How to align the camshaft chain of a Passat?
2 Answers
Rotate the crankshaft pulley bolt to turn the crankshaft and align it with the chain's marking. Align the marking point with the chain's marking point. Similarly, align the marking point with the chain and install the chain tensioner arm to the chain side.
This requires removing the engine front cover. Last time I spent a whole day replacing the chain myself. For the Passat's timing alignment, first rotate the crankshaft to the top dead center of cylinder 1. There's a small notch on the crankshaft pulley that needs to align with the raised mark on the oil pump housing – don't use the wrong locating pin hole. There's a groove on the back of the camshaft; place a 6mm hex wrench on each side to keep it level and prevent rotation. Remove the chain tensioner, push the tensioner plunger back, and lock it with a special pin. When installing the chain, pay attention to the colored links: at cylinder 1's top dead center position, the colored link should align with the notch on the camshaft gear, and the crankshaft gear mark should align with the gap on the oil pan joint surface. After installation, manually turn the engine two full rotations to verify all marks return to position before starting. Don't forget to remove the chain tensioner pin last. It sounds complicated, but following the repair manual step by step makes it manageable.
