1.8T Mk1 Timing Belt Cover and Engine Undertray

[crinkmeister]

Have just replaced the cam sensor on my son's Leon 1.8T Mk1 2005. A few things I would appreciate comments on! Top timing belt cover removal - absolute pig and replacement even more difficult! Is there a knack to doing this? Got it back on eventually after some choice dialogue (sorry neighbours!). I noticed that the bottom part of the cover is completely missing - presumably when the last timing belt change was done, they forgot to put it back (this was before we got the car). I'm slightly concerned about something kicking up from the road and throwing the belt off/out/causing damage... And the reason for that would be that most of the engine undertray also seems to be missing. We just seem to have the central bit, which is fastened only on it's front edge. It seems reasonably stable, but it's obviously not right. I suspect the car was serviced by chimps during its previous ownership. I can obviously get the covers replaced - would you regard these as urgent? Thanks in advance.

 

[kevinking2020]

I've had the timing belt cover off for about year and not long ago a bolt fell down the timing belt and threaded through the belt lucky it didn't snapped and just replaced belt. Even after that ive still got the cover off.

the undertray ive had off since ive owned the car and not had any problems.

 

[dazjstuart]

I would get the belt cover seen to fairly soon, its there for a reason. The undertrays are pretty flimsy and I would guess most folks are at least cracked, bit of a nightmare to put back on if its cracked and broken which is probably why they have just god rid of half of it. The back bits all gone on mine. They keep your engine a bit cleaner and apparently reduce drag and therefore fuel consumption but IIRC a new one is quite pricey. Again its there for a reason but unless its completely missing or a right old mess I wouldn't bother personally unless I came across a decent 2nd hand one cheap.

 

[crinkmeister]

Thanks for the comments - always good to get others' views. I'll check when the belt was done and if it's nearly time to get that replaced, might as well do the whole lot at once.

 

[crinkmeister]

Update on the original fault - cam sensor, Still throwing the amber EML with new Bosch sensor, so sensor failure was not the original fault. Connector looked fine - no reason to doubt the rest of the wiring. Now with the absence of middle and lower timing belt covers suggesting to me that the belt was changed by someone not doing their job properly, I'm wondering if the timing belt was actually put on correctly. Would you expect an incorrectly fitted belt to work for a considerable time without throwing the EML? I wouldn't. When we bought the car a year ago, the cam and crank sensors were both (allegedly) changed and the light was never seen for many many months. Maybe the tensioner wasn't changed and it's lost tension? Although it seemed pretty tight to me. Ideas welcome!