I've just changed a cambelt on an ABS engine fitted to a '94 Passat. It may be similar to the 2E engine - but I'm not an expert on petrol engines - diesels only for me. I hope the following may help, but it's not definitive.

I had no problems whatever, but I can see how timing errors could easily occur. TDC crank can be observed at the flwheel through the bung hole in the bell housing. TDC cam is marked - notch or punch mark on the wheel, arrow at the top of the housing.

The problem is the jackshaft which drives the distributor - which obviously must be correctly timed. The "help the mechanic" division of VAG put the timing mark for the jackshaft on the crank pulley - which you have to remove to do the job. Sheer genius.

Bosch to the rescue. If you take the cap off the distributor, there is a line scribed on the edge of the housing corresponding to the firing point of cyl No. 1 - which will be very near TDC. The rotor arm will be pointing to this mark when the engine is so positioned. Using this line, you can easily set the belt position as a 1 tooth error will cause noticable misalignment of the distributor marks.

A further good reason for using these marks is that somebody may in the past have removed the distributor, refitted it one tooth out on the skew gear and set the cambelt position incorrectly to compensate for the error. As these engines correct their own timing error - within limits - this may go unnoticed.

Set the belt correctly using all of VAG's timing marks, then check the distributor position as detailed above. It may be out by a tooth.

659.