Hi everyone

 

Pretty much my car keeps snapping alternator belt tensioners, and I cannot find out why. Its had a new alternator 2 and it is still snapping the tensioners. Its the damper, on the tensioner which is snapping off. I really need to use the car to do a 4 hour drive, will it be ok to drive it without this damper on? until I can get it fixed, the belt still seems to be under tension. I only want to use it for this 1 drive then I will get it sorted.

 

I need to also find out why it is snapping the tensioners all the time, in the exact same place! it is really getting annoying... Will end up me getting rid of the Skoda if it carries on

Was it a complete new alternator?

Also do the air con and power steering work ok?

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Yes they are working, well the aircon no as it never has. The belt is still on and under tension, but the damper on the tensioner snaps ;( 

Sorry i should mention the car is a 2002 Skoda Octavia TDI - 1.9 the pre-pd engine 

The alternator pulley has a one way clutch built in and when this dies it tends to kill the tensioner but if you have changed the alternator this seems less likely as the cause.

I don't have a mkI octy anymore and can't remember if there is an idler pulley on the none air con aux belt, worth checking though.

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I had the same problem with a 1.9 SDi engine on my Polo and that was down to the free-wheel mechanism on the alternator having gone solid.  Once the pulley was replaced there were no more problems.  I wonder if they might have re-used the original pulley when the alternator was replaced?  It is also possible that a new pulley could fail.

 

Rob.

Its had 4 pulleys now all brand new :( and 1 new alternator. the alternator is an aftermarket one which is on it now and not genuine. as the last alternator started to make an awful noise when running 

Thanks for the help so far Does anyone know if it will be ok to drive with the damper removed from the pulley for 1 drive?

Join the AA or RAC and do your drive. With no crystal ball there is no way of telling if your belt will stay on or fly off. If it was me, I would be getting the work done and postponing the 4 hour trip until the issue is fixed.

You can check whether the one way clutch is working by moving the fan blades bit inside the alternator when the engine is off - you should be able to move them one way hut not the other. If the pulley has seized and been reused then that could be the cause, or a second failed pulley or even a pulley without a clutch. The petrol engines don't have clutch in the pulley

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They're golden, not crystal, so I can't give a definite answer.

 

I can give you some advice though; no ICE, turn the fan off, and plan to do the entire trip in daylight, preferably in one hit, because your alternator may not be charging!

Seriously thanks for the help people. The batt is charging like I say belt is on jusy the big damper on aux belt tensioner has snapped. I am worried if this belt comes off during driving that it may effect the cambelt. I do have breakdown cover etc. I really cannot get it done prior to the trip. Ill post how it goes.

Thanks