How to replace auxiliary (serpentine) belt and tensioner on VW Golf Mk4 1.9tdi

Very detailed video about auxiliary belt and tensioner replacement for Volkswagen Golf Mark IV.
Here's the link to description with images and diagram, also available in printable format:
www.wheelsandmotors.com/manua...
www.WheelsAndMotors.com - free online car manuals collection.

[@Dam_Big_Dawg]

Great job! I especially like the double spanner, that's an old trick I learned years ago as a young mechanic. I felt bad that you got your jacket greasy. Thanks for all the tips.

[@wawayltd]

Thanks Dave :)

[@tigermoth3194]

A really good, detailed 'how to' vid. I own a Seat Leon 1.9 TDI 150 (which is basically the same car mechanically as the Mk4 Golf) so your videos are very helpful. Thank you, and keep 'em coming as I've just subscribed to your channel!

[@wawayltd]

Thank you! In the near future, I'm planning to make some changes to the website, so won't be making new videos so far. After that I'll get back to videos..

[@BlueXonar]

Thanks very much, I was able to change my belt and tensioner after watching this! :) Those 'snowflake' washer/nut things are a pain.

[@adivarso8175]

Always check the alternator pulley when doing this job, make sure the clutch inside it is working or you must replace that one also.

[@julianlangdon3456]

I'm new to the VW Diesel so vids like this save me a lot of time sussing out for myself where the fittings I need are and which spanner size/ way to turn. Cheers! 😀

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome 👍

[@deanoscott]

Fantastic matey. Just done my fuel filter, oil change and filter, and track rod ends today and noticed the belt looked a bit ropey. Ive got a fabia vrs mk1 but this looks just the same to me so ill remove the belt to check the state of the tensioner using your guide. Thank you.

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome :) Glad if it helps someone.

[@phillmcaverty]

Thanks for such a detailed video. I'll be doing this job tomorrow hopefully. He's bought the full assembly as looking down its sat offline slightly and there's a noise. We did the alternator pulley first but this didn't cure it. Cheers

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome, hope it helps 👍

[@eurotrash4629]

Best Mk4 Tensioner Video out there. Thank you for your efforts on this. Cheers!

[@wawayltd]

+EuroTrash You're welcome :) There will be more about this Golf.

[@r3horst]

Thanks for vid. Was a big help. Your accent reminds me of the father of my friend from Romania.

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome, glad if it helps.. I'm from Latvia :) Speak Russian in my family..

[@carltonbanks3883]

I saved around 75€ with this video, thanks mate.

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome

[@psathug4life]

Thanks a lot mate changed mine with this video never done it before very helpful video

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome 👍

[@ErhanDilsizoglu]

it's helped me alot. thank you man!

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome Erhan :)

[@CorkonianDundee]

thanks for the helpful vid very useful for my 2002 octavia.

[@wawayltd]

You're very welcome :) Glad, if it helps!

[@Chris-xj5sm]

very helpful video, helped me alot, thanks!

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome :)

[@ke6bnl]

VERY GOOD DETAILED VIDEO WILL BE DOING JOB SOON

[@wawayltd]

Thanks :) Glad if it helps!

[@peterhanlon3618]

Really nice presentation, thank you.

[@wawayltd]

Thanks Peter :)

[@markphillips4589]

Thank you for a very good video it helped a great deal

[@wawayltd]

You're very welcome:) There will be more.

[@RANDOMHOBO01]

I don’t know how i got here but good video man. When I did the tensioner and belt on my Ford Expedition the belt tensioner was so strong even the 2 foot breaker bar they say to use was hard to get the tension off with you really had to crank on it. Anyway good vid.

[@wawayltd]

Thanks :)

[@jakecole3072]

Thank you! Excellent video.

[@wawayltd]

You're very welcome 👍

[@malcytull]

Brilliant, thank you for posting.

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome Malc :)

[@macytebaSS]

Thank you! Helped a lot!

[@wawayltd]

You're very welcome Mario :) Glad if it helps.

[@Nicolae8607]

thank you for the video...good job

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome :) There will be more.

[@TamsTrails]

Thanks for the video man :)

[@wawayltd]

I'm glad that it still helps after all these years. You're welcome 👍

[@shannonsmith148]

great video. very educational. i think i will need to do this on my 2002 jetta tdi. i can hear pulley noise when the weather gets below freezing and suspect/hope it is only the tensioner and not the alternator pulley....seems weird that it only happens whens it is cold outside...

