cambelt problem HELP

1. user_48968 L-plater Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 85

   #1 27th April 2011, 09:40

   hi all,
   need a bit of info if you don't mind please.just had new cambelt kit and water pump fitted last week (thursday)on my vts.car parked up all weekend due to moving house,gave the car a good run on monday night and it started to cut out a couple of times when idling but started straight up after.on the way to work yesterday the car just cut out as i was about to pull away at a roundabout and wouldn't start again.so called AA out and apparently 1 off the bolts on the idler pully has snapped clean off they also said that the altenator belt has been cutting into the cam covers.
   
   has this been the garage that has caused this to happen and why??? or have i just been really unlucky.
   
   WHAT would you do??????.
   
   cheers if you can help as im really gutted.
2. VTS123 Regular Poster Joined: Mar 2007 Poole, Dorset Posts: 447 Mk1 VTS

   #2 28th April 2011, 20:39

   Bad news mate, the idler bolt snapping (there is only one) would have had the same effect as the cambelt failing as all tension would have been lost in the belt. The cover would have been pushed into the alternator belt when the idler became detatched.
   
   It is really the fault of the garage. Basically, the bolt that holds the idler on is very tight in the block because of the threadlock that is on the thread and so gets very fatigued in the removal process, unless it is soaked in WD40 or Plusgas to dissolve the threadlock prior to removal. This bolt would have been undone to replace the idler which is part of the cambelt kit. If the bolt has been stressed in its removal it MUST be renewed however the kits don't come with one and they are non standard M8 fine thread which is not easily sourced hence the vast majority of people just sling it all back together with the old bolt. The garage would probably argue that the bolt doesn't need replacing and it is not their fault. The only thing I would say in their defence is that Citroen should not have used a puny M8 bolt in such a critical high-stress point.
   
   As for the stalling, that may have resolved itself, however, it seems a bit of a coincidence
   
   Good luck with it.
3. iSlayeR Established Member Joined: Aug 2009 King's lynn Posts: 2073 Turbocharged vtr

   #3 28th April 2011, 21:08

   Clearly the garages fault, i'd seek legal advice on what to next,
4. devilsadvocate Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Dec 2006 Maidstone Posts: 8210 Golf TDI

   #4 28th April 2011, 21:10

   I would go back to the garage and explain what happened
   Give them a chance to respond and go from there