New cambelt is noisy.... but apparently its "normal"

[tegwin]

I had a new cambelt fitted 3 weeks ago... since then it has been to the garage 3 times for them to try and find out why it is wihing so much... it sounds terrible... it masks the noise of the engine so all you hear is a whine rather than nice induction noise....

They have tried everything and eventually phoned the belt manufacturor and apparently, due to the materials they are now using to make the belts, more noise than was "manufacutor standard" is now to be expected.... What a load of BS....

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...


I am going to try and sell my car this month to upgrade, but I just know that buyers are going to be put off because the engine is now whining due to the new cambelt...

Im seriously p1ssed off.... When the garage spoke to Gates, they didnt seem too interested in trying to find a solution either... im not happy!

Anyone else had similar issues after fitting a new cambelt?

[TheD]

They are talking pish....More likely a faulty pulley wheel

[Superhoop]

Is it on the Vw Polo listedd on your profile?

If so, sounds like the belt has been over tensioned. Makes them whine like a pig

[The Wookie]

Did they change the tensioner? They often have a tendency to let go after a belt change... you don't want that

[tegwin]

I had a full belt kit from gates...

Both tensioners, both idlers, both belts... And yes, its on the 16V polo engine...

They tell me at the garage that they have played with the tension etc and not got anywhere....

This would suggest to me that perhaps the belt and teeth have a different tooth design that is causing a noise?

[The Wookie]

In that case either one of the replacement pulleys is defective, or they've overtightened it initially and killed something. Possibly the water pump.

[spaximus]

It is difficult to say without hearing the noise but if it is loud enough to annoy it does not sound correct. The company I work for supplies all the gates kits in the UK and they are without doubt the very best money can buy. If you are convinced it is wrong then ask the garage to ask Gates to send Andrew Vaux to inspect it. He is a technical guy who will visit and if something is wrong he will recommend a solution. If he says it is fine then it will be.

[tegwin]

I dont know what they class as "too loud" deffinately if I compare it to any other car with a belt... its noisy... almost like a supercharger whine....


The garage who did the work said they do not do many cambelts, but agree that it is a little more noisy than should be expceted....

I really dont know what to do..


Leave it and put up with the whine and hope it does not destroy anything prematurely... or push the issue further and see what happens.... I dont want to make extra work for anyone un necesserily

[Rich_W]

tegwin said:

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...

Contitech yes?. But manufacturer belts are a higher standard. Just admit you tried to do it cheap and now you'll have to do it twice. Not like a genuine belts kit is much more anyway.

[hman]

Rich_W said:

tegwin said:

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...

Contitech yes?. But manufacturer belts are a higher standard. Just admit you tried to do it cheap and now you'll have to do it twice. Not like a genuine belts kit is much more anyway.

HELPFUL!

[bic]

cam chain FTW!




sorry.

[pacey_sot]

Rich_W said:

tegwin said:

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...

Contitech yes?. But manufacturer belts are a higher standard. Just admit you tried to do it cheap and now you'll have to do it twice. Not like a genuine belts kit is much more anyway.

Hmmm OEM cambelts...... I went to Toyota direct for mine, gave them year, chassis code, registration, and model code, they ordered me the part in, picked it up, had the correct engine code on the packet so i thought fine ready to go.

Drove up to Leeds to get my dad to help me fit it, hmmm doesnt seem to line up, turned out it had completely different tooth profiles to the cams and previous belt and was about 2" longer there was no way it was for that engine, left me with little choice at 4:30pm on a Saturday, so luckily a little motor factors had a third party brand in stock fitted perfectly and saved the day

Im not always convinced by manufacturer parts over non-oem ones, after all the manufacturer will work to the lowest cost too, especially if all the cars that need the part are out of warranty

[wildoliver]

COntitech belts are fine, as are gates. Absolute nonsense about doing it on the cheap or having to do it twice.

However it does sound like the garage has over tightened it.

Take it back and demand it is resolved as an overtightened belt will fail. Depending how long it has been howling it may have already damaged it with heat anyway.

[HRG.]

Rich_W said:

tegwin said:

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...

