Hi Guys, I'm looking for a bit of advice, I had my timing belt and water pump done on my A3 2005 TDI BKD engine nearly 4 weeks ago (19th of last month). Last Friday the tensioner and stud caused the timing belt to come loose so the car wouldn't start. They changed the stud and tensioner at the garage that done the timing belt and I got the car back the following Tuesday now two days later the same thing seems to have happened. I can’t see it being two tensions with a fault, but what is confusing me and slightly worrying me is that there were no issues with the car before the belt was changed.
Who did the cambelt?
Tbh allot of garages I find really don't do this job properly, timing out, etc.
I honestly would not trust them to fix it & I do wonder if they've threaded a bolt & this why it's coming loose, speculative.
I'd be concerned if theres been any other damage if the belts not fitted tightly.
Tbh allot of garages I find really don't do this job properly, timing out, etc.
I honestly would not trust them to fix it & I do wonder if they've threaded a bolt & this why it's coming loose, speculative.
I'd be concerned if theres been any other damage if the belts not fitted tightly.
Thanks for your reply.
I found the garage online (can I mention the name on this forum?) apparently he is a cambelt specialist and has good reviews which is why I choose to go there knowing how important the belt is.
Apparently when the belt came loose last time there was no damage to the engine but I am starting to worry about his standard of work and may have to cut my losses
I found the garage online (can I mention the name on this forum?) apparently he is a cambelt specialist and has good reviews which is why I choose to go there knowing how important the belt is.
Apparently when the belt came loose last time there was no damage to the engine but I am starting to worry about his standard of work and may have to cut my losses
He is obliged to put it right so keep getting him to redo the work.
No point paying another garage all those labour costs just to correct a problem you've paid for at another garage.
No point paying another garage all those labour costs just to correct a problem you've paid for at another garage.
Thanks for the reply Dave,
When it first happened he was blaming it on the tensioner in the timing kit (which I purchased and got him to fit it) I purchased it as I wanted to get the best one I could source rather than the cheapest someone could find on eurocarparts.
So he charged me £130 for the tensioner and fitting I paid thinking it’s over and at least it’s back on the road. But then this happened and I’m wondering what could be causing the issue.
When it first happened he was blaming it on the tensioner in the timing kit (which I purchased and got him to fit it) I purchased it as I wanted to get the best one I could source rather than the cheapest someone could find on eurocarparts.
So he charged me £130 for the tensioner and fitting I paid thinking it’s over and at least it’s back on the road. But then this happened and I’m wondering what could be causing the issue.
I fail to see how the belt can come loose twice unless a bolt location has been threaded or he's not torqued up as per elsawin states so things come loose under load.
If it has been threaded what will be the fix for that, can it be rethreaded or would you need a new cylinder head?
Given the heat associated, I'm not sure helicoil would be suitable, but this is all speculation currently as we don't know the issues & the installer should know the torque.
Thanks I have just spoken to him and he said the stud broke again so he is looking at why this happened. I did ask if the thread is fine and he said it’s ok.
Thanks guys for your help. He just called me and let me know he has replaced the stud the car is starting and he will check it to make sure there isn't another issue. Hopefully this will be the last of it.
Hopefully not he has had the car since this morning and apparently been working on it since then, maybe it was miscommunication (fingers crossed). I'm just hoping nothing happens again, I'll get banned from all UK breakdown service at this rate.
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its very likely he has damaged the threads and the second fix must have been thread lock which also came lose.
A ‘fix’ is available where th hole is drilled out and a M10 stud is installed.
It’s a special stud which is M10 on th block side and then M8. It’s used on some VW cars.
This is what I deem a fix. Else it’s a new cylinder head. Refund from the current fitter and take elsewhere to someone who has done M10 stud conversion before (it’s not for the common garage or self proclaimed specialist).
https://www.techtips.ie/INA/vag-tdi-potential-timing-belt-tensioner-stud-issues.pdf
A ‘fix’ is available where th hole is drilled out and a M10 stud is installed.
It’s a special stud which is M10 on th block side and then M8. It’s used on some VW cars.
This is what I deem a fix. Else it’s a new cylinder head. Refund from the current fitter and take elsewhere to someone who has done M10 stud conversion before (it’s not for the common garage or self proclaimed specialist).
https://www.techtips.ie/INA/vag-tdi-potential-timing-belt-tensioner-stud-issues.pdf
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