1.8L AEB Timing Issues..Timing Belt Off??? sorry post is a little lengthy

[98vwpassat]

Okay, I will try to keep this as short as I can....first of all its a '98 Passat with the 1.8L Turbo...engine code AEB.

Timing belt failed due to failure of the tenioner. Bent all 8 exhaust valves. Took the head off and had it done. Bought a updated timing belt kit for the engine to install after I got the head back.

Everything went pretty smooth. Head went on good, no question there. Got to the timing belt and I noticed that I couldn't get the cam gear to completely line up with the notch while the crank was at TDC...like it was off half a tooth. Well that was the closest I could get it so I left it.

Got everything back together. The car ran great...no missing or anything..nice and smooth. The only problem was that is had absolutely no power whatsoever. Believe me, I have drove other cars with the 1.8L Turbo, and this car NO power compared to them. Seems like it must be a timing issue.

Took it into the dealership for diagnostic and they said the same thing...mentioning that the belt may be off a tooth (with a possibility that the cams were off...I hope the head shop didn't screw up).

Got it back apart again and tried playing with the belt..moved it tooth by tooth at the crank to see how close I could get it...and this is the closest the cam came to the mark....about a half a tooth off.


I screwed around with it some more today...and still couldn't get any closer. I don't know what is up...nothing has changed. The only thing I have changed is the updated tensioner, but that should make no difference.

Another thing that I noticed is that the cam gear is farther out that is was originally. You can see where the old belt ran...and also the gear has left marks on the timing cover where is has rubbed a little bit.

Um, I also did a compression check to see if that would show anything. All cylinders were around 120psi on the first crank, followed by 150psi on the 2nd, and 180psi on the 3rd. Seemed okay I guess...

Also, we did pull some codes off of it before we took it into the dealership. One was for the cat (it was bad, since then we have had that changed)...another was for the mass air flow sensor....but since fixing the cat, that code didn't show up. And a pending code that was on there was for the camshaft position sensor. I don't know if that is part of the problem.

Well I am getting tired of this problem. I am going to send it into a shop pretty soon because nothing I have done has fixed the problem.

And, I don't know if it is a mixture issue. It runs smooth...and the plugs look good too.

If any of you guys could throw out some recommendations that would be excellent. This car is just starting to bug me....but hey, at least I can put pull the bumper cover and put the radiator support in the service position in no time at all now...lol...I'm a pro But then again, if I were a pro, I might know what the problem is

[Will12]

I changed the t-belt too and I got p1338 (cam position sensor...) The only thing you can do is to move the mark the other way (1/2 tooth advanced, 1/2 tooth retarded). Mine is <1/4 tooth same way you have it. Before it was the other way and less power. We got it as it is now, and it has much more power, although the p1338 did not go away. Since the cam might not be the problem, then the cam sensor could be, or the crank wheel could be off (because I believe it is taken off).

Hope it helps, please keep me updated, and hope it helps.

[98vwpassat]

Originally Posted by Will12

I changed the t-belt too and I got p1338 (cam position sensor...) The only thing you can do is to move the mark the other way (1/2 tooth advanced, 1/2 tooth retarded). Mine is <1/4 tooth same way you have it. Before it was the other way and less power. We got it as it is now, and it has much more power, although the p1338 did not go away. Since the cam might not be the problem, then the cam sensor could be, or the crank wheel could be off (because I believe it is taken off).

Hope it helps, please keep me updated, and hope it helps.

I have only ran the car with the timing belt set as it is in the picture. I did move it the other way, but it seemed farther off that way than the way in the picture...that is why I put it back to the way it was. But still, there is absolutely no power. So you are saying the way you have it (like in the picture) gives you a lot of power? And the other way (other side of the mark) gave you no power?

The cam sensor could be the problem. I know the crank is not because I didn't take it off and I also sort of checked to see if that mark on the crank is actually TDC (by putting something down in the cylinder and rotating it until it was TDC...at least by eye).

I could always take it apart and move the belt one tooth to put that mark on the other side to see how it runs. I really can't think of any other options to get that mark right on.

Thanks for the response...if I can't figure anything out soon this car is going to go into the shop...

[Will12]

I have read in previous posts that someone has the mark off too and it was like that before the belt was taken off. With the mark the other way, my car had some power, but it was not smooth. In your case the mark is more off than mine.

I would check the cam sensor, also, check if your air filter housings are tight, that will kill your acceleration like there is no tommorrow.

[98vwpassat]

Originally Posted by Will12

I have read in previous posts that someone has the mark off too and it was like that before the belt was taken off. With the mark the other way, my car had some power, but it was not smooth. In your case the mark is more off than mine.

I would check the cam sensor, also, check if your air filter housings are tight, that will kill your acceleration like there is no tommorrow.

I still want to keep thinking that it is something else, but the whole thing comes back to what the dealership said. They said the timing was off. They didn't mention anything about the cam sensor though.

I don't know what the timing looked like before the belt broke. After finding out that they had problems with the belt failing, I was surprised because this one lasted 105,000 miles.