Has anyone had a cambelt tension fail after three weeks? I had a new cambelt and tensioner fitted at the end of May as my Fabia SDi needed its MOT and it has done 55K so I thought I would get it done at the same time. The garage used a genuine VW/Skoda kit but three weeks later the tension failed which has done a lot of damage to the engine (just what I was trying to avoid!!). I has been decided that VW/Skoda will foot the bill. What sort of damage is done to the engine and does it require a new engine? The garage that did the work wants to repair the engine as he does not trust Skoda will do a full repair.

Has anyone had a cambelt tension fail after three weeks? I had a new cambelt and tensioner fitted at the end of May as my Fabia SDi needed its MOT and it has done 55K so I thought I would get it done at the same time. The garage used a genuine VW/Skoda kit but three weeks later the tension failed which has done a lot of damage to the engine (just what I was trying to avoid!!). I has been decided that VW/Skoda will foot the bill. What sort of damage is done to the engine and does it require a new engine? The garage that did the work wants to repair the engine as he does not trust Skoda will do a full repair.

Depends really but could be:-

Bent valves

Holed pistons

Holed block

bent/cracked crank shaft

Bent/cracked camshaft

Bent/cracked canrods

This is what can happen:

Clicky Linky

It can be irredeemable, but with a cast iron block like on your SDI, you might get away with a rebuild. Either way, be glad you're not fitting the bill! :(

Like you say, it's a bummer that it's happened as a result of your trying to AVOID it happening... :thumbdwn: As far as the garage who did the belt chage saying "they don't trust a dealer to do it right", do you feel happy leaving your car in the hands of a garage that can't fit a new cambelt correctly? I obviously don't know the garage concerned, but as Graham Skidmore used to say: "The choice... Is yours!!!"

As far as the garage who did the belt chage saying "they don't trust a dealer to do it right", do you feel happy leaving your car in the hands of a garage that can't fit a new cambelt correctly? I obviously don't know the garage concerned, but as Graham Skidmore used to say: "The choice... Is yours!!!"

It has been agreed that it was a component failure. The person who did the original cambelt is a freind and he is worried that they will not look for all the damage due to cost.

Once the engine is repaired will it be like any engine that has done 55K miles or will it be prone to braeking down again?

Possibly similar TENSIONER FAILURE although without such catostrophic result ?

If Skoda are going to fit the bill, its likely to just get a new engine to save on labour costs etc?

Possibly similar TENSIONER FAILURE although without such catostrophic result ?

Sound similar to what happened to my car except it all happened with in a few miles. The engine started to sound different (as if the exhaust was blowing), then it began to misfire. Got home with the engine still running. Stoppped and started the engine again then nothing. I did not think it was the cambelt as it had been changed recently.