Just went out to nip to the local garage. Jumped in the skip and started it as normal. Drove to the end of my street and thought that looks a bit like smoke in my headlight beams? All of a sudden funny noise and massive amounts of white smoke coming out from under the bonnet! Smell of burning! Cut the engine and called SWMBO out to push me back up the road. Fooking nightmare! Just sat waiting for the AA to arrive as I type. What do we all think it could be then? Snapped belt of some sort hopefully.

Sounds like a hose has popped off, it could be the sudden cold snap shrinking the hoses if the car has been stood.

If it's in the headlights I go with the popped hose theory too as it's usually the lower ones down the front end which go.

Is it sorted now? Hopefully just a popped pipe. Fingers crossed

Steve

Have already had the hose pop off from the turbo about 6 weeks ago. It had caught on the drive shaft apparently but was only slightly scuffed with no real damage. Mechanic just shoved it back on with new clips etc. £50 that cost me!

Right here goes as to last nights problem..... AA arrives at 00:10am. Not too bad actually as only called them about half an hour earlier. I explained what had happened and my thoughts as to it being a belt as in my experience white smoke + smell of burning rubber normal = a belt issue.

Anyways, AA guy shines his magical torch around under the bonnet and can't see any problems like popped hoses or snapped belts. Not good me thinks. So he decides it's time to get me to fire it up and see what happens. So I start it up and he literally shouts at me to stop before it's really even kicked into life. Problem found. "Come and have a look" he says "you have got a seized drive belt tensioner which is causing the problem. It's a garage job so I'll have to tow you to the nearest one." ****** me thinks! He showed me the problem which was the drive belt on the left hand side of the engine (as you look at it) which drives the alternator (and maybe the air con? etc). Belt circled in red on pic and tenisioner just underneath.

The belt was still going round but was rubbing on the seized tensioner so it was basically starting to melt the belt and the outside of the tensioner.

Well I thought ****** to leaving the skip infront of the local mechanics all night. There are far too many light fingered little toerags round here for that. I told the guy this and he said I could call them out again in the morning and they would tow me then. I had a cunning plan however

When I got up this morning I went out armed with our largest, sharpest kitchen knife. I then proceeded to cut the belt off and remove it from the engine bay, started the car and drove it the mile or so to the local garage. Sorted Long story short (too late I know) the lovely chaps at the garage got the parts in and had it fixed by half two this afternoon and I am collecting it tomorrow. They are going to be kind enough to relieve me of £172.50 before they give me the keys though. :(

Yeah, auxilliary belt just takes drive off the engine, and charges the battery and powers the aircon pump. £173 sounds quite harsh for a replacement though! belt is cheap enough and it's not a real labour intensive job - oh, guess the new tensioner was needed too. My belt only does the alternator now having removed the AC and got a shorter belt.

Yeah, auxilliary belt just takes drive off the engine, and charges the battery and powers the aircon pump. £173 sounds quite harsh for a replacement though! belt is cheap enough and it's not a real labour intensive job - oh, guess the new tensioner was needed too. My belt only does the alternator now having removed the AC and got a shorter belt.

He said they've put in a new idler pulley, tensioner and belt + labour. All genuine VAG parts. Haven't seen the invoice yet but i'm sure they'll be raping me as they have me over a barrel.

Poor show on the garage service and possible overall charge!

But on the bright side, you know what's gone wrong and that it's now fixed, and that it wasn't something mega serious.

Steve

IIRC the tensioner for the Superb (130 PD) is not a cheap part at all.

However £50 for a new clip (they are only 69p!) and to push the hose back in is proper Dlck Turpin terratory!

Mate I replaced the auxiliary drive belt and tensioner earlier on in the year myself. Parts didn't cost more than £56 total and took me less than 20mins to change. (do a search for my thread, will explain all...).

Initially, £172 seems very overpriced to say the least. However, am I right in thinking that you have the pd150 engine in your fabia? Just wondering if the layout of the alternator and tensioner pulley is different?

I'd be asking for a breakdown of the cost myself, with itemised parts and time/labour accounted for on the invoice...

