2.0 TDI Passat B6 timing belt change

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, just picked up my first ever VW last weekend so I thought I'd join the forum!

I got a 2006 VW Passat, 2.0 TDI with 77k miles on the clock for a good price, but I am aware that it has not had it's timing belt changed so I will need to do that ASAP.

I'm looking at my options at the moment as I would like to keep it as cheap as possible without compromising on the quality of the job. I don't have enough experience or tools to pull it off myself so it will have to be done by either VW or another garage.

I'm wondering if there is any benefit to buying the parts myself and giving them to a good garage to install (if they will even do it). I've seen a few deals online and it looks like I can get the pump and belt for under £200.

This brings me to another question. Is there any benefit in spending a bit more on a "higher performance" timing belt and water pump kit?

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

Any oil pump attention to the BKP ?

Best get the cambelt waterpump kit done as a job lot as any failure is two way blamed as parts fault or labour fitting fault.

The advantage to buying your timing belt kit from VW spares is that you get a one year warranty on the parts
The advantage to getting your time belt kit fitted at a VW dealership is = " = ditto on the labour

Do not get your timing belt changed at just any old garage. Syd Snott Motors in Freemantle somewhere might be alright for a difficult to get to but simple fault. But they would probably just use Tippex marks for your old current alignments, which would include the stretch and wear on the old belt. Special VW locking tools are needed.
A VW indie is the best compromise between Syd Snott and a dealership. Check to see if they're really a VW experienced indie. Ask them what diagnostics they use. If they say VAS or VCDS then they should be knowledgeable. If neither or just some old code reader, look elsewhere
Often a dealer will price match a VW indie on labour. But a dealer will only use their own-supplied parts

Water pump is an exchange item giving (AFAICR) some £30 in return for the old item if it's genuine OEM. Coolant should be flushed out and changed too. There's peace of mind in going to a metal impeller water pump (I use Geba from Germany) But finding them over here is difficult. And you won't get the £30 trade in on your old one that way.

Change the large outside Serpentine belt

Sounds as if there's been no major maintenance done on this car in it's 77k miles' life. So, if an auto have the ATF and filter changed. For both DSG and Tiptronic it's every 40k miles.
Have the brake fluid flushed out and changed. Should be every two years irrespective of mileage. Not DOT 4 or 5. But the correct VW spec

When was oil last changed? With filter -- Mann do them. Use fully synthetic oil meeting VW504 spec
Air filter and charcoal cabin filter. These can be done yourself with Manns too.

As Gaz says, do get your oil pump changed first. Not just the key, but the whole pump kit from such as KMB. Ask them for a known fitter of their kit in the Soton area. Then, and only then, can you press ahead with the above items

The dealer I bought the car from did a service just before I bought the car (about 1000 miles ago now), in which they have ticked:
Oil change service, interval service inspection, and "LongLife engine oil used".

Previous service was at 69k miles and 12 months earlier, in which oil was changed along with oil filter, air filter and fuel filter.
Before that it seems like pretty much every year / 9000 miles they previous owner had the those bits done, and brake fluid was done 2 years ago so it's time now.

Strangely enough the "toothed belt" is ticked as having been replaced at 36k miles, just over 5 years ago. I'm guessing it may have been changed due to age rather than milage? Either way it's been 5 years so from my understanding it needs changing again?

Forgive me for my ignorance as I have only previously owned a couple of motorcycles and a 2002 Citroen ****heap, but I didn't quite understand what you meant when you started talking about the water pump and oil pump.

Do you mean that I can trade in my current pump for another one at a discount? And why do I need to change oil pump? They look pretty pricey!


Car is manual by the way :)

The oil pump is a known failure item on earlier Passats with PD series engines
And even some early CR series engines on later Passats. It's because the hex key oil pump drive shaft and key way are an imperfect fit. A design fault that VW won't own up to.
Over a period of time the key gets rounded off and so slips in the key way until it's hardly moving so giving low then none oil pressure.
This catastrophy waiting to happen that leads to total engine write off is compounded by the oil pressure switch only telling you that you've got little if none oil presssure at ½ bar. One of the reasons I fitted an oil pressure gauge to my 2.0L tFSI even though on the petrol engines the oil pump's a completely different design. On none of the VW engines is the oil pressure monitored by a gauge in real time. Even with all of VW's CANbus electronic trickery. Only a binary yes you've got over ½ bar pressure or no you've not :( Duh :zx11:
It's not a VW replacement part. But a kit available from KMB and others. Tell them your engine code (three letters starting with a "B") and year and KMB will tell you what kit to get and where locally you'll be able to have the job done -- or the TDi experts in here will chip in and tell more --

Yes, change your Serpentine belt. There is a tensioner on it. But for the cost why not? Check your price on this item.
This can be an aftermarket one as VW spares price was £30-odd when I had mine changed coz my indie found a nick in my old one when doing another job

The water pump's an exchange item when you have it changed out when you have your cambelt job done. VW's price is some £66 with a £30-odd rebate when your old one's returned. Old one must be a genuine VW component, not an aftermarket item (which do not buy anyway) Years ago there was a manufacturing defect (yes, another one) with VW water pumps' then new style plastic impellers breaking up. So VW started this replacement scheme for their own. And to defeat the cheeepo Chinese fakes that'd come in all in VW-looking official cartons. Your new one will have an "X" at the end of its part number indicating rebuilt to VW's specs.

Five years ago, just after having my cambelt and water pump changed, was at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Met with Geba on their stand as they were clearing down and they gave me one for my engine as they were doing a promo then. But their prices for metal impeller are ½ as much again as VW's with old pump trade in price +p&p +VAT, all in € :1zhelp:

Thanks for all the info, it's much appreciated!
So basically spending some cash on the oil pump is an insurance policy so I don't write off the car in the next few years..

If I get one of those KMB pumps and get if fitted at one of their garages, are they expensive on the labour in general?

So let's say I do the timing belt, oil pump, water pump, brake fluid and serpentine belt.. How much is this all likely to cost me as an estimate? And if I did do all those things would the car be likely to last me the next 4 years at 20k / year?

A rough rule of thumb is belt & water pump is £300 to £350 including auxillary belt


Don't know about oil pump prices, you could try a VW indy specialist for a quote . I wouldn't muck about with the belt

I'm only suggesting you ask KMB as they're a serious engineering firm AFAICT from what others in here and UK Passats forum have posted.
It's not a KMB shop or even agent nearest to you your seeking -- just ask them for a firm local to you who's bought kit from them -- they'll know what the fitting scene is having done some before.

This is the priority as I see it: oil pump; timing belt with water pump (with coolant flush thru) and serpentine belt; brake fluid (get them to advise what your pad wear is). Niall's right though about the belt -- 77k without a change is a bit too far. I didn't do mine until 55k so have max only another 10k to get mine done the second time.