Serpentine or Poly V or auxiliary alternator belt and its replacement?

[DAVIDHUNTER72]

Dear all,

It appears to have many names but can anyone advice on how to replace it. I was having a whining noise from it over the past few weeks, I think a pulley / tensioner / dampner or idler has started to fail and part of the belt has been shredded.

The engine is the CCWA 3.0 tdi in an A4 2010 quattro s-line.

It has very little clearance and I read that you can put the front into a service lock / service mode but how do you do that to get an extra 50mm clearance.

Trying to cobble lots of videos together it looks like remove under tray, remove bumper all electrics and screws from underneath up top and also through the wheel arches, then use extra long bolts somewhere to allow the entire front end to slide forward after the bumper removal.

Anyone got a good video or pictures of how to do this on the B8 version?

How much do you think a garage will charge to replace this belt, any ballpark figures?

Thanks in advance

Dave

[Crasher]

You can do it without taking the front apart IF you have the special low profile T40087 Torx T60 socket to allow you to wind back the tensioner but it is a real hand ripper and then you have the room for a taller T60. You can get the tool on fleaBay for a tenner but without the car being on a 2 post lift 6 feet in the air, you will struggle. The official Audi time is just over half an hour which is hysterical so if you can get them to do it for their 60 time units, let them suffer. I would be estimating 3 hours!

[DAVIDHUNTER72]

cheers Crasher. Also just noticed a funny metal bracket down at the very bottom which looks like I would have to remove that as well.

Took a lot of the nuts out at the top and there is some but minimal movement looks like I would need to get the nuts out from under the wheel arches. I think its time for the mechanic, booked it in locally for tomorrow although they didn't seem sure how to do it either without stripping loads away but I did explain that some have done it without removal of anything.

My main worry though is, why it started to rip apart in the first place and the noise which makes me think a pulley or follower etc. will need replaced hence needing put it into the service position.

I spent all last week stripping out the rear suspension and replaced all of that and the brakes and discs for some brembo cross drilled xtra stuff which appears to be very nice so far, just can't believe that I am going to be out of pocket for more work already.

Fingers crossed its just the belt.

Called my local Audi dealer they said they don't often replace them and are to get back to me with an approximate price for replacement ! Left or right kidney I wonder ? :biglaugh:

[Crasher]

The belt will disintegrate if the tensioner or one of the two idler pulleys are failing so it would be better to pull it forward into a version of the old service position as it gives more room. If the tensioner is removed the bolts MUST be replaced as they are strech bolts with specific torue procedures and there are M10 and M11 versions so the correct bolts need to be ordered.

[DAVIDHUNTER72]

If I had the time and this weekend free I would take it all apart and replace all the pulleys. ******* do a full kit with water pump for around 100- 120 depending on brand gates or INA. I bet I pay that and only get the belt replaced

[Crasher]

A quick look on their site (I have used them but they are clueless, order by VAG part number only and cross check elsewhere) and £110 sounds too cheap for a belt, pump, tensioner inc bolt and three idler pulleys. As I mentioned, you must know if you have the M10 or M11 tensioner, i.e. cars built not registered, up to 20-09-10 or after.

[DAVIDHUNTER72]

Cheers crasher I have left it in the hands of the local mechanic. I tried to explain how to take front end off and put it into service position so I hope he understands that part. He said he would Google it, I told him you will struggle to find the exact info. Told him to replace more than less as I don't want to have to go back and do the rest in a year or two.
I can still hear the whine off something this morning so I hope he can work out which bearing in what has gone

[Crasher]

For the 8K there isn't really a service position, you know what to do and having the slider pins by having 8D, 8E, 4B etc experience.