Replacing tensioner pulley 2001 Audi VW Seat Skoda
Discussion
Longitudinal engine - ancillary belt sits right up against radiator fan - car is a VW passat but the engine will be the same as Audi, Seat and Skoda....right?
Got a squeeky noise coming from the front of the car especially on start up. Using an automotive stethoscope I'm pretty certain the culprit is the tensioner pulley. It sits behind the viscous fan. I see from the heynes manual that to gain access to the tensioner and it's pulley, the front of the car needs to come forward - radiator, headlamps etc as one unit. (Possibly called 'lock control assembly' or something like that.) Bumper needs to be removed also.
The car's my dad's. I reckon the job is do-able but would take me a lot longer than a garage. For swiftness my dad might go along with the garage if the price is affordable.
So the questions are,
1 Am I right in thinking the front of the car needs to be moved forward?
2 How long can I be expected to do this job? (amatuer - lots of tools)
3 How long should a garage take and what would the price be?
Thanks in advance.
Got a squeeky noise coming from the front of the car especially on start up. Using an automotive stethoscope I'm pretty certain the culprit is the tensioner pulley. It sits behind the viscous fan. I see from the heynes manual that to gain access to the tensioner and it's pulley, the front of the car needs to come forward - radiator, headlamps etc as one unit. (Possibly called 'lock control assembly' or something like that.) Bumper needs to be removed also.
The car's my dad's. I reckon the job is do-able but would take me a lot longer than a garage. For swiftness my dad might go along with the garage if the price is affordable.
So the questions are,
1 Am I right in thinking the front of the car needs to be moved forward?
2 How long can I be expected to do this job? (amatuer - lots of tools)
3 How long should a garage take and what would the price be?
Thanks in advance.
The alternator free wheel pulleys give lots of squeky noises on the VAG cars. I do loads at Audi. Normall noise is worse on cold start, with lots of electrical on (head lights, heated screen etc) and when the power steering is stressed on full lock.
Before you take the front of the car apart, can you get the belt off with the front still in place (its tricky but usually posible) and test the Alternator free wheel pulley. Flick it round in your hand and you should be able to stop the pulley but still see/feel the inside of the alternator carry on (free wheeling) for a bit.
If the alternator pulley is free wheeling nicely it is most likely the tensioner as you suspected, if the alternator free wheel pulley is siezed, leave the front of the car on and take the alternator off, you can get the pulleys and a special tool to change them, or take the alternator to a specialist who will sort it for you.
Those tensioners do go, but you can normally see they are at a funny angle compaired to the other pulleys when they fail.
Yes the front has to come forward + bumper off, they call it lock carrier (no idea why). We get 1.5 hours to do that, so a good DIY man would probably take most of the morning with a number of tea breaks.
Before you take the front of the car apart, can you get the belt off with the front still in place (its tricky but usually posible) and test the Alternator free wheel pulley. Flick it round in your hand and you should be able to stop the pulley but still see/feel the inside of the alternator carry on (free wheeling) for a bit.
If the alternator pulley is free wheeling nicely it is most likely the tensioner as you suspected, if the alternator free wheel pulley is siezed, leave the front of the car on and take the alternator off, you can get the pulleys and a special tool to change them, or take the alternator to a specialist who will sort it for you.
Those tensioners do go, but you can normally see they are at a funny angle compaired to the other pulleys when they fail.
Yes the front has to come forward + bumper off, they call it lock carrier (no idea why). We get 1.5 hours to do that, so a good DIY man would probably take most of the morning with a number of tea breaks.
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