vw passat tdi se 110 1998

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Fri 8 Nov 2002 04:52
vw passat tdi se 110 1998 - marti
while driving my passat on the M5 recently my alternator belt came off followed by the poly-v belt of which threads of this
got tangled up inside the cambelt cover and caused the cambelt
to jump just as i stopped ,this i understand is normally terminal
for the engine ? my problem now is proving liability as the car was only serviced less than 3 weeks before by a "vw specialist"
who has told me that the belts should have been checked but is now very reluctant to admit to anything for obvious reasons as they could be in for a large bill if they are at fault,are threy?
and what help can i get -vw maybe .
the car is vital to me and my job and i can see myself being out of pocket in a big way ,i would welcome any help
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Fri 8 Nov 2002 09:08
vw passat tdi se 110 1998 - RichardW
If it's only jumped a tooth or two it is not necessarily terminal. If it's come off totally, then head will have to come off to find out if any valves have been bent.

If the alternator or tensioners have not sezeid causing the belt to fail, then I would say you have a pretty good case against the garage that did the service - as long as "check belts" is identified as part of the service. You might have to meet them halfway though.

If the belt has just jumped a tooth or two, then it will probably be OK to fit a new one, and check that the engine turns over OK before restarting it. This will not be too expensive. If it's come off, then it will not be worth trying this - the head will have to come off and be checked for damage - this is probably about 1 days work, plus a head skim and any new parts (valves, seats etc).

HTH

Richard
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Fri 8 Nov 2002 09:20
vw passat tdi se 110 1998 - Mark S
If car is a 4 speed auto, it may well need VW Recall 27B5. This involves replacing alternator pulley, belt tensioner & belt. If car needs recall & damage has been caused by parts subject to recall, VW would probably foot the bill. If car is an auto, contact your nearest VW dealer with Reg No. or VIN and ask them to check on Dialog for recall.
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