Hi folks, Im here pretty much because I helped a friend find his first car recently and settled on a 2000 model 1.4 MPI 8V AZE for value and insurance.

 

Im comitted to looking after it for him until he learns the necessary for himself.

 

It had huge amounts of main dealer service history (never seen so much) and looked like a really good bet, I dont usually get caught out.

 

I have a long and extensive DIY history with cars and lately I run modified B5.5 Passats and Im very active on ukpassats

 

Key things were it looked like all the things that Fabias ail with were done, Temac head gasket withing last 2 years by main dealer, new front bearings and bushings etc.

 

Unfortunately its got the speed related roar from the front that seems so common, and it shows in the dealer servicing history the front wheel bearings were done less than 2 years ago!

 

My guess is corrosion has got into the races, or bad brinelling from wrong fitting, or both. I suspect someones pressed them in rather than the correct GEN2 tool sadly.

 

There was some rumble when I test drove it but I could feel bad sawtoothing on the horribly hard compound goodyear eco tyres on the front so I put it down to that as the steering was very sharp and I could not feel any hint of looseness in the hubs when getting hold of the wheels.

 

I switched tyres front to back as a matter of diagnosis and while off I was forced to conclude bearings as they dont spin evenly or as freely as they should.

 

Annoyingly in the 3 weeks hes had it Ive been working up to sorting the bearings out then I get a call tonight its killing its auxiliary belt.

 

Incidentally the belt is very recent and was in perfect condition before this, its a recent replacement, but I do not know if the tensioners were also replaced as it is not sane to keep old tensioners.

 

I can see it moving sideways only a very little on the tensioner rollers but not much at all even when revved, but all the same theres more movement than id want to see maybe up to 5mm on the tensioner rollers  but it has eaten the inner edge up a little on the side nearest the block but I cant see it making contact anywhere nor is it running off any of the pulleys.

 

Nor can I see any obvious debris fouling it or any noticeably skewed pulleys or rollers.

 

It was dark however so inspection by torchlight so no pics.

 

Going to have a better look jacked up with the wheel off early tomorrow AM.

 

Now the real question, are any of the pulleys or tensioners on this design known to be common points of failure?

 

Could it be early belt failure? (Cant recall belt make but Ill check, think its a decent one)

 

If I cant find any reason for the failure when do I just put it down to damage from road debris lol.

 

Can anyone give me a likely suspect for this design

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by mindriot

Hm, im doing some research, Im not certain if this design has one tensioner or two?

 

One is normal usually on cars.

 

All I can find decent reference is for Gates T39020 which are shockingly expensive and dont seem to include the tensioner spring?

 

Can you get and replace just the pulley as it seems to bolt on.

 

Edit :

 

I see the tensioner spring, seperate part - Gates T39167 or Febi 34504

 

Also, it seems the good old VAG issue of seizing or over-running alternator clutch pulleys troubles skoda too, how common is belt damage in relation to the alternator pulley? (Ive seen mention of it reading around)

 

There has been a hint of whistle on high load revs Ive been trying to find, it sounds more like air pressure or vac line but the brake vac line is ok Ive inspected it, so the next culprit might well be alternator pulley.

 

Ill be checking that too in the morning.

Edited 19 November, 201312 yr by mindriot

It depends on whether the car has Air Con or not.

 

If it does not have air con the the Auxiliary belt starts at the crank shaft pulley,  goes around a guide pulley (a fixed pulley) then up to the water pump (near the top of the engine. at the bulk head) then comes forward towards the alternator, and then down to the Crank Shaft pulley. The models without Aircon do not have auto tensioners, so it has to be tensioned by loosening the alternator Swing arm/brackets and to push the alternator down to appropriately tension the Aux belt. So its sort of bye eye unless you have the proper tensioning tools. IIRC when i replaced my alternator, i just tightened it so i had about +-3mm of deflection in the middle of the Alternator & water pump.

 

If the car does have aircon, then again starting at the Crank Shaft pulley, it goes to an Auto Tensioner, Then to the water Pump (same place) then to the Air Con pulley which is at to top of the engine at the front (above the Oil Filter) then it goes around a guide pulley, to the alternator and then back to the Crank Shaft Pulley.

 

Hissing sounds, check the Intake manifold gaskets (just spray around and listen for the idle to change) or check the Throttle body, mine was gummed up so much it wasnt sealing correctly, I removed it, cleaned it up, put a new throttle body gasket and then torqued it up to the appropriate level and it fixed my air leaks. Then of course have the Throttle body re-aligned with VCDS etc.

 

I hopes this helps. 

Hi. Thanks for responding.

 

Yep with aircon, I could work out the path by looking but tracked this down if it helps anyone :

 

http://www.fixya.com/cars/t17769659-need_diagram_skoda_fabia_1_4_mpi_2002

 

Thanks for the advice on the loaded revs sound Ill look at the items. Car went to garage and ran while on lift, bloke there thinks it might be exhaust related. More on that below.

 

Im a Passat fanatic and Ive got VCDS, thus far the car has not logged one single fault code which impressed me, theres always something faulting on an old VAG car lol.

 

Well to summarise I packed all my gear and hit the car first light, a good inspection in the light revealed utterly no logical reason for the failure, couldnt see a thing wrong. Also noted not a clutch pulley on the alternator so no fault there.

 

For my own inspection I was forced to conclude belt failure or mystery debris now departed kicked up from the road.I hate having to think like that because you have to risk replacement belts without being able to point to an obvious cause.

 

Pal stressing it so for a headache remedy and my own sanity told him go ahead stick it in garage then, so took him to a great place I use and trust, tracking down a belt from GSF as a precaution first. Not even Skoda main dealer parts had one for the shame!

 

Later in the day I get a call so take mate over to collect.

 

Utterly no fault with engine or pulleys or tensioners or alternator, faultless.

 

All they found was old belt residue on tensioner roller nearest AC pump causing a very rough surface so they cleaned that up and stuck the new belt on and charged half an hour labour at £25, belt cost £15 for a reinforced DAYCO from GSF

 

Garage man showed me the knackered belt, a CONTITECH and pointed out it feels too soft and I agree, even though its newish its either failed very prematurely or its a counterfeit part frankly. we had a banter and a laugh about it and that was that.

 

Car was run by garage extensively during the day, no more wander with new belt and has driven several miles today with no sign of any problem.

 

They also confirmed after my cheeky request while doing belt to inspect - one osf front bearing needing replacement, one osf balljoint and a minor lower tip break on nsf coil spring not affecting driving safety but will need replacing pre MOT - nsf bearing ok for now. Oh and apparently lower arm bushings fitted last year are the heavy duty uprated ones so that was a bit of good news.

 

I always like to round off my ukp posts before during and after in the hope it helps others so doing that here too in the hope it helps the next person.

 

Ill prob be posting around from time to time as Ive told pal to get himself on here several times and he has not yet done so, great communities like this are a huge value to a DIY owner!

Edited 19 November, 201312 yr by mindriot