Morning fellow briskodians.

Problem! Started the car this evening to go to work and heard this metalic knocking nose coming from the engine bay/ bonnet.

Lifted the bonnet and saw some sort of gas strut/ shock absorber boucing off the timing belt and pulley! (bagan crapping myself as I thought the timing belt had gone caput).

Now, I can see the end of the mouting it's supposed to bolt to (part of the enigine block, looks like it's aluminium or alloy if I'm honest).

Is there any way at all of replacing the mounting WITHOUT getting the engine out or taking out half the engine bay to get to it.

I've tucked it away up near the top part of the engine block so it's fairly secure and won't fall down and start skimming the timing belt again, But i'm worried that this is something rather essential.

Any ideas what it's called or how I even try to rectify this issue??

Many thanks indeed again,

Tony.

Edited 16 February, 201115 yr by Tony Wares

Just some additonal information and a picture here.

http://www.jorily.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=791'

The part that has come loose is the black rod looking impliment. Now I know it's the damper and NOT the tensioner, I'm slightly less concerned (unless told otherwise)

I still intend on replacing the part, as i'm concerned it might slip back over the belt and pulley and start to wear the top part of the belt, eventually wearing the belt out prematurely, eventually snapping the belt.

If i CAN repace the part myself, I'd save myself a fair old bob, so my last question is, how easy for a very inexperianced but technically minded chap like myself would it be to replace this. Bearing in mind I did manage to replace the coolent temp sender and retaining clip last week without too much hassle.

Thanks all again for all your wonderfull advice.

Tony.

Edited 16 February, 201115 yr by Tony Wares

That's the auxillery belt not the timing belt fortunately.

I recently changed the tensioner on a friends PD130 galaxy and it was a 5 minute job, tension off, unbolt and remove, bolt on new one and let it tension up again.

You probably need to move the pipe from the intercooler to the inlet manifold to have enough room. Just had a quick look at my car and I can just about see the three bolts that hold it on.

Edited 16 February, 201115 yr by trundlenut

I changed mine last weekend. They are expensive - Skoda quoted me just over £100 for the part. I got my replacement unit from Vee W Spares in Bristol.

It might have broken because your freewheel clutch thing on the alternator has seized up, this happened to me last Thursday.

Old one that I took off (not broken, just dirty):

I removed the pulley from the PAS pump to make life a bit easier:

Make sure that if you remove the belt to play, you know the route it takes (I had to check the Skoda workshop manuals!)

To remove the intercooler pipework it is much easier to pop the headlight out (although possible without - but not advisable), I also removed the cambelt cover, but I had to get my alternator out, which was a pig due to the bushes (and lack of space - removed the smaller rad fan for more access).

Edited 16 February, 201115 yr by mbames

Thanks for the information guys, You really are wonderful. If I'm honest, this looks a little bit too complicated for me to resolve, so I'm in a rut and the garage it is. They've quoted me £75 for labor and I supply my own parts.

I hope this works out!!

Had this sorted Just over a week ago. barley even done 100 miles and the fu**ers gone again. Parts obtained from Euro car parts. Are they any good? is this a case of shoddy parts or is there something else going on do you recon? I only ask as I've been told by the AA, that this fault is a tale tell sign that the alturnator clutch(or however you spell it) is going or has gone. I'm guessing this means a new (or recon) alturnator then if so. More expense I could have done without, but hey. I could allways claim that Euro's parts are shoddy and claim for a refund?? Any chance you think??

I know you guys are fab when it comes to details, so, if you could help it would be a massive headache delt with..

Thanks again guys,

Tony.

Had this sorted Just over a week ago. barley even done 100 miles and the fu**ers gone again. Parts obtained from Euro car parts. Are they any good? is this a case of shoddy parts or is there something else going on do you recon? I only ask as I've been told by the AA, that this fault is a tale tell sign that the alturnator clutch(or however you spell it) is going or has gone. I'm guessing this means a new (or recon) alturnator then if so. More expense I could have done without, but hey. I could allways claim that Euro's parts are shoddy and claim for a refund?? Any chance you think??

I know you guys are fab when it comes to details, so, if you could help it would be a massive headache delt with..

I point you to my comment in post (4) above.

It might have broken because your freewheel clutch thing on the alternator has seized up, this happened to me last Thursday.

If the pulley has seized on the alternator then the tension in the belt has to go somewhere and it will break the tensioner as you slow down. Bummer :-( Not quite sure why, someone muttered it keeps the alternator spinning at higher speeds for longer and also as the (diesel) engine is less refined.

Get a new pulley and have that fitted onto the alternator - it is a hell of a hot cheaper than a new alternator. Unless you have the tools and small hand then I would suggest a tame mechanic. I changed mine myself, but I am tight

You may well have noticed a slight fanbelt slipping noise at idle from it - I could hear mine when outside of the car, and then it turned to an evil groan and then broke 70 miles later

Ring around for a few quotes. The pricing my Skoda garage gave me suggested they changed the pulley in place (as they charged less to fit that, than to change the tensioner unit). I had to remove the PAS pump, tensioner, smaller rad, headlight and various plastic trim from underneath before I could get the alternator out.

So a new tensioner again, and new flywheel, (which would have a new clutch also) is what you would sugest?

When the tensioner went, I could hear a slight squeeky noise, but not before I noticed the tension damper had snapped off again.

