[Beetlebomb]

When (at how many accumulated odomete miles) should I have the timing belt renewed, as a precaution?

 

[noR]

80K if you want to be safe. But some waterpumps HAVE been known to go bad earlier.

Feel free to inspect the belt, but the waterpump has been known to go bad before the belt causing problems. The waterpump should always be changes along with the timing belt.

with the 2000's and earlier, they said every 100K. I believe vw has changed their numbers down to 80K intervals.

 

[mentalVdub]

VW reccommends for the earlier year bugs to be changed at 60k. but you can go up to 80k... but that's supposedly stretching it.

i just had mine done a few days ago and i'm a few hundred miles shy of 60k miles... but i'm moving soon and i got a kiiller deal because i know people that work at VW.

at any rate, get your water pump replaced at the same time. will save you a couple hundred dollars down the road in labour alone when it does, in fact, go out.

 

[Porkchop]

I believe the current VW recommendation officially is 105,000... however, I'd be scared to death to try that with that stupid plastic waterpump.

So I'd say: the sooner the better.