Had my VRS into the garage today to get my timing belt and water pump etc done.

The garage had quoted 4 hours so £90 for the labour. I turn up today and they say they have been working on it for 8 hours due to the timing belt tensioner being siezed (the hydraulic part)

Is this a common fault on the 1.8 T??

Just dont want to get ripped off

STOO

They should be changing it anyway,so it wouldn't mater if it was siezed.

Agreed, as long as they meant that the tensioner was siezed, and not that the securing bolts were siezed.

why would threy be changing the hyraulic bit?? it doesn't even come with a genuine belt kit and is not even mentioned for replacement..

just interested really.

Yeah it dosn't come with the kit you have to buy it separately,its around £40,and should be changed when cambelt replaced.

Nightmare! They thought it would have cost way more than that so they just mucked about with it to get it freed for half the day!! ARGGGGHHHH

Just my luck!!

STOO

So they're expecting you to ante up 4 hours labour charge for them to unstick a broken part that they should have been changing anyway!!?

Was the tensioner retaining bolt seized and sheared on trying to remove it ? If this was the case then the charge is quite reasonable .

Nothing was sheered, just the hydralic tensioner part was jammed. He said he freed it up on his lunch hour and re-fitted as he tried it loads of times and was ok. He said he does all the local taxi octavias and he has never changed the hydralic part, just the mechanical part that comes with the kit. But then he also says he never does the water pump too LOL

In the end he just charged me £94 for repplacing the timing belt kit and doing the water pump and also changed the oil and filter (i supplied the oil and filter)

So you cant complain with that service ?? although, i did ask him to do my bogbone bush thingy and he never fitted that :'(

STOO

They should be changing it anyway,so it wouldn't mater if it was siezed.

Agree with above..... its a spring loaded tensioner and hydraulic damper in one , and as we all know, over time springs become weak and dampers become less effective with age and use.

Bill.

I opted to have the hydraulic damper changed on my 4X4 Estate at the 8 year point along with the cam belt, tensioning roller, relay roller, water pump and ribbed double poly V-belt. Apparently the only way to check the hydraulic damper effectively is to remove it and test it in a vice. It cost an extra £86.63 fitted. I used TTS Roadsport in Bedford who are Audi TT specialists and have a very impressive workshop plus loads of expertise on the 1.8T engine.