Don't suppose anyone has a tip on releasing the aux belt tensioner on the AUQ? Right now it's a pair of mole grips, squeeze and watch fingers...if there's a certain trick with this one please give me a heads up lol

Taken from the Octavia Haynes manual.

For improved access, apply the handbrake and jack up the front of the vehicle and support on axle stands.

Remove the right hand front wheel then remove the access panel from inner arch.

On 1.6 litre, 1.8 and 2.0 litre engines, use a spanner on the lug provided and turn the belt tensioner clockwise. Lock the tensioner in its released position by inserting a drill bit through the lug into the tensioner body.

Note how the drivebelt is routed, then remove it from the crankshaft pulley, alternator pulley, power steering pulley, and air conditioning compressor pulley.

Locate the new belt on the pulleys, then release the tensioner. Check that the belt is located correctly in the multi-grooves in the pulleys.

Refit the access panel and roadwheel, and lower the vehicle to the ground.

Hope this helps.....

If you have a good look at the tensioner it's pretty obvious what you have to do. Spanner on the lug and small allen key/drill bit to lock it in place.

 

Belt can be easily replaced from above with no need to remove any plastic panels or a wheel. Nice 2 minute job.

I've never done one so I didn't know it could be done from above.

Just use an open ended spanner on the lug on the tensioner arm. I think it's 15 or 16mm. You can stick something in the hole to hold it in place

 

Courtesy of Google:

Edited 16 January, 201412 yr by mushtafa

Cheers guys, I changed the alternator and had a hell of a job with the tensioner and yeah, all done from above, no need for the wheel off or anything else. Changed the alternator then noticed the the tensioner squeal- sod's bloody law lol. 

good job then

well got it done, took 20 mins start to end but the actual tensioner arm look to be 1 or 2mm out of alignment so some of the belt is showing, it's running straight and true but off the wheel by 1 or 2mm...bit more investigation needed  or make a little spacer

Or the tensioner is worn and kicking off at an angle. You'd probably be better fitting a new one

It is a new tensioner, I was changing it- I figured out the problem and feel like a kretin. THere's a small pipe bracket there and I stupidly had that fastening behind the tensioner instead of in front of it (Iswear it was behind it though) and it was that 3 mm giving the tensioner an angle throwing the belt off...those bloody skoda pipe clips are gonna be the end of my hands! Spanner rash ahoy!