Volkswagen Passat (2001 - 2005) - 2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Reviews
Best Cars To Buy
Ask HJ
- See all Ask HJ questions
Real MPG
- Find your Real MPG
- Best MPG Cars for 2025
News
- Latest news
- All new cars coming in 2026
Advice
Help & Tools
Free car valuation
- Get a FREE valuation
- How to sell your car
Cars For Sale
- Used cars for sale
- New cars for sale
Profile
Log out
Log in
New account

Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:20

2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley - Peter D

Guys, I have an AWX engine on my drive and the serpentine belt is going balistic at tickover. It is shaking the tensioner quite violently. Above tickover it all calms down. On inspection and depressing the metal centre bolt the tensioner moves down at least 3mm before the plastic pulley moves. Is this soft mounted or is the centre bearing wearing through the plastic pulley ? Regards Peter

Edited by Pugugly on 18/09/2008 at 19:39

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:40

2002 1.9 Passat 2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley - 659FBE

If there is free movement in the tensioner around the centre bolt, it's almost certainly worn out - pattern spares are available from GSF and the like.

The cause of all this will almost certainly be a seized one way drive inside the alternator pulley. A new pulley is the only course of action.

Out of interest, how many miles has it covered? I have an AWX engined VAG vehicle and find the economy/performance compromise better than any other vehicle I've used.

659.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 18 Sep 2008 10:45

2002 1.9 Passat 2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley - Peter D

Thanks for the speedy reply 102,000. It's not mine it is a visitors car and I noticed the noise as he pulled into my drive. I checked the clutch and the fan in the alternator does not turn forward at all so as you say the clutch has failed. Regards Peter

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 18 Sep 2008 12:25

2002 1.9 Passat 2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley - Peter D

Yep as suspected the Alternator was seized as you could not rotate the alterator cooling fan and there is 3 mm of free movement in the tensioer pulley. The car is now on the way to a local to owner garage, if the pulley holds together. Regards Peter

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 18 Sep 2008 17:38

2002 1.9 Passat 2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley - 659FBE

Thanks for the feedback. My enquiries suggest that after about 80k miles, these pulleys tend to seize. Be careful on your garage trip - the pulley has been known to migrate through the radiator fan...

659.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 18 Sep 2008 19:31

2002 1.9 Passat 2002 1.9 TDi PD Tensioner Pulley - Peter D

Thanks 659 my visitor got home safely and left the car at his local VW garage. Regards Peter

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Related questions

Will my car fail the MoT due to broken front fog light?

The nearside front fog light on my 2013 Vauxhall Corsa doesn't work, I have changed the bulb but still not working, will my car fail its MoT because of this?

Where should a Crit'Air sticker be placed?

Official advice is to place the French Crit'Air sticker on the right side of vehicle windscreen but for most UK cars this will impinge more than 40mm into zone B and won't that therefore be an MoT failure?

Will my car fail its MoT because a door mirror indicator doesn't work?

My 2010 Hyundai ix35 has indicators in the door mirrors. One has failed. Does this mean that the car will fail its next MoT?

My car was written off as a Cat N - do I have to get it re-tested for an MoT?

I know insurers require a new MoT for a vehicle that was a Cat N write off. They have given me 14 days to obtain one but is it a legal requirement? Could I still drive on the existing MoT? Also if it fails...