[@wawayltd]

Thank you :) Diesel engines in general are noisy before they warm up, especially when it's cold..

[@andriusv.1476]

Good, very helpful!

[@wawayltd]

Thanks Andrius :)

[@Buciasda33]

Thanks alot. I will change just the Bearing. It's a 6203 2RS and it's also used in washing machines. I found just the wheel (idler pulley), but it's too expensive. 6203 2RS Explained: 6 is for a Deep Groove Bearing 2 stands for Light Load 03 is the Bearing Size. 2RS means Double Seal, you don't want ZZ. RS or 1RS is the absolute minimum.

[@wawayltd]

You do know something about bearings 👍

[@Buciasda33]

@@wawayltd Yeah, but sadly I bought the bearing, just $1.5 USD, dismantled everything and the idler pulley was made from 2 separate halves riveted together with the bearing in between. So I had no way of replacing the bearing. There was no play in the bearing so I took the seals off, used Break Cleaner and Compressed Air to clean all the gunk and I put some MoS2 oil and LiCa2 grease and I'll leave it like that for now.

[@wawayltd]

That's another level! You should make KZbin videos.

[@itfben]

Interesting info. thank you. I hope its the same procedure on my mk4 golf 1.4

[@wawayltd]

If it's not the same - must be fairly similar.

[@ryanchristian4808]

Thank u for your video

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome 👍

[@ashleyj902]

Thankyou for your post

[@wawayltd]

You're very welcome Ashley :)

[@user-ye5we5qg5v]

Nice video!👍

[@wawayltd]

Спасибо :)

[@traieking]

Perfect! Thankyou

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome

[@binthegrove]

Do you use any loctite on the 3 screws, one of mine looked like it may have had some, maybe that was something else. Thanks for for video

[@wawayltd]

I didn't use any, but I don't see anything wrong with using it there.

[@andrewsmith9864]

Excellent video.... Thankyou. (You should really be working in Training the next generation of Motor Vehicle Techs...)

[@wawayltd]

Thank you! I need to train myself first :)

[@zippydewdawg5162]

great camera angles TY

[@wawayltd]

Thanks :)

[@cavemanjoe79]

Thank you, I'm going to be doing this tomorrow. And also thank you for the link to the diagram, I just printed it out. A quick question, do you have a video on checking the final drive for an automatic?

[@wawayltd]

Thanks 👍 Sorry, but I don't have such video..

[@cavemanjoe79]

Okay, thank you. I was able to change the belt without removing the intercooler pipe, but I could see how it needs to go if you're going to change out the tensioner. Thank you again for having the diagram available also.

[@enaimelec]

thank you

[@wawayltd]

You're welcome 👍

[@gliamicidelsudafrica899]

very good !

[@wawayltd]

Thank you :)

[@Phen0mable]

I'm going to be doing same thing tomorrow in my focus. I need to replace tensioner as it sounds very bad

[@wawayltd]

I believe - it's pretty simple, shouldn't be too much different.

[@andreibirleanu840]

I had buy a brand new tensioner made by RUVILLE for my 1.9 tdi ALH and there is a a little play in the tensioner wheel. Is that normal? or I souldn't install it and replace it?

[@wawayltd]

Ruville is a good brand. Strange, it shouldn't have a play. Can you talk to people who sold it to you? Maybe they can replace it?

[@JohnMcMahon.]

Is this the same belt and tensioner that's used in the 2004 Seat Toledo 1.9tdi ?

[@wawayltd]

I think on later models they had slightly different tensioners, but the principle is the same - just ask your part supplier for the right one for your car.

[@georgigeorgiev1300]

Hello is there a braket between the tensioneer and the engine block ?

[@wawayltd]

No, there was nothing between tensioner and the block, it was just bolted like that. Please mind - on PD engines tensioner is a bit different.

[@jakecole3072]

Hi there, how do you know if you need both sides ribbed or one side ribbed regarding the belt type? When I type my registration into the car part online shops it says I need ribbed on both sides, but yours is smooth. The staff don’t know either. I’ve got a 2003 1.9tdi Golf Match. Engine code ATD. Any advice much appreciated.

[@jakecole3072]

The belt ripped off so I have no reference

[@wawayltd]

To be honest, I've never seen ribbed on both sides.. I think easiest way to check - have a look at all pulleys for that belt, if all of them are ribbed then it's got to be ribbed both sides.

