Driving back from Devon in my 2009 Superb 2.0 tdi 170, approaching Cribbs Causeway Bristol had a bit of a mare.

Battery light comes on, seek workshop assistance, Engine management light and then lose power. Revs down to zero and as I am in the outside lane, had to navigate across the 3 lanes as well as the 2 slip road ones to get to the hard shoulder. Wait for assistance and towed to my preferred garage.

Get a call this morning, the alternator belt is wrapped around the crankshaft pulley and more work needed to get it out. Timing belt may have slipped, don't know! Timing belt and pump and the alternator belt all changed in January about 5,000 miles ago. 

Worst and best scenarios, what could I be looking at?

I suspect you already know

 

Best - replace all belts and tensioners

 

Worst - piston and valve impact damage

 

Figers crossed it's the best!

Alternator belt (serpentine if you like) was wrapped around the bottom pulley and took quite some time to clear out. Indications seem to point that I might get away with new timing belt and bits and have been lucky. Shall know the outcome on Monday, and hopefully not too big a bill. 

Heard from the garage today. Not good news. Auxiliary belt failed and took out the timing so certainly has valve or piston damage.

Genuine part failed, so being dealt with under there warranty and going into the stealers for an assessment and fix. Garage reckons I shouldn't have to pay much if at all as it was a genuine part that generally never fails.

Was just about to say, if this happened 5,000 miles since having the belt replaced then you need to be knocking on the door of the garage who replaced it...

 

Sounds like a happy ending is on the cards though!

I dont know why garages still dont replace these when doing the timing belt 

Its got to come off anyway.. cheap as chips for a new belt and as above the damage it can cause when it does fail is sickening 

6 minutes ago, DEL80Y said:

I dont know why garages still dont replace these when doing the timing belt 

Its got to come off anyway.. cheap as chips for a new belt and as above the damage it can cause when it does fail is sickening 

 

That was my thinking, if they took it off to do timing belt, did they damage it, or not tension it correctly

Never really understand changing one belt, but not the other as disassembled anyway

 

Have heard of belts being changed but the associated new pullies not being replaced, don't know if this happened here, but doesn't sound like job was done 100% properly.  

 

 

 

 

 

Also if the fuel filter was changed recently & any diesel spilt on the belt, causes the rubber belt to degrade quickly.

43 minutes ago, DEL80Y said:

I dont know why garages still dont replace these when doing the timing belt 

Its got to come off anyway.. cheap as chips for a new belt and as above the damage it can cause when it does fail is sickening 

 

It's kind of a thin line though. If you are doing the cambelt you may as well do the water pump (technically it's not a requirement), then if you are doing that you may as well replace the aux belt, add that to the engine mounting bolts you should replace and suddenly the cost of the cambelt is now £100 higher than the independant who wants to steal your business. And most owners won't drill down into what you are actually getting for your money, just the end value. Plus then you get accused of changing parts that don't need to be changed, what was wrong with my aux belt? Was it cracked? Was it worn out? It was working fine when it came in etc.

 

Not everyone understand good maintenance and "It makes sense to change this while it is off".

Back in January the car went in for cambelt kit and water pump change. Also asked for the auxiliary belt to be done, genuine parts used from TPS who are owned by VW so they have to fix it. How long I shall be without wheels I don't know. Tis damned annoying though. My first breakdown in 15 years!

I hope that I am not correct but as you used an independant garage I can see VW digging their heels in and saying that as it was not done at a main dealer it is the independant garage's fault for not fitting and tensioning the belt correctly .

That thought had crossed my mind. I imagine that VW will treat me contempt for not using a stealer to get work done. I shall have to wait and see.

I think you are being fobbed off by the garage, if anyone is responsable, and its a big if, then its the garage that carried out the work, no way are VAG going to accept liability for consequential damage from an auxiliary belt failure unless an expert has proved a manufacturing defect, they are exposed to dirt, stones, fluid contamination and could fail at any time, thankfully these days its a rare occurence thanks to undertrays and engine covers etc but still happens.