Contitech yes?. But manufacturer belts are a higher standard. Just admit you tried to do it cheap and now you'll have to do it twice. Not like a genuine belts kit is much more anyway.

VW don't actually make belts you plonker. Would you like to know who makes "Porsche" genuine pads, I'll give you a clue, it ain't Porsche.

[Rich_W]

HRG. said:

Rich_W said:

tegwin said:

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...

Contitech yes?. But manufacturer belts are a higher standard. Just admit you tried to do it cheap and now you'll have to do it twice. Not like a genuine belts kit is much more anyway.

VW don't actually make belts you plonker. Would you like to know who makes "Porsche" genuine pads, I'll give you a clue, it ain't Porsche.

I never said VW did! Hence the word "Contitech" My point (which so clearly went over your simple head) was Contitech or whoever will be approached by a manufacturer and told to make X million belts to Y spec. The supplier will then look at the design and make a substitute part which is the same size/fit but to a lower cost. To sell to Euro Car Parts/GSF etc.


To use your point about pads. IME Non genuine pads are always noiser than genuine ones. Despite being made by the same supplier. I see no reason why a non genuine cmablet kit would be anything other than a cheaper/lower quality alternative. Plus you get 2 years warranty on the genuine item. Which sounds like it would be helpful to the OP.

[HRG.]

Rich_W said:

HRG. said:

Rich_W said:

tegwin said:

Its the same company that supply the OEM manufacturor anyway...

Contitech yes?. But manufacturer belts are a higher standard. Just admit you tried to do it cheap and now you'll have to do it twice. Not like a genuine belts kit is much more anyway.

VW don't actually make belts you plonker. Would you like to know who makes "Porsche" genuine pads, I'll give you a clue, it ain't Porsche.

I never said VW did! Hence the word "Contitech" My point (which so clearly went over your simple head) was Contitech or whoever will be approached by a manufacturer and told to make X million belts to Y spec. The supplier will then look at the design and make a substitute part which is the same size/fit but to a lower cost. To sell to Euro Car Parts/GSF etc.


To use your point about pads. IME Non genuine pads are always noiser than genuine ones. Despite being made by the same supplier. I see no reason why a non genuine cmablet kit would be anything other than a cheaper/lower quality alternative. Plus you get 2 years warranty on the genuine item. Which sounds like it would be helpful to the OP.

To stick with the vendors mentioned, have you ever been to the Gates factory in St Neots? I have and guess what, the same product ends up in different packaging. For the record, my head isn't simple, but it did work in vehicle R&D for a while

And again you can but "genuine" Porsche pads if you want, but the ONLY difference is the box. In the great majority of cases (that's a get out clause) it would cost more to source materials to produce an inferior product.

HTH.

[Rich_W]

HRG said:

but it did work in vehicle R&D for a while


HTH.

I would argue that having seen most modern manufacturers products over the last decade or so. Most people that work in R&D have never actually worked on a car Potentially some of them don't even drive

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 18th July 11:47

[camgear]

Who make the best cambelts then in general? (Need to do my Focus one )

[HRG.]

Rich_W said:

HRG said:

but it did work in vehicle R&D for a while


HTH.

I would argue that having seen most modern manufacturers products over the last decade or so. Most people that work in R&D have never actually worked on a car Potentially some of them don't even drive

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 18th July 11:47

Totally agree... It was fifteen or twenty years ago when I did that sort of thing

"Not like that in my day lad"

[spaximus]

Gates in my opinion but Contitec are also OE suppliers. Gates are made in Dumfermlin and they are exactly the same quality as the OE contract which they have more than any other manufacturer.

As for other goods in the Car trade, there are very few car manufacturers who make their own componenets this is done by others who are given a task and come up with a spec. Price is then the final as who gets the OE contract. The same parts are then put into different boxes for the OE or the aftermarket. The reason some Car brands offer a higher warranty is they charge more and offset the odd claim by the extra profit.

In my job I have visited lots of companies and seen the process if you stick with top names like Fram TRW AE Gates Valeo Delco the parts you buy will be the same.

Go for Halford special and QH and you never know what is in the box