[Wahobbert]

That has a cam chain tensioner between dual overhead cams, yes?.

 

[Wahobbert]

If the cam chain slipped, the cams may be off and preventing you from lining up the other timing marks. Sometimes the chains jump when the rub blocks pop off or break up, or the tensioner fails for some other reason. You can get new rub blocks for them and get a new tensioner too. Don't go by make and model search when getting parts. Go by the number that is on the part you're trying to find a replacement for.

 

[Wahobbert]

Is the timing belt sprocket/pulley on the cam taper fit like the V6 and V8 cars are?. If it is taper fit on the L4's like on the V6's and 8's, you'll have to break it loose in order to get the timing dead on...If they're taper fit, they may have slipped and that may be your problem. But I'm not so sure they are taper fit. There is a reasonably priced cam pulley puller you can get on Ebay and other places online. You'll need a low profile puller to get these to pop off if they're tapered because if you don't have the car in service position there is no room to do anything on the front of the engine.

 

[Wahobbert]

You do not remove the sprocket on a 1.8T for timing adjustments. Ever.

Now that I look more closely into it, it appears to be keyed onto the cam shaft. If that keyed or pinned area cracked or broke, the pulley / sprocket may slip off alignment and make it impossible to set the timing according to the marks on the engine. Not that I have ever heard of this happening, but if the cam chain tensioner is good with the rub blocks are intact, and the chain is set to the right number of links between the sprockets and the belt is correctly mounted and routed through the other pulleys, idler and tensioners, that would be the only variable left to correct. Wouldn't it?.