[Vwdiesel] Dayco timming belts

[William J Toensing]

This a good question. I don't want the cheapest timming belt but the best, since failure can be quite costly. Fortunately, I have not learned this the hard way. On my Ford Focus, the idler pulley, not the timming belt is the weak point. I got curious when a few years ago, I saw a Focus for sale with the notation "new engine" so I called her & it seems the local Ford dealer replaced her timming belt but did not replace the idler pulley which seized 7,000 miles after her TB was replaced. So lets expand the question to what is the best quality idler  or tension pulley to buy? The VW diesel seems to have the same TB layout as the Focus, which is also an interference engine. At 139,000 my Focus has been the most reliable car I have ever owned, & I am 77 years old. However, its fuel economy STINKS, about a26 MPG average. Hence, my interest in VW & other diesels.
Bill Toensing, Nevada City, CA