Cambelt tensioner bolt fail after 4 months - Who pays?
Discussion
Hi,
I bought a very nice and tidy Audi A3 four months ago from a dealer in Essex. It had only done 82,000 miles which was nice and low for the year and it was obviously well cared for. For peice of mind I asked for and payed extra to have a new cambelt done and full service carried out.
I was very pleased until two weeks ago I was driving home from work and the car stopped. All the symptoms were that the cambelt had gone. My local garage did a quick check and confirmed that the cambelt was loose and had slipped. I rang the original dealer who sold me the car, who in turn asked me to ring the garage he'd had do the work. They told me to get it recovered to them and they'd sort it and claim from the supplier of the cambelt kit. All good so far!
However, they phoned me a couple of days ago to say the stud holding the tensioner had come loose in the head and was therefore not a parts failure so wasn't covered and that I'd have to pay to have the work done. I said no as I'm skint and anyway surely it's related as they must have either not torqued it tight enough or the opposite and torqued it too much. Their answer was that because I'd covered 4000 miles since (I do 1000 miles a month average) it would have gone before it did if it was due to them? Personally, I think if it was over tightened it might well have taken that long before letting go.
They've suggested having the stud hole ally welded, redrilled and a new stud fitting then retiming and trying it before a strip down? It's an interferrance engine and I was doing about 50mph when it went - I can't see how it won't have done a lot of damage so surely doing that is a waste of time and could potentially do more harm than good?
So I buy a car and pay extra to have a new cambelt fitted and within four months I'm facing a huge bill for the damage done by the very thing I paid extra to not have to worry about. Who's liable? The dealer I bought it from, the garage who did the cambelt change or me?
Thanks in advance for any advise.
Ivan
I bought a very nice and tidy Audi A3 four months ago from a dealer in Essex. It had only done 82,000 miles which was nice and low for the year and it was obviously well cared for. For peice of mind I asked for and payed extra to have a new cambelt done and full service carried out.
I was very pleased until two weeks ago I was driving home from work and the car stopped. All the symptoms were that the cambelt had gone. My local garage did a quick check and confirmed that the cambelt was loose and had slipped. I rang the original dealer who sold me the car, who in turn asked me to ring the garage he'd had do the work. They told me to get it recovered to them and they'd sort it and claim from the supplier of the cambelt kit. All good so far!
However, they phoned me a couple of days ago to say the stud holding the tensioner had come loose in the head and was therefore not a parts failure so wasn't covered and that I'd have to pay to have the work done. I said no as I'm skint and anyway surely it's related as they must have either not torqued it tight enough or the opposite and torqued it too much. Their answer was that because I'd covered 4000 miles since (I do 1000 miles a month average) it would have gone before it did if it was due to them? Personally, I think if it was over tightened it might well have taken that long before letting go.
They've suggested having the stud hole ally welded, redrilled and a new stud fitting then retiming and trying it before a strip down? It's an interferrance engine and I was doing about 50mph when it went - I can't see how it won't have done a lot of damage so surely doing that is a waste of time and could potentially do more harm than good?
So I buy a car and pay extra to have a new cambelt fitted and within four months I'm facing a huge bill for the damage done by the very thing I paid extra to not have to worry about. Who's liable? The dealer I bought it from, the garage who did the cambelt change or me?
Thanks in advance for any advise.
Ivan
Hi
Every timing belt kit that I have fitted that I can remember has had a new tensioner and any idler pulleys required. The stud hole being that damaged it needs welding seems strange usually they can be repaired with a new hele coil. Also welding the hole is not a good idea drilling a hole straight and in the correct place afterwards can be difficult on the job. Best option is a thread insert I have used these with success on alloy heads for exhaust manifold studs etc.
Mick
Every timing belt kit that I have fitted that I can remember has had a new tensioner and any idler pulleys required. The stud hole being that damaged it needs welding seems strange usually they can be repaired with a new hele coil. Also welding the hole is not a good idea drilling a hole straight and in the correct place afterwards can be difficult on the job. Best option is a thread insert I have used these with success on alloy heads for exhaust manifold studs etc.
Mick
Hi again,
I paid the dealer (independent car trader not main dealer btw) to have the cambelt change.
"Tensioner isn't necessarily part of a cambelt change anyway" - The tensioner didn't fail, it was the stud that they would have had to undo to loosen it to replace the cambelt. Having googled it, it seems a known issue that if it is then over tightened it can fail at any time. The garage say that because I did 4000 miles it must have been tightened correctly. My local garage (who I trust) have said an over torqued bolt is like a bomb triggered to go off at anytime but if tightened correctly it should reasonably be expected to last until the next cambelt change.
I feel for the trader who sold me the car but as he commissioned the job I think it looks like him I have to pursue - He just says the consumer sales act only covers existing faults and the car was sold without any.
Ivan
I paid the dealer (independent car trader not main dealer btw) to have the cambelt change.
"Tensioner isn't necessarily part of a cambelt change anyway" - The tensioner didn't fail, it was the stud that they would have had to undo to loosen it to replace the cambelt. Having googled it, it seems a known issue that if it is then over tightened it can fail at any time. The garage say that because I did 4000 miles it must have been tightened correctly. My local garage (who I trust) have said an over torqued bolt is like a bomb triggered to go off at anytime but if tightened correctly it should reasonably be expected to last until the next cambelt change.
I feel for the trader who sold me the car but as he commissioned the job I think it looks like him I have to pursue - He just says the consumer sales act only covers existing faults and the car was sold without any.
Ivan
mickthemechanic said:
Hi
Every timing belt kit that I have fitted that I can remember has had a new tensioner and any idler pulleys required. The stud hole being that damaged it needs welding seems strange usually they can be repaired with a new hele coil. Also welding the hole is not a good idea drilling a hole straight and in the correct place afterwards can be difficult on the job. Best option is a thread insert I have used these with success on alloy heads for exhaust manifold studs etc.
Mick
Thanks Mick Every timing belt kit that I have fitted that I can remember has had a new tensioner and any idler pulleys required. The stud hole being that damaged it needs welding seems strange usually they can be repaired with a new hele coil. Also welding the hole is not a good idea drilling a hole straight and in the correct place afterwards can be difficult on the job. Best option is a thread insert I have used these with success on alloy heads for exhaust manifold studs etc.
Mick
Yes I agree and I thought his idea sounded very dodgy. It was the first cambelt change so I can't imagine it can be anything other than an over torqued stud. Of course, welding it up would hide any evidence too. I'm inclined to recover the car to my local garage and have them do the work. Trouble is that I'm cash strapped and worried it will be a very expensive job!
Ivan
Interesting -
Just been looking at the receipts and it looks like the garage that did the cambelt change and the car dealer are both parts of the same company. I won't name them but having talked to both, they have acted as if they are independent of each other. I can now see from photos on the web that though not on the same premises they trade under the same name, have the same signs ect.
Does that alter anything?
Ivan
Just been looking at the receipts and it looks like the garage that did the cambelt change and the car dealer are both parts of the same company. I won't name them but having talked to both, they have acted as if they are independent of each other. I can now see from photos on the web that though not on the same premises they trade under the same name, have the same signs ect.
Does that alter anything?
Ivan
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