Monday, September 19, 2011

How hard is it to do a water pump change on a 1999 vw jetta stick shift?

i have a jetta and would like to know how difficult it would be to do. I know its a german car this is why i ask. thanksHow hard is it to do a water pump change on a 1999 vw jetta stick shift?Which engine? the 2.0, 1.8, or 2.8 VR6?



Its not too bad if you are a competent mechanic, there are two ways to do it, some parts suppliers will give you just the front plate and impeller, whereas the dealer, and some aftermarket suppliers will give you the whole housing. you will need to remove the alternator, power steering pump, and loosen the A/C compressor, and remove the bracket to get to it, so it will take quite a while. the bolts are all different lengths in that area, so keep track of where they go, it is probably worth you getting a pressure tester to confirm that you have no leaks before you get it all back together. shoot me an email if you are going to go through with it, and i can give you some more precise directions.



The other poster is a little off, the water pump is driven off the timing belt only on the AEG engine, introduced for the 1999.5 MY, the 1999 is an ABA engine, and is a v-belt driven water pump under the alternator, PS pump bracket.



Ok, if it is an AEG engine, then yes, it is Timing belt driven, you will need to remove the front (of the engine) motor mount, and lift the engine up. If you are doing this job, then i would recommend replacing the timing belt and tensioner at the same time. The process is not that difficult, but it can be a little finicky. The basic proceedure is to remove the serpentine belt, and its tensioner, remove the coolant reservoir bottle out of the way, remove the upper plastic timing belt cover, remove the belly pan under the car, use a block of wood and a floor jack to support the weight of the engine, and remove the passenger side motor mount entirely. you will then need to remove the three bolts that hold the motor mount bracket to the engine, and wiggle out the bracket (this can be tricky, you have to sort of walk it to the back of the block to get it out, and try raising and lowering the engine a little bit until you find the sweet spot.)

then remove the crank pulley, and the lower plastic timing belt cover. set and mark your timing marks, remove the belt, and water pump, replace the tensioner, and re-assemble. Its not too bad, but shoot me an email if you need more info, or if you need me to talk you through it. as for how do you verify, there are a number of ways, a simple rule of thumb is to check the little bypass hose that connects to the reservoir, if no fluid is spitting out while it is running, then it is probably a bad water pump. But if the car has close to 100K on it and it has never been replaced, do it and the timing belt to be safe.

I hope this helpsHow hard is it to do a water pump change on a 1999 vw jetta stick shift?The water pump is driven by the timing belt on that engine. You don't have to take the alternator, power steering pump, or the a/c compressor off, but you do have to make sure it is timed right. Not too hard to do, just make sure the marks line up. Good luck!How hard is it to do a water pump change on a 1999 vw jetta stick shift?Looks like you're covered with the mechanical aspect of your question! My input involves your comment on %26quot;its a german car%26quot;.

I have several friends that are mechanics/techs. To a man, they say it doesnt matter what make (Japanese, American,European,Korean,etc.) the manufacturer assembles each for its ease of assembly at the factory. Ease of repair is a secondary consideration.

All you have to do is look at their skinned knuckles as proof ! They all well deserve their paychecks!

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