 

I think the garage is using a deflection tactic, it will be VAG saying no and not them.

Edited 3 September, 20196 yr by J.R.

That’s not an argument the OP needs to have though. That’s up to the independent to argue. If they can’t convince VW then it’s down to them. 

Agreed, I was concerned that they have been given false hopes of VAG, given how they react to known undisputed issues like DSG boxes and kangarooing new vehicles its hard to imagine them shelling out for engine damage to a 10 year old vehicle allegedly caused by an auxiliary drive belt fitted by an independant.

 

They might try to convince the OP of that but what other reason would they have of passing the car to VAG?

53 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

They might try to convince the OP of that but what other reason would they have of passing the car to VAG?

 

Its worth a shot I guess if they are facing a big bill. 

Done some homework. TPS who supplied the parts owned by VW UK. Warranty process means the car has to go to Fish Bros Skoda in Swindon for assessment. The fact I used an independent garage doesn't matter. There is a law called the Block Exemption which means that even if you use an independent rather than a dealer and if the same standards are used, trained technicians and methods; then there is no wriggling out of a warranty if things go wrong. Trouble is, I still have doubts.

19 minutes ago, Kebab10 said:

Trouble is, I still have doubts.

 

Don't blame you but hey, you've done the exactly the right thing for the situation. There's many who would just assume the worst and not bother.  So far, the glass is half full so fight your corner. I'll be cheering for your side. 

Still waiting for Skoda UK to decide the outcome. Buy anything TV, washing machine etc on warranty; get a fault and its fixed. Car companies, law unto themselves.

Also dragged the CEO of Skoda into this as well. Rod Mcleod on [email protected] if anybody wants his address.

My garage is chasing up but not getting very far either. Oh well, chins up (got more than one).

I don’t think the issue is with Skoda though. If a third party has carried out the work then they are responsible. Should the third party want to take it up with Skoda that’s their job, shouldn’t really have anything to do with the customer and they shouldn’t be in contact with Skoda. 

Third party may have carried out the work but Skoda are dragging there feet. Skoda customer services aren't too helpful so went to the top as **** runs downhill. 

Expecting an answer tomorrow as to the outcome I have just been informed.

Just been told and the answer was of no surprise. Independent garage fitted the parts so they must have been fitted wrongly even though in 6 months I drove 5,000 miles!

My indie garage is obviously disputing this as it was a VW trained master tech who fitted it and back in 2016/7 as well?

So, I want it fixed and couldn't give a flying f*** who pays for it as it wasn't down to my efforts.

What to do next?

Garage is aware it may have to bite the bullet and do the job but Skoda seem to have a right ****ty attitude from what I have seen.

What do I do?

Get it fixed,even if I end up paying towards the fix, ditch it and get another or what.

What do people think?

 

25 minutes ago, Kebab10 said:

So, I want it fixed and couldn't give a flying f*** who pays for it as it wasn't down to my efforts.

 

Things break, breakdowns happen often with consequential damage, there isn't always someone to blame for what has always been called bad luck.

 

FWIW Unless there is evidence to the contrary I doubt that its the fault of either the parts supplier or the garage that fitted it, drive belts can break, I would be looking for evidence of oil contamination or a seized alternator/aircon pump/tensioner pulley, if none of those then its either a faulty belt, and only a forensic examination might decide that or simply a foreign object dragged into the belt.

 

I think if either of them foots the bill for the repairs then you should thank your lucky stars.

 

As to the question of what to do, are you in a position to replace the engine yourself or would you have to pay someone to do it?

I am willing to make a contribution towards the cost of repair if necessary, and no I don't have the facilities to change the engine or whatever needs doing. Really don't know what to do.

If it were me I would still hold the company that fitted the part responsible as that is who your 'contract' is with. Do you have a full itemised invoice for the work carried out?