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RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

Volkswagen Beetle 2008–2013technical service bulletin

Bulletin TT131301a · NHTSA communication 10238941 · issued Jan 18, 2013

Technical service bulletin
communication type
Power Train
component
2008–2013
model years
60
vehicle entries

Official summary

When servicing the timing chain sprocket or removing the vibration damper, be aware that one bolt holds both the vibration damper (harmonic balancer) and the crankshaft timing chain sprocket to the crankshaft. Once the damper is removed, the crankshaft should not be rotated unless special tool spacer T10368 has been installed. The crankshaft timing chain sprocket and spur gear drive on the crankshaft have a coupling that must be seated correctly during assembly. Failure to install special tool spacer T10368 before rotating engine will cause the engine to skip time and bend valves.

What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.