# Belt or chain

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** volkswagen, passat\
**Created:** [July 25, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446 "2010-07-25T17:45:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scloveraz1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@scloveraz1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/scloveraz1)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/1 "2010-07-25T17:45:48Z")

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Which one do I have?

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**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/2 "2010-07-25T17:53:10Z")

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Year and engine size will make this answer very easy.

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**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/3 "2010-07-25T18:10:14Z")

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All questions about timing belts or chains should be given a 6 month rest.

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**Author:** ![Bladecutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bladecutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bladecutter)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/4 "2010-07-26T19:54:12Z")

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Find a mirror, and look at your waist, and at your neck.  
Please let us know what you find out. 😉

BC.

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**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/5 "2010-07-26T20:27:35Z")

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I’ll bet your owners manual can answer that. Have you even looked, never mind I know you didn’t.

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/6 "2010-07-26T21:34:18Z")

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It depends on the S&M activity you are involved in.

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**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/7 "2010-07-26T21:43:29Z")

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That and any other thing that is covered in the owners manual.

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**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/belt-or-chain/52446/8 "2010-07-26T22:00:09Z")

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If your maintenance schedule calls for a timing belt replacement at a specific mileage interval, you have a timing belt. If it does not, you have a timing chain. Being a Volkswagen Passat, you probably have a timing belt.

I agree with the others. These questions are getting kind of old.