Golf 3: power steering and timing belt

[jantd]

Hi guys,

not so long ago ,maybe 3000 km ago,I changed my timing belt. Today I checked it again, and I am a bit worried about the state it is in: it looks really used, with traces of the water pump pulley ( looks like parallel lines over the whole length), and transverse lines at each tooth.Is this normal after such a short time?
I don't think it rubs against the belt cover, I took special care placing the cover back on.
Another problem is the power steering: all of a sudden the level dropped: I found the steering rack boot was broken in two: does the fluid also go into the rubber boots, so could it leak through there?
Thanks in advance!
Jan
Golf TD, 1996, 345000 km...

[Doug]

It is possible that the steering fluid could leak over the rack assembly but it is not the cause of a torn boot cover. There is probably a leak at the pump, broken hose or the slave assembly if it was a radical loss of power steering fluid.

I would guess that when you replaced the timing belt that you did not replace the idler bearing assembly? Do it! They are cheap!  The intermediate shaft pulley has a grooved surface that will leave those marks on the flat side of the belt. You don't have the belt too tight? The injection pump doesn't like that!