Anyone had any dealings with Euro car parts at all?? Are there parts any good or are they just shoddy quality as the AA bloke has sugested.

Many thanks,

Tony

You will need a new clutch pulley for the alternator, plus another tensioner if it broke again.

Once the tensioner has broken you will hear a slight squeal as the tension in the belt is no longer there. On mine, before the pulley broke there was a slight background noise so I knew it was not all perfect.

I have used parts from Euro Car Parts in the past without any issues. I think I might have one of their cambelt kits fitted at the moment. I bought my spares from Vee W Spares in Bristol as it was convenient for me to get there, and they were cheaper (plus they price match). May well have ECP shocks fitted as well. I suspect your tensioner only broke as the primary cause of the problem was not resolved.

I would suggest a new aux belt as well, just to be safe side too....

What brand was the tensioner, the one I got was a febi which is a well known brand.

I agree with mbames, the problem is most likely the alternator pulley. If the pulley is knackered then every time you left off the throttle the alternator suddenly slows down by several thousand rpm and all that energy has to go somewhere.

Ok, I'll get the pulley and tensioner replaced. The Aux belt was brand new, replaced when the other tensioner went and before that at it's last service in October. Should I replace it again as a matter of course, just in case? Seems a waste if it's only just been replaced again.

Wonderfull comments and advice so far guys. I wish I was more mechanically minded, I'd have saved a few hundred smackers by now!!!

Edited 28 February, 201115 yr by Tony Wares

The brand of tensioner I'm sure was INA.

The brand of tensioner I'm sure was INA.

Pictures and stuff available here: Part link

I just wish the garrage has told me about this possible issue before. I won;t be using them again in any hurry.

I would stick with the old aux belt. I was in 2 minds if I needed to replace mine (78k), but decided I might as well, as was due for a change at the next cambelt change (due in 2k).

If the garage was not a VW/audi/skoda/seat indi they might not have known it was a fairly common problem. Guess I was lucky, as I have been on here for some length of time, and I am getting to know all the problems. Odd how they seem to occur in batches.

Always worth phoning your local Skoda dealer and having a word with a mechanic if you can. Mine have proved to be quite helpful at times - not that I ever spend any money with them, apart from on parts.

INA is a brand I have heard of and my experience of ECP is that they sell decent enough kit.

I would check the belt, but for the sake of a tenner it might be easiest to change it anyway.

Ok, thanks Trundlenut. I'm having issues in getting the pulley replaced. Some so called skoda specialists say it'll take 2 hours labor, some say more, one even talked of 2 days!!!! Sod that for a starter. So, i'm going to get the tool required to remove the pulley and TRY doing it myself. The tensioner is just WAY too burried into the mids of the car to even contemplate doing that, I'll leave that for a mechanic mate of mine to sort out. He likes a challange, so thought he could use the experiance!!

Once again, you all have been fantasticly great with your information. This site is a god-send!!!

changing the pulley can be difficult. If the garage can do it in situ then 2 hours would seem fair. Otherwise, when I changed mine I had to do the following:

- remove offside headlight and indicator

- remove intercooler rigid pipework

- PAS Pump off

- Aux Tensioner off

- smaller rad fan off

- slacken off the some aircon pipework

- various plastic trims off the underneath

- undo the cabling to the alternator

- spent *hours* trying to get the alternator out (the bushes make it a right PITA)

The tool is removing the pulley is about £30, iirc. My local garage offered do the change for £10 for me, but I got someone else to do it for £2.50

Fitting is the reverse of removing, but press the bushes back into the alternator to reassembly. I suggest a few pictures from the bolts around the PAS pump as they look too long when refitted (and thus cause confusion).

good luck :-)

Edited 9 March, 201115 yr by mbames

IIRC, dealers allow about 2.5 hours to do the job, so 2 hours is OK. To replace the pulley, you have to take the alternator out and that's an obstructed job.

If you can't do the tensioner then you can't get the alternator out.

Edited 9 March, 201115 yr by rwbaldwin

IIRC, dealers allow about 2.5 hours to do the job, so 2 hours is OK. To replace the pulley, you have to take the alternator out and that's an obstructed job.

My dealer quoted me:

£59.41 (inc) to supply the alternator pulley

£99.61 (inc) to supply and fit the alternator pulley

£106.03 (inc) to supply the tensioner

£162.31 (inc) to supply and fit the tensioner

The pricing seemed very odd to me at the time, as the labour to replace the tensioner was more than to do the alternator (which requires the tensioner to be removed).

However as you know, I opted to do the job myself instead :yes: as the dealer could not do the job for about a week , and I needed to be mobile before then!

My dealer quoted me:

£59.41 (inc) to supply the alternator pulley

£99.61 (inc) to supply and fit the alternator pulley

£106.03 (inc) to supply the tensioner

£162.31 (inc) to supply and fit the tensioner

The pricing seemed very odd to me at the time, as the labour to replace the tensioner was more than to do the alternator (which requires the tensioner to be removed).

However as you know, I opted to do the job myself instead :yes: as the dealer could not do the job for about a week , and I needed to be mobile before then!

Maybe, they expected you to remove and install the alternator - they were just doing the pulley

Maybe, they expected you to remove and install the alternator - they were just doing the pulley

Maybe, but as I got the pulley changed in a garage in Bristol for £2.50 (the spare change I had in my pocket), then the dealer can stick their offerings