Alternator belt tensioner

[Malk]

Hello,

A few months back i decided to change my thermostat after i was getting poor readings from the temp guage in-car, turned out the thermostat pin had come out of the side of the thermostat housing (never seen that before).

Anyhow i finally got around to sorting it today, and what a bitch of a job it was, had to remove alternator and belt as well as other funny looking parts

But have got the whole mess finally back together, now i am having a little problem, i re-attached the belt tensioner and belt but on start-up the belt keeps slipping off the tensioner, the belt was tight enough and alternator is lined up correctly, anyone have this problem before that has a solution?

I have ordered a new tensioner and hope that fixes it, when i attached the old tensioner it looked too far towards the engine block to me, but there is no spacer to nudge it out any so i cannot figure out what is wrong.

thanks.

 

[mty12345]

I don't think the belt tensioner needed to come off, on elsawin it shows the tensioner being pulled fwd with a spanner from the top of it, towards the front of the car and then locked in place with a pin. Then the belt being removed. On refitting you just remove the locking pin and let the tensioner spring backwards to get the right tension. Not sure if thats much help but i thought it might shed some light on how it goes back on? Maybe in the fwd position? This is for the AUQ engine btw

 

[Malk]

Yes i pulled the tensioner back and fitted belt then released to take up belt tension, but it just keeps slipping from the tensioner pulley, mine is an APP engine if that makes any difference.

Only took tensioner off as we could not get to alternator bottom bolt with it on, not a lot of room to work, and was nearly impossible to get at bottom thermo bolt with alternator on.

 

[mty12345]

Right buddy, i've looked up the APP engine on elsawin and the tensioner is the same as the AUQ. It doesn't say about refitting it though. I think your best bet may be the blue mk4 haynes golf manual which although it doesn't cover the APP engine, it does have the AUQ engine which as i said has the same tensioner. http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Produ...ium=Base&utm_campaign=Haynes Workshop Manuals

 

[offitmassive]

on the alternator belt tensioner, when removed a little black metal bracket would also have come off, try putting the metal bracket thing the other side to where it is now, i think it needs to go on the outside of the tensioner and NOT between tensioner and block.get me??? i had that prob when i did my first 1.8T cambelt... the belt would only run on half the roller. I slipped the belt off, fitted the bracket to the outside of tensioner and problem solved.

P.S thermostat is a right nice job ent it

 

[Malk]

on the alternator belt tensioner, when removed a little black metal bracket would also have come off, try putting the metal bracket thing the other side to where it is now, i think it needs to go on the outside of the tensioner and NOT between tensioner and block.get me??? i had that prob when i did my first 1.8T cambelt... the belt would only run on half the roller. I slipped the belt off, fitted the bracket to the outside of tensioner and problem solved.

P.S thermostat is a right nice job ent it

That could well be it, the belt when first fitted seemed to slip to half way on the roller then fall off on startup, the little black bracket is at the moment between the tensioner and block , will give it a go.

Gonna pick up the new tensioner and probs a new belt anyway, i will let you know what happens

@Mty12345 I was looking at getting a manual (dont do a Leon one though strangely), i was looking at this one though - http://www.whiteheads.biz/haynes-42...-manual-audi-a3-96---may-03-p-to-03-824-p.asp is there much difference, mine is the 1.8 20vt engine.

 

[Muttley]

The Golf Mk.4 manuals are the best starting place for Leon maintenance, nearly everything is relevant. I think you need the later, blue manual 4169 to cover the 180 BHP turbo engine.


I've shamelessly stolen most of this from mattytdi on the uk-mkivs board:

The Mk.1 Leon is based on the Mk.4 Golf platform, the A4 platform shared with the Mk.2 Toledo, Audi A3 and TT, Bora and Skoda Octavia. Two Haynes manuals cover these cars:


GREEN Book Haynes Number 3727 - April 1998 - 2000 (R to X registration) 4-cyl Petrol & Diesel

Petrol

1.4 DOHC (55kW) - AHW, AKQ, APE, AXP

1.6 SOHC (74kW) - AEH, AKL, APF

1.6 DOHC (77kW) - ATN, AUS

1.8 DOHC (92kW) - AGN

1.8T DOHC (110kW) - AGU, AQA, ARZ

2.0 SOHC (85kW) - APK, AQY

Diesel

1.9 (50kW) - AGP AQM

1.9T (66kW) - AGR, ALH

1.9T (81kW) - AHF, ASV

Does NOT cover 4-Motion (4x4) or Cabriolet
Does NOT cover 2.3 litre V5 engine
Does NOT cover 1.9 litre 'PD' engine



BLUE Book Haynes Number 4169 - 2001 - 2003 (X to 53 registration) 4-cyl Petrol & Diesel

Petrol

1.4 DOHC (55kW) - AHW, AXP, BCA

1.6 SOHC (74kW) - AEH, AKL

1.6 SOHC (75kW) - AVