Serpentine belt (drive belt) replacement for T6 TDI with air conditioning (Solution)

Typical routing of the serpentine belt on a T6 TDI with air conditioning. It should be replaced every 120,000 km, and the tensioner should be checked to ensure it is functioning correctly.

The V-ribbed belt is type 1555.

Defective tensioners can cause more damage than you might think, because there is a risk that the timing belt can become entangled in the drive system to such an extent that it slips (resulting in engine damage).

A 4mm drill bit is suitable for locking the V-ribbed belt tensioner. The clamp can be moved using a wrench with a size of 16 mm.

It's best to remove the right front wheel and the wheel arch lining to change the serpentine belt. In this case, cleaning the wheel well is recommended to prevent rust damage.

Attention: On my T6 with a 2.0 TDI engine, the ribbed belt had to be installed in the position indicated by the red markings! The position of the individual elements in the image is also slightly different, and the black curve is not possible on my vehicle. There are likely different options available depending on the model.