Found a Beetle - a couple of questions

[Mac626]

Well, I found one for $6900 and we got it for my daughter. It is a 1998 TDI. The interior and exterior are in beautiful shape. The engine and transmission seem fine and it has 117K miles on it. The dealer said that he replaced the MAF sensor and one of the injectors. It has passed its emmission test (in a county where the test is the strictest in Texas).

I noticed that when I depress the clutch I can feel a sort of pulsing which stops as soon as the clutch is engaged. I haven't driven any other standard Beetles so I was wondering if this is normal. It doesn't seem to affect anything, but I just found it different from the clutch on my Ranger so I thought I would ask about it.

Also, is there any way to determine (by inspection) if the timing belt was changed previously? Anyone have any idea what it would cost to have this one replaced by a mechanic as a precaution?

Thanks,

Mac626

[veedubmechanic]

Thats a normal clutch feel for a clutch on a TDI. But normally only felt when the clutch is old (98 is old and problably worn out).
If the clutch still engages dont replace it. Not a big deal.

If you can hear squeeking or rubbing noises on the belt side of the engine then replace the t-belt and associated rollers/tensioners/w-pump.
You can remove the top engine cover and the timing belt cover and pull the belt cover back and look at the belt. If the belt is cracked any replace asap.

T-belt jobs are normally about $1000 w/o a water pump. Its soo high because labor is about $500 and parts are the rest. There are alot of rollers that the belt runs on to keep it tight that need 2 be replaced when the belt/tensioner are replaced.

[Mac626]

Originally Posted by veedubmechanic

Thats a normal clutch feel for a clutch on a TDI. But normally only felt when the clutch is old (98 is old and problably worn out). If the clutch still engages dont replace it. Not a big deal.

Great, I won't worry about it then. It shifts tight and the clutch does not slip at all.

Originally Posted by veedubmechanic

If you can hear squeeking or rubbing noises on the belt side of the engine then replace the t-belt and associated rollers/tensioners/w-pump. You can remove the top engine cover and the timing belt cover and pull the belt cover back and look at the belt. If the belt is cracked any replace asap.

No squeaking right now, but I will do the inspection to be sure.

Originally Posted by veedubmechanic

T-belt jobs are normally about $1000 w/o a water pump. Its soo high because labor is about $500 and parts are the rest. There are alot of rollers that the belt runs on to keep it tight that need 2 be replaced when the belt/tensioner are replaced.

Wow. I did check on the parts cost for this already and saw they were $340 (diesel geek site parts list) so I assumed the replacement (including those parts) would be in the $700-$900 range - so I was about right there, but damn.

Thanks very much for your advice and expertise. I doubt I can do this job myself, so now I need to go out and find a mechanic. Are there any special certifications I should look for, or do I just locate a foreign car mechanic that says he works on VWs? I usually avoid dealerships because of bad experiences in the past.