Drive Tensioner Belt

[Dazzler01]

Hi,Looking for a little help with my Drive Belt Tensioner,Its started to rattle and make a rumbling noise,diagnosed by garage-They say the front end of the car has to be dropped to get access to it and this fault is a common one-can anyone advise me further (1.9 Tdi 2002 A4 AWX)
Thanks Guys !!!!

[Redzer]

I had mine replaced last year on an A6 same engine though

the tensioner is a 3 piece unit a pulley a damper and a kind of L shaped bracket.

I think that if you are just replacing the pulley it can be done without going near the front of the car but if the L shaped bracket needs replacing then the front of the car has to be put into the service position

[Dazzler01]

Thanks,Just wanted to make sure the garage wasnt making work for themselves,find it hard to trust garages these days !!!!

[Redzer]

I'm always wary of garages too last year my wifes zafira needed a new EGR valve i was told by a main opel dealer that it would be €750 to replace it because it was a big job that needed the front taking off the car e.t.c. which i knew wasnt correct.
I bought the part online myself for about €80. It took less than 10 mins to replace it and was as easy as changing a spark plug.

The pulley on the alternator has a clutch in it and i've seen on here that sometimes that clutch can sieze and can be what causes the tensioner to fail, the belt should run pretty smoothly but when that pulley siezes the belt bounces around a lot and puts more pressure on the tensioner. its not a big job to replace that but mine it was ok.

I would get it done as soon as possible, my drive belt snapped because of the tensioner and then wrapped itself around the crank pully and caused the timing belt to snap too

[Dazzler01]

Looking at the tensioner it is bouncing up and down and has really started to rumble now,its going in monday morning so I will post an update on Monday night !!!!!! Cheers

[Dazzler01]

Just to give an update on my drive belt tensioner-picked the car up and it sounded exactly the same,mentioned this to the garage who said it was a new part and needed to bed in(yeah right),returned the car to him a week later with the same probs,left it for a day and 'HEY PRESTO'-one cured and silent car-and guess what-he has changed the alternator pulley which had seized,all under warranty-A very big thank you to all that contributed-your diagnosis was correct and the garage fitted the wrong part !!!!!!!!!