[@jakecole3072]

@@wawayltd thanks very much for your reply! I think they are all ribbed, will double check later. All the best

[@jakecole3072]

@@wawayltd thank you. After talking with various parts dealers, I was sent a double sided belt and a smooth tensioner pulley, does this sound wrong to you? Appreciate any thoughts again.

[@wawayltd]

Don't know, I would speak to actual part supplier. Try to fit it, if it works - happy days, if not - go back to them and throw it in their face 😏

[@gazgonanable]

how often do you should change auxiliary belt and tensior?? thank you so match. sorry for my english. 🙋

[@wawayltd]

+Antonio Gazquez Auxiliary belt should last at least 40.000 miles. But you can always check its condition. If it looks old, cracked - just replace it. In my previous car it lasted a lot more - over 100.000 definitely. Just see what it looks like. Tensioner should be replaced if it's faulty - too noisy, not spinning properly, physical damage etc.

[@gazgonanable]

+WheelsAndMotors thank you so match! 🙏

[@wawayltd]

+Antonio Gazquez You're welcome :) Sorry was offline for some time...

[@gazgonanable]

+WheelsAndMotors no problem! 👍

[@charliekelland7564]

my belt came off so i'm guessing the pulley is u/s. gonna look at it tmrw. thanks for this, will make it easier :)

[@wawayltd]

+Charlie Kelland This Golf in the video is 1999 with common rail engine. I f you have a PD engine it might look slightly different, but principle is the same.

[@charliekelland7564]

Turns out it was the pulley in the alternator came off! Didn't notice in the dark. No wonder the belt came off :o

[@wawayltd]

+Charlie Kelland Did you get it fixed?

[@charliekelland7564]

+WheelsAndMotors getting it done today hopefully. great car. want to keep it running as long as possible !

[@RodinTheOnlyOne]

Is the diagram the same for the Seat Toledo Mk2 1.9 TDI?

[@wawayltd]

Depends what engine is it. Is it PD engine? What year is your Toledo?

[@RodinTheOnlyOne]

@@wawayltd not pd and 2001

[@wawayltd]

@@RodinTheOnlyOne It should be the same then. Especially if engine number begins with "A"

[@valentinc22]

As I can see, you can replace only the bearing in that pulley, which can be found separately by the number on the bearing caps... In this case, the pulley was bent, so that also needed replacement, I say for other people who might have a good pulley, because the bearing is very cheap compared to the whole assembly...

[@wawayltd]

+Valentin Calinoaia Thank you! I'll have a look for part number.. I just couldn't find anything apart from complete assembly.. Where would you buy bearing?

[@valentinc22]

+WheelsAndMotors At any store specialized that sells bearings... In my country I buy bearing from SKF dealer (probably you can find one too), or other big manufacturer of bearings, which sells almost any bearing... I recently changed the bearing in my 2.2 i-CTDi Honda Civic, which had 2 6203 bearings in the idler and tensioner pulley, which had a new price of 250 $ (the complete assembly), and the bearings were something like 40 $ both from SKF (which are good quality ones, I could find cheaper)

[@wawayltd]

+Valentin Calinoaia Thanks! I've found few SKF's around my city. To take that bearing out, you would need to take rivets out of roller. Are they easy to remove/install?

[@wawayltd]

+Valentin Calinoaia Thank you! Very helpful.

[@abnlibya9201]

Can you give the size ( serial number) of this serpentine belt?

[@wawayltd]

Sorry, I don't know, I don't have that car anymore..

[@NeuroPulse]

Had the mechanic do it and now the power steering tube looks messed up. It's dangling free about 1mm from the belt and I can see multiple broken plastic and rubber mounting brackets dangling down in there.

[@wawayltd]

Some mechanics...🙄

[@NeuroPulse]

Yep, I didn't get around to fixing it soon enough and the hose sprung a leak from rubbing on the belt. Now I'm working on it and it's a nightmare in there. Wiring and tubing all over the place. Found some fittings where the pipe clamps were sitting loose but never tightened back in place from a prior job. Won't be going there again.

[@scottmorfitt5079]

cool

[@wawayltd]

Cheers :)

[@odelkuk]

Can just take it out -and replace it from the top

[@wawayltd]

It all depends on the setup. Mk4 had many different engines. Some of them allow to replace the belt from the top. Try and see if you can.