95 Jetta Timing Belt ?

[Stang6595]

A year ago I bought a used Jetta to travel to and from work. I figured that it would be cheap on gas and as it turns out it has. What I did not figure on was how much I would grow to like the car, it has been well worth its price. When I decide to purchase my next new vehicle it will probably be a volkswagen (not made in Mexico). I bought the car with about 59k miles and have since put on 30k of my own. Tonight on my way home the engine quit on me. At first I thought it was low on gas but as I checked for spark I noticed that only one plug wire was firing. when I removed the distributer cap I found the rotor was not turning. Does this sound like the timing belt and if so what should I expect to pay to have it replaced ?

[boschmann]

Yes, it sounds like the belt has broke. Offically that is an interference engine (valves will hit the piston when the belt breaks) so you may have more damage than just the belt. However, I have seen plenty of 2.0 engines lose their timing belt & come out okay, without internal damage. I would go ahead & put on a new belt & see if it runs since it isn't too expensive (less than $200). Make sure they are familiar with VW, as I've seen a few belts put on improperly.