newb* another belt question

[Matts95TSiAWD]

i just recently aquired a 95 tsi awd, its a really sweet ride- the belt that turns the cam gears seems loose or like it is rattling; is this common? could it be the tensioner? - and i just realized the power locks arent working and the horn is out, are these things typical?

thanks

 

[doug]

The belt that turns the cam gears is the timing belt; if it's loose when the engine is cold, that's normal. If it's loose after the engine gets hot, that's may be a problem but it's not necessarily the end of the world. Yes, it could be the tensioner. If you don't know how long it's been since that belt has been changed, change it-- it's recommended that you change it every 60,000 miles, and a broken timing belt usually IS the end of the world, at least for your engine. Also this is a good time to replace the water pump, since they only last about 80K miles anyway and you'll already be "in the neighborhood".

 

[Matts95TSiAWD]

thanks.