Oh sod it. First time I've done anything on this engine (103kw/170hp TDI) and I broke the 10mm bolt that holds the cam sensor on. Broke it off flush with the engine case so there's nothing to grab hold of. Access is very difficult without taking off the cam sprocket and therefore have to muck about making sure it goes back on in the same position.

If I take out the right engine mount there might be enough room to get a drill in there to drill it out.

Botheration - only took it off to clean it because I'm getting cam sensor errors.

Damn - anyone got any bright ideas?

Thats a difficult bolt to break.

I had Cam sensor errors on my old Superb, ordered a new replacement sensor. The sensor I removed was as clean as the day it was installed, so cleaning it would have made no difference. Replaced sensor and it worked like a charm, even though it looked exactly the same.

Before going further I would order a new bolt and sensor, you can safely run without the cam sensor installed as the car will use the crankshaft sensor as a backup. The only issue you will have, apart from the CEL is that it will be difficult to start when hot, it will take maybe 30 seconds before the car will fire whilst the ECU switches to getting the timing signals from the crankshaft.

Runs without the sensor - really? Ok, I have a backup car to use (haven't sold the old one yet) so I won't need to, but that's interesting to know.

Might try this method (welding a nut onto it):

I didn't have high hopes that cleaning would help (was only a bit dusty), but thought it worth a try. Jeez, I tell you that bolt is very soft.

It will run, the sensor in my PD TDi was totally dead and had no output at all but the car still run ok, it just took a while to start once it was warmed up.

you need to find someone with a easy out drill bit kit .with this you drill a small hole into the bolt and with the easy out kit you screw them into the hole they have left hand theads you just screw them in and when they become tight it will start to unsrew the bolt.might be a job for a garage

bill

If you have to drill is there enough room to use either a flexible drill shaft, a right angle drill adapter or a small screwdriver drill rather than drop the engine to get a normal drill in there.

If using a stud extractor you do not normally need a wide hole so any of these should be OK.

Could also consider cutting a drill down so it is not so long - just long enough to leave the length required for the hole - stud extractor to bite - have done this before where space is tight

Good Luck

The easy out is the first thing you think of, but I've never had one of them work. The bolt is only about 5mm in diameter too which would make using one of them quite tricky. Could get a right angle drill in there, but it's hard to see with the timing belt on and I really don't want to take it off if I can avoid it.

I'm going to try the welding technique. Got a nut superglued in place ready to weld - boy I hope it works.

If all else fails I'll drill it out and rethread it a larger size. Or get someone to Helicoil it - not sure what kind of access that requires.

Check the accent on this bloke - and the rough as guts drilling method. Also the clumsy mixing of metric and imperial measurements (stupid yanks, why haven't they gone metric).

The welding didn't work. I couldn't get the weld to stick to the bit in the engine block properly. Hard to do on a vertical surface with limited access.

I've taken off the right engine mount, coolant bottle & diesel filter so I have much better access now. Just the timing belt making things difficult, but I might be able to manage without taking it off.

Had to take off the timing belt too. Of course the sodding Easyout broke off in it (grrr). Ended up doing a passable job at helicoiling it (save yourself the hassle and do this first time, don't even consider Easyouts). Got a Helicoil kit, right angle drill head (aluminium body) and Artu drill bit (to get through the Easyout remains) off ebay. New cam sensor seems to have worked (though haven't driven it enough to be sure yet). Yes, it has taken all this time - lucky I have a spare car.

Put on a new timing belt kit even though it was only at 67,000km and 4 years (Australia timing belt change is 105,000km/7 years). It was only $148 (£95) and as I wasn't sure how much to tension a used belt and you have to buy new bolts every time I thought I might as well (particularly as I Bluefin'ed it).