Audi TT, Audi TT Roadster, Volkswagen EOS, Volkswagen GTI, Volkswagen Jetta and Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen vehicles manufactured between September 2008 and August 2009. According to the NHTSA, the wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the vehicles direct shift gearbox could contain insufficiently crimped connector wires.

Risk

The improperly crimped wires could cause a temperature sensor to make a false detection of a high gearbox oil temperature, which could abruptly shift the transmission into neutral. In this case, the selector level position indicator within the instrument panel would flash and the "Depress Brake Pedal" indicator light would come on to tell the driver to brake, potentially causing a crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen notified registered vehicle owners of the recall by mail and, beginning on October 20, 2009, began offering free repairs. The NHTSA ordered dealers to reprogram the transmission control module with updated software free of charge. Concerned vehicle owners may contact the NHTSA or Volkswagen with questions.

Replacing the engine oil in your Volkswagen VR6 with the appropriate engine oil weight is important to maintain proper engine function. The type of oil you use depends on the weather. Oil that functions well in southern Texas may not be appropriate for winters in New England. By taking into account the temperature and information from your owners manual, you can determine the best oil to use in your car.

Temperature Considerations

Temperature should be a primary consideration when choosing engine oil. If you are going to operate your car at temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, choose an engine oil with a first weight of 10 or lower (e.g. 10W30, 10W40). If you are going to operate your engine above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, use an engine oil in which the second number is at least 50 (e.g. 10W50, 20W50).

Manufacturer Recommendations

VW recommends engine oil meeting Volkswagens "502.00" engine oil standard. Many oils meet the quality standards for Volkswagens 502.00 standard.

Approved Oils

Before purchasing oil, check the bottle or manufacturers website to make sure the oil conforms to Volkswagens standard. If you have any questions, contact your local Volkswagen dealer.

The VW Passat is a four-door sedan that comes with a manual or automatic transmission. If your VW Passat will not start properly, it might be a problem with the starter. The starter on your Passat sends an electrical signal from the battery to the engine when the key is engaged in the ignition. You can test the starter with minimal automotive knowledge and little hassle.

Instructions

1

Park your VW Passat on a flat surface. Engage the emergency brake to secure the car from rolling. Make a note of the security code for your Passats radio. You can find this in the owners manual.

2

Open the hood and use a wrench to disconnect the black cable from the battery on the right side of the engine. Go under the car and check for the engine shield. Use a wrench to remove the shield if your car has one (some models do not use an engine shield).

3

Pull the shield out from under the car and locate the starter. The starter is located on the right side of the engines bottom. Disconnect the red cable from the car battery, then connect the red and black leads from your voltmeter to the starters red and black wires going to the battery.

4

Look at the instrument display for a reading. If you do not get a 12-volt reading, you either need to replace the starter or the battery. Test the battery terminals with your voltmeter and replace the battery if needed.

Headliner, or the piece of fabric along the top of the interior of a car, can sometimes become undone, sag and come down inside the vehicle, making it distracting when driving and generally unattractive. When this happens inside a Volkswagon Jetta there are a number of different techniques you can use to replace or reattach this headliner with glue.

Metal to Fabric Glue

When reattaching a small section of headliner, make sure the glue you use works to connect metal to fabric effectively. Most heavy-duty super glues will do this effectively, but make sure you are not wasting your money on something that wont hold up over time. Spread this heavy-duty glue around the edges of the ceiling of the automobile in order to attach the cloth to the metal frame of the Volkswagon itself. Hold it in place for a minute or two to make sure it is going to stick, wiping away any extra glue that squeezes out so that it doesnt get on the interior of your car.

Spray Glue

Using spray glue is a good way to totally replace the headliner in your Volkswagon Jetta in a quick and efficient manner. Remove all of the foam and headliner material from the ceiling of the car and lay it out on a clean workspace surface. Spray the headliner with glue and wrap cloth, felt or replacement headliner over the structure which holds the headliner to the ceiling of the car. The part which attaches to the headliner material can then be reinstalled on the ceiling with the new headliner attached.

Allow Glue Ventilation

When doing any of these headliner repairs or replacements in your Volkswagon Jetta using glue, make sure there is proper ventilation within the car, by opening the sun roof or rolling the windows down. Not only will it help the glue to dry and hold the headliner in place faster, but it will also allow you to breathe easier, so youre not inhaling noxious fumes which come from most glues, especially spray glues. Wear a mask to keep from inhaling airborne toxins.

When Volkswagen designed the radio enclosure system for the 2000 Jetta, they created a unique retaining system that allowed the radio to be removed without having to dismantle the entire dashboard. This system is comprised of locking tabs on the back of the radio and two slots on the front of the radio. When special tools are inserted into each slot on the front of the radio, the locking tabs disengage, allowing the radio to move out of the dashboard.

Instructions

Removal

1

Obtain the anti-theft lock code for the radio, before turning proceeding with the radio removal. If you cant find your lock code, youll need to contact your local Volkswagen service department and they can provide you with a code.

2

Turn off the ignition and take out the key. Insert each special tool into the radio opening slots and press them down at the same time until they disengage the radio retaining tabs.

3

Pull on the loopholes built into the special tools to remove the radio from the dashboard. Make sure to pull the radio straight out of the opening; dont twist it or tilt the tools.

4

Disconnect the radios electrical connectors. Remove the special tools from the radio by releasing the locking tabs on each side of the radio.

Installation

5

Reconnect the radios electrical connectors and set the radio into position in the radio dashboard slot.

6

Press the radio down into the dashboard until its fully-seated and you hear the locking tabs engage.

7

Power the radio on and uses the number buttons on the front of the radio to input your security code.

8

Press and hold the right side of the Seek button for two seconds to confirm the code.

9

Power on the radio and test it to make sure it works properly.