New timing belt slipped

Roscommon John · 03-09-2015 5:57am #1

Hi folks, got a new Gates timing belt kit with water pump, tensioner, guides, new bolts, etc, the works fitted on my 02 mk 1 1.9 tdi Skoda octavia around 5 months ago by a reputable garage. This Monday morning on the way to work, the timing belt slipped two teeth, loads of white smoke, loss of power. Luckily I turned of engine in time and coasted the car to side of road without engine damage.

I got car towed to same garage, they checked all and reckoned some plastic clip failed on tensioner, causing belt to jump teeth, luckily no engine damage. When I enquired about the clip the mechanic couldn't give me an answer, he has to price it. he said clip wasn't part of new kit. Am I being messed around here ? The kit that was installed was suppose to have all new parts right down to new bolts. Is it a case the kit was incorrectly installed and not torqued properly ?

Have I any come back with garage or kit supplier ? Any advice greatly appreciated.

Roscommon John · 03-09-2015 6:22pm

Roscommon John wrote:

I got car towed to same garage, they checked all and reckoned some plastic clip failed on tensioner, causing belt to jump teeth, luckily no engine damage. When I enquired about the clip the mechanic couldn't give me an answer, he has to price it. he said clip wasn't part of new kit. Am I being messed around here ? The kit that was installed was suppose to have all new parts right down to new bolts. Is it a case the kit was incorrectly installed and not torqued properly ?

Quick update, Garage rang today. Their going to cover cost of refitting new timing belt and tensioner, also throwing in full service. So happy days.

Sh1tbag OToole · 03-09-2015 9:36pm

What is the engine code? where you putting the boot down when it happened?

megafan · 04-09-2015 11:50am

If no damage done somebody was very lucky!! & most likely the garage... they must have done something wrong fitting the belt?... You'll never know now but if your happy with service thrown in... "All's well that ends Well"... as they say... Happy Motoring!!!...

dooroy · 04-09-2015 2:21pm

A few years ago I fitted a belt kit and WP to a friends 2000 Bora Tdi.
Everything was fine for about 6 wks and then it stopped .
I eventually discovered the pump timing was a tooth out .
Reset timing , car started and has done about 50K trouble free miles since .
I happened to mention it to a friend in the trade at the time and he had experienced it on a Golf and Passat around the same time ; same problem - timing out

, reset and all fine .
I have been fitting belts for years and that was the only occasion I had a problem.
Everything was torqued etc and I also use Loctite .
I always use Gates belts .

JohnBoy26 · 04-09-2015 6:23pm

It's best to get genuine parts for belt changes on vag cars imo.

Pov06 · 04-09-2015 10:12pm

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

It's best to get genuine parts for belt changes on vag cars imo.

The other thing is actually trying to get a price on an OEM part. A lot of times the prices can be very similar or only slightly higher so it makes no sense going for a spurious belt :rolleyes:

dooroy · 05-09-2015 12:55am

I think if you look it up you will find that Gates are an OEM supplier - same belt just that some have a VW stamp in a VW box while others have a Gates stamp in a Gates box .
The VW one will be more expensive of course.

JohnBoy26 · 05-09-2015 1:10am

dooroy wrote: »

I think if you look it up you will find that Gates are an OEM supplier - same belt just that some have a VW stamp in a VW box while others have a Gates stamp in a Gates box .
The VW one will be more expensive of course.

Nope not much difference in price at all. In some cases it can actually work out cheaper getting a genuine vag kit.

Roscommon John · 05-09-2015 2:47pm

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

What is the engine code? where you putting the boot down when it happened?

Engine code ? Sorry buddy I haven't a clue. I was just moving up in the gears after turning off at a junction, had just gone into 4th gear when I noticed the plume of smoke and power loss. I just clutched the car, turned off engine and coasted into hard shoulder.

Roscommon John · 05-09-2015 2:50pm

dooroy wrote: »

A few years ago I fitted a belt kit and WP to a friends 2000 Bora Tdi.
Everything was fine for about 6 wks and then it stopped .
I eventually discovered the pump timing was a tooth out .
Reset timing , car started and has done about 50K trouble free miles since .
I happened to mention it to a friend in the trade at the time and he had experienced it on a Golf and Passat around the same time ; same problem - timing out , reset and all fine .
I have been fitting belts for years and that was the only occasion I had a problem.
Everything was torqued etc and I also use Loctite .
I always use Gates belts .

Mechanic was stumped, never had a new belt jump teeth before. He ordered the new parts through a VW garage this time.

dooroy · 05-09-2015 2:59pm

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Nope not much difference in price at all. In some cases it can actually work out cheaper getting a genuine vag kit.

You could be right - along time since I compared prices getting a belt for a Golf .
Back then the VW belt was just over twice the price of the Gates one.
Have been using Gates belts for years without any problem so never considered trying the dealers ; they must be trying to compete for parts sales by reducing prices .

06-09-2015 6:52pm

dooroy wrote: »

You could be right - along time since I compared prices getting a belt for a Golf .
Back then the VW belt was just over twice the price of the Gates one.
Have been using Gates belts for years without any problem so never considered trying the dealers ; they must be trying to compete for parts sales by reducing prices .

The last few years the genuine prices have come down an aweful lot . When i had the golf it was cheaper to buy genuine, ie genuine filter was a fiver , battery was 50 , thermostat was 20 , spurious 25 , plugs were cheaper than motor factors

Roscommon John · 08-09-2015 4:24pm

Roscommon John wrote: »

Quick update, Garage rang today. Their going to cover cost of refitting new timing belt and tensioner, also throwing in full service. So happy days.

Just another quick update, it was the rear timing belt guard that failed. The guard itself is plastic, there is a small metal reinforced square cut out of guard where tensioner spring clips into, it had worn away. This caused tensioner to slip and belt to jump teeth. All has been replaced and car running well so far.

New timing belt slipped

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