Alternator disaster

[architectboy]

I had my 2002 A4 Quattro Avant Sport 2.5 180 serviced by Glasgow Audi at the end of last week, and it was given a clean bill of health at 106K. Drove it home, but when I tried to start it at the weekend the battery was flat. Charging did nothing, so today I jump-started it and drove it to my local garage (with no problems). They telephoned me mid-morning to say the alternator belt had broken, leaving debris around the engine bay and becoming entangled with the toothed timing belt. They advised that an Audi garage should look at it as it was too much for them. Disaster! So it went back down to Audi Glasgow (100 miles away) this afternoon on a flatbed lorry. My questions are:

1. Has this happened to anyone else, and does it happen often? Note the timing belt and associated kit was all replaced at 85K.
2. Should the service have picked it up?
3. What is the likely damage – both to the car and my wallet? I am hoping to buy my children Christmas presents this year...!

Many thanks.

[bez101]

well if it drove normal id guess change the cambelt etc and ur good to go cant belive your local garage wont tackle it tho as long as the cambelt aint slipped it should just need ned cambelt kit and the broked belt replcaed

[danclyon]

well if it drove normal id guess change the cambelt etc and ur good to go cant belive your local garage wont tackle it tho as long as the cambelt aint slipped it should just need ned cambelt kit and the broked belt replcaed

Isn't the cambelt on the V6 TDi encased like the 1.9 - and the alternator belt is external? If so - that belt has to have given in a fairly impressive way to take the housing and the cambelt with it.....it sounds a bit dodgy to me....

If the aux belt wasn't there I'm sure you'd have had errors on the dash as (and I'm doing this from very distant memory now) I thought the belt drove more than just the alternator?

Cheers,
Dan.

[Redzer]

The 1.9tdi engine can definitely do that even though the belt is enclosed....been there bought the t-shirt as they say
my drive belt snapped wrapped around the crank pulley and snapped the timing belt too.
In my case i reckon the timing belt was weakened anyway it was 15k away from being due a change but was only 3 or 4 months away from being due based on the belts age.
For the 1.9 tdi its 60k or 4 years i think whichever comes sooner.
Does this engine have a belt or a chain
If the car has driven normally then its unlikely any damage was done
not a great way to test it though


If the drive belt was in such a poor condition i would have expected it to be changed when the car was serviced especially by a dealer.

[architectboy]

Thanks for that - I wonder if I should question the thoroughness of the servicing (carried out 3 days previously) when I'm presented with the bill?

[Redzer]

If it was me, i'd ask how it could happen if the belts were inspected during the service 3 days before but i doubt if they will do anything to reduce your bill.

Though who knows there might be some Christmas spirit about and you might get lucky.

[mikeybutch]

Seems show that its good advice to change allthe belts together not just the cambelt as some do.I dont think its easy to tell that a belt is about to go by a visual check unles it seems too frayed or too slack or both

[architectboy]

Have now got my A4 back from Audi Glasgow. The diagnosis:

The ribbed belt tensioner retaining bolt had broken, damaging the tensioner belt and lower cover.
The belts, roller, relay roller, damper, cover and associated bushes and brackets were all replaced, along with the battery, which had gone flat due to the alternator damage.

Total cost £836.68 inc. VAT. Caused by a £1.53 bolt!

[Boy]

Did they not even try to explain why that damned bolt broke? Surely it must have been subjected to some unusual strain/ Either a grease monkey's injudicious spanner or a seizing tensioner?
Did they say it was purely coincidental that this all happened so soon after they had serviced the car?
Not exactly reassuring, I would have thought.

[mikeybutch]

How can this be? Is there only one bolt holding this together? Why would it fail now and is really under great strainfrom the belt ? Was the cambelt changed recently and this bolt disturbed and not retightened properly.I have a 2003 V6 same mileage and wondering if it needs checking before this can happen to mine.Any one else in the same position?