sam2.0

This is going well against everything else I've read! I have been turning it over by hand, ensuring its all still lined up. I've also pressure tested it, and its all fine, so hopefully no bent valves. Not sure how I check timing with a light, if I can't get the engine to run!

I understand, but why do other guides tell me to set the static timing to BTDC then? I'm still unsure as to the mark on my fly wheel, its a line, not a 0. In the other guides, the 0 is TDC, but as I've not got it, I think the line means 0, but it may not! The line on the flywheel matches the line on the pulley.

Not really, as the car is meant to be setup for BTDC, but with only 1 mark its likely to be TDC. There is an other guide saying that BTDC is 2 teeth before the TDC line, so guess I'm going to do that. I done the line last night and it won't turn start, just coughs a little.

Just redoing my timing, both cam covers off. Only 1 mark on flywheel, which is at TDC, not -6degrees. How would you do it?

Mine (2.0 9a) has a toothed belt, like the pulleys. I don't get the idea behind rotating the wheel, I can rotate it by the crank pulley. When turning the crank over, the flywheel moves, and if I use a screwdrivers to turn the flywheel (just a few degrees to line up) it moves the crank pulley. So they seem connected. I'll line up the crank mark and the flywheel tonight, turn it over and see if they still match. That'll rule out the pulley, crank or flywheel. Any other thoughts please, so I can try a few things tonight!

The mark on the crank pulley is the small line across the pulley, which should be visible by looking down onto the pulley? I can see a marker on the cover where it should like up too. I haven't yet checked the difference, if any, between the pulley and the flywheel. Next test I suppose.

I am sick and tired of setting my timing up! I have set the cam cogs to be perfect, the alternator, and the cam pulley, I then get the fly wheel on the mark, ensure the belt is in the teeth on the lower cogs and proceed to put the belt around the upper pulley and then the tensioner, which I tension up and bolt down. The straight part of the belt I can only twist 90degrees. I then rotate the engine over by hand (on the crank) twice, check its all aligned, which it is, so fire it up. It won't fire, so line up the cam pulley, to be correct and now the fly wheel is 3 teeth out of what I set it up to be before! The belt is still tight and is still on the pulleys no problem. To add, compression is fine in all 4 cylinders, between 195 and 200. Any ideas? Could it be there is some play in a pulley somewhere, so its slacking off?

Would it not fire but be a rough idle? Suppose several could be bent. I'll buy a compression tester tomorrow :(

Thanks for the reply. I have set it up twice on the line now, and also at -6degrees. It won't start on the line, and does start at -6 but is rough (I done it to 3 teeth excluding the one with a line on) The gasket was changed due to a water leak into Cyl1. The only timings I've done as as above, so I'm hoping nothing is damaged. I've just set it to the line again (from scratch) and still no go. I'm now starting to think something else is up! It cranks and the starter motor is turning the engine, but no ignition in the chamber. I get sparks and fuel seems to be making its way.

Ignition switch - 6N0 905 865 - £24.95+VAT from VW. Get a genuine one. Guide: http://wiki.the-corrado.net/ignition_switch_replacement.html

I don't have a timing light, so best to setup on the line. To find TDC, is it 2 or 3 teeth along? Its currently 3 teeth from the line (as I said, I've read the O is the TDC), as was trying to find BTDC!

Low battery? not enough to turn it over. Tried jumping it? Can you hear a clicking from the engine bay?

On my 9A 2.0 16v I'm having issues with my timing and I've read a load into where the fly wheel should be at. I've read/heard the following: The line is TDC, a square mark is BTDC BTDC is a '0' BTDC is 2 teeth clockwise from TDC BTDC is 3 teeth clockwise from TDC Insert more here Now, my flywheel only had the straight line mark, which I believe to mean TDC. The engine runs on it, but its lumpy, so clearly not right. The attached diagram shows BTDC to be 2 teeth clockwise, but other people have mentioned 3 teeth. So, What position do I put the flywheel in for BTDC (6degrees)? [ATTACH=CONFIG]72685[/ATTACH]

Turns out there is 1 mark! The mark was just a line. Took for ever to find it! I set it up on the mark and it was lumpy, so then done 6 degrees (3 teeth) and still lumpy. Could it be something else now? bent valve? I need to do a compression test tomorrow.

VW Rule - The cam is no issue. I have been un able to see any markings, I've rotated it 4+ times to try and see. You CANNOT put the cam shaft pulley on the wrong way, as it has a woodruff key like you say. Supercharged - 2.0 16v 9a.

I tried the whole 360 degrees. All back together now, every so slightly out still and it's idling at 2500rpm.

Thanks for the feedback. Basically I have aligned the head, cam marks and ten the cam pulley. I think the old pulley sheared after my first attempt at lining up the timing. I then used the old technique of dipstick in cylinder 1 to find TDC, the made the cam belt tight on the non tensioner side, then tightened sad tensioner, to pick up slack. By removing the valve cover I am able to align the cams and pulley correctly, I then am left with the dip stick technique for TDC, as I've failed to see the flywheel marker. I'm asking if there is an other way to confirm TDC for the pistons, as my attempt seems to have failed. I've not taken the head off to confirm valve damage, I'm assuming I havnt! I will do a compression test tomorrow to check for air leaks.

Just re-doing my timing after finding the notch was sheared off my cam pulley (Thanks to '87 Jetta 16v' for a replacement @ £10). I've cranked the engine over by hand and checked the inspection hole even few degrees of movement and saw nothing, so I just set the engine to 'just before TDC' for safty and its still out. Also, when putting the belt onto the cam pulley, it would fit in 2 different teeth, I opted to make it tighter to the right of the cam pulley, so the slack was taken up by the tensioner (left of the cam pulley). I could turn it over by hand easily, so nothings hitting. What would be the next step, just go for TDC?

The alignment notch on my pulley has snapped! So, I need a cam pulley for a 9a 2.0 16v. Ideally local (oxford) ASAP!

Ended up ordering from VW direct for the bolts. To confirm, VW state it needs 142MM 053103385 (no C on the end). £6.32 per bolt. Got a genuine new gasket from ebay for £20, VW wanted £44.

Worked fine up until a few months ago. Laymans terms?! what bits what!

As requested, images on the door handle/lock. The handle pulls 80% out, which does nothing. Then its still the last 20% which is when it actually releases the door. [ATTACH=CONFIG]72189[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]72190[/ATTACH]

I tried a few things tonight. Firstly I tried the car with the blue temp sensor cable off, and it was bad, plugged in it and it was better. So that works. I noticed a lose cable near the metering head, it was brown/white and with a white plug on the end (see attachments) it came from part of the loom that ran along the left wing (looking at the engine bay). It had a piece of metal wedged in the connector connected to nothing. I also noticed the white 'tube' was not attached to the bottom of the air box. So that's reconnected, not sure what it does though! [ATTACH=CONFIG]72187[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]72188[/ATTACH]

Well I've driven it a few times and its not spluttered or anything, so I'm hoping it was just a bit of crap from the tank that was sucked up. I'll ensure I don't go into the red at all from now on. I'm not going to spend time looking for an issue that isn't there.

Do I just ask it if its ok?