Hi Guys

On the damper and Tensioner unit has broken for the on my aux. drive belt (the belt not under a cover). I have got a whole replacement from the scrapers, but I need advise on how to fit it as it is quite tight in there to work. I know where it goes but not how to get in there to work. I have been very cautious with stripping down last night.

See attatched pictures of broke away damper and 'temp fix to get home.

Pic1 Broken damper,

Pic2 Engine bay lay out

Pic3 Vice grip fix to get home.

Any advice or guidance would be appreciated.

Back round

This is the second one broken in 5 month 3 K. miles since repaced FreeOf Charge= Stand off with garage won't replace under warranty again and say something such as as air con must be jamming to make it break.

FYI it has only done 73K miles. The replacements were not OEM parts, Just equivalents.

originally the belt tensioner damper was replaced because the damper was leaking fluid. (at 68K, Feb 10 )

Warranty replacement of 1 broken one after 3K / 5 months,

FYI Water pump and timing belt change at 30 K under warranty.

Thanks.

Dan

air con pump or I suspect more likely is the freewheel on the alternator which is causing the problem.

iirc, it is just held in with a couple of bolts, I took mine off when doing my cambelt, nothing clever to it.

Just remove the old one, ensure the belt is threaded around everything correctly and out the new one on. You should be able to change it without removing anything else, iirc.

I had to remove mine to change the alternator for the second time in 8 months, (both times it was the pulley) I found access easier when I removed the power stearing pump, its a bit fiddely but once you undo the 3 allen bolts that hold the pulley to the pump, the pump mounting bolts come out easy enough. A bit of leverage to shift the pump from its location and you then get easy access to the aux belt tensioner.

I had a hell of a job doing mine, top turbo pipe off, expansion tank, fuel filter, washer bottle released - couldn't get that out for love nor money!

Even after all that I found there was limited room to move, and with that lot off I still had to offer the stinking thing up from below.

The down side is I have now disovered in the historic paper work that it was done a year ago too, so although the alternator seemed OK it must be at fault. With everything in place is it possible to check the alternator clutch?

Tom

I had a hell of a job doing mine, top turbo pipe off, expansion tank, fuel filter, washer bottle released - couldn't get that out for love nor money!

Maybe I lied the I would have had the top turbo pipe off when changing my cambelt. Did remove the expansion tank, fuel filter or washer bottle though.

Maybe I lied the I would have had the top turbo pipe off when changing my cambelt. Did remove the expansion tank, fuel filter or washer bottle though.

I couldn't get the wrench on the bolts and the bolts full undone without removing everything. I guess if you have a wrench spanner, then you'd be fine.

I failed to mention that I also had to take the bottom plastic tray off, and the one on the drivers side.

Don't suppose your cambelt is due, if so give your scavenged part to the garage along with a pint and ask them to slap it in while they're doing that! I'm guessing the cambelt probably needs the back seats, the cd changer and passenger side wing mirror off to get to it!

Tom

also may be the crank drive pulley breaking up, they are 2 piece with a rubber cushion between them, most of the failures are due to the alt pulley going wrong tho.

easy enough to change the tensioner but make sure thay you remove the drive belt and lock the tensioner with a 4mm pin before undoing 2 3 bolts that hold it in place

thanks Guys for the advice. I now am more confident about what to remove. Felica16- 4mm lock pin - I would have missed that & learnt the hard way.

thanks Guys for the advice. I now am more confident about what to remove. Felica16- 4mm lock pin - I would have missed that & learnt the hard way.

When I did mine I didn't know the size, I shoved a self tapper screw in that fitted nicely and that got bent clean over and I couldn't get it out, so I just unbolted and that was that.

As i say, if you have ratchet spanners, then the job is easy, if however like me you only have a socket set, then it's hard work, the depth of the wrench and socket mean that you can't fully undo the bolts, and they we're darn stiff too.

Putting the new one back on, as I said I had to feed it up from underneath. I did this without the locking pin, once it was bolted in position, then put the belt pretty much in place excluding the crank pulley, stick a ring spanner on the lug of the tensioner, pull it round and work the belt onto the crank pulley, jobs done.

If the reason it broke was the alternator or similar, wait a year or so and do ti again.

Tom

If finally finished the pulley tensioner/ damper swap out this week end. besides removing under side body panels, it took the better part of the day to remove the old damper & pulley - damned hard work when the socket set is either too big to not quite long enough.

Used 4 mm allen key with rounded off edges to lock pulley before fitting.

Had some fun on the fist test driver when the Turbo hoses were not properly seated. - Not recommended. Now running really sweet and the lumpy start , wike starting a tractor has gone, the Damper is doing its job.

I also discover the the garage missed out lots of screw on the under engine protection panel. -Enough said.

I don;t know what happened to the links above here they are again. TDIclub a4timingbelt.pdf

Sorry the links to the pictures

seems broken- Sorry to thoseswho were interested.

Thanks for all the help Chaps & Chapess's.

Thanks Dan

If finally finished the pulley tensioner/ damper swap out this week end. besides removing under side body panels, it took the better part of the day to remove the old damper & pulley - damned hard work when the socket set is either too big to not quite long enough.

Used 4 mm allen key with rounded off edges to lock pulley before fitting.

Had some fun on the fist test driver when the Turbo hoses were not properly seated. - Not recommended. Now running really sweet and the lumpy start , wike starting a tractor has gone, the Damper is doing its job.

I also discover the the garage missed out lots of screw on the under engine protection panel. -Enough said.

I don;t know what happened to the links above here they are again. TDIclub a4timingbelt.pdf

Sorry the links to the pictures

seems broken- Sorry to thoseswho were interested.

Thanks for all the help Chaps & Chapess's.

Thanks Dan