How to Replace the Serpentine Belt in a VW Beetle

The Volkswagon Beetle has a serpentine drive belt that powers multiple accessories. Volkswagon uses a popular auto-adjusting belt system for this car. This information refers to the model year range of 1998-2005 for the new VW Beetle. Although these cars generally have similar drive belt setups, check your owner's documentation for specific tools, methods and belts for your Beetle.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Replacement belt
• Wrench sst

1. Find the tensioner pulley that holds the serpentine belt in place. This pulley is generally above the crankshaft. For a gasoline engine, you can access it from above. In a diesel Beetle, it's easiest to access the tensioner pulley from below.

2. Make a drawing of how the belt goes around all of the pulleys. You will use this to install the new belt. VW Beetle owners have reported VW does not always include a routing decal, so draw or take pictures for later reference.

3. Use a wrench to rotate the tensioner pulley to decrease tension on the belt. Slip the belt off of the tensioner pulley and release the pulley.

4. Take the old belt off of the pulleys and install the new belt using your belt routing diagram.

5. Rotate the tensioner pulley again to allowint the new belt to sit on the tensioner pulley. Seat the belt and release the tensioner again to get the auto-adjusted tension back on the belt.

6. Check to make the belt is correctly seated on all pulleys. The grooves in the belt should sit in the grooves on the pulley.

7. Run the engine and check for noises, flapping or other signs of incorrect installation.

Tips & Warnings

• Volkswagon recommends checking the serpentine belt every 6,000 miles or 6 months for potential replacement due to normal wear.
• Some Beetle models have a tensioner pulley that can be held in place with a bit tool and locked for easier belt installation.

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