Steve

Just arrived back from collecting. Invoice was broken down as:

Audi/VW 1900cc tdi pd150 auxilary pulley/tensioner and belt kit x1 - £100

Hourly labour charge x1 - £50

Vat @ 15% - £22.50

Total £172.50

All I can say is that even though I have probably been overcharged I am happy it wasn't anything major and I am now the proud owner of a working skip again

On a positive note I am now booked in at Awesome GTI for a week on Monday for a few little bits and bobs doing :D:D I am looking forward to the visit but my credit card isn't!

I'd check up on the kit price from a dealer myself, but know what you're saying - you have a working car again

OTOH, it would be nice to get to that stage whilst being charged what you consider to be a reasonable price for the work undertaken....

And what you having done at Awesome? Or is it a secret?

Steve

Hmmm, a cambelt kit isn't much over £100 for the fabia.....

But the auxilliary pulley is getting on for £100 on its own IIRC.

And what you having done at Awesome? Or is it a secret?

Steve

No secret Steve, I'm having one of them new california air fresheners installed. I've been told that the cherry one gives you the biggest power increase. Have you got one yet?

But the auxilliary pulley is getting on for £100 on its own IIRC.

TBH I don't think I have been particularly ripped off. The guys that work there are pretty genuine and I have dealt with the actual owner a few times and he seems like a decent bloke. Either way it's paid for now. Has this tensioner problem happened to anyone else on brisky? As the guy said it was a pretty common problem that they see across the VAG 1.9 range. He said in his experience even though they all use the same VAG engines he has seen it more on audi's than owt else. :confused:

Its common on the longitudinal mounted PD130 (Passat/A4/A6/Superb). The tensionner is at the front of the engine and takes a hammering from the elements I suppose. Not heard about it on transverse mounted engines though. Not many people have your level of torque though...

I don't think you were ripped off at all mate.

No secret Steve, I'm having one of them new california air fresheners installed. I've been told that the cherry one gives you the biggest power increase. Have you got one yet?

Hell I'm buying three! Big power pimpin'

:P

Its common on the longitudinal mounted PD130 (Passat/A4/A6/Superb). The tensionner is at the front of the engine and takes a hammering from the elements I suppose. Not heard about it on transverse mounted engines though. Not many people have your level of torque though...

I don't think you were ripped off at all mate.

They need to get the thanks button working! Cheers pal.

Hell I'm buying three! Big power pimpin'

:P

There's always one who has to go to extremes isn't there? Your gonna have serious issues with that much power mate.

There's always one who has to go to extremes isn't there? Your gonna have serious issues with that much power mate.

Hi

Glad your sorted , plus it means you can still come and see us too

Watch that Steve , as he is wanting all the cherry smellies LOL

He is getting some for Lady E too , so I think he is keeping the whole of the north going too

Sarah

Hi

Glad your sorted , plus it means you can still come and see us too

Watch that Steve , as he is wanting all the cherry smellies LOL

He is getting some for Lady E too , so I think he is keeping the whole of the north going too

Sarah

I'll be there on Monday don't you worry. My camera is coming along so I hope non of your lot are shy?

Been told that your customer service and hospitality is a truly legendary experience so i'm looking forward to that an all. Hope your waiting room is up to scratch as i'll be sat in there working on the laptop for the duration of the work being done on the skip.

I'll be there on Monday don't you worry. My camera is coming along so I hope non of your lot are shy?

Been told that your customer service and hospitality is a truly legendary experience so i'm looking forward to that an all. Hope your waiting room is up to scratch as i'll be sat in there working on the laptop for the duration of the work being done on the skip.

I am sure we can oblige of that I am sure

Just hope that the wi fi (or what ever its called is working , it does not like cold days)

Sarah

Well, It's happened again. It never rains but it pours!

Took the skip to Awesome GTI on Monday for servicing and a few other bits. Car felt very good afterwards.

Less than 24 hours off of the ramps and the starter motor has packed up! had to bump start the car and drive it to a local garage last night.. I am collecting tomorrow.

After collection tomorrow I will have spent £850 in that last two weeks on servicing and fixing the car! :thumbdown:

SWMBO has been on at me to 'sell it before it turns into a bigger money pit than it already is.' MOT is due in march and i think it will probably need new front tyres at the very least.

I am seriously F u c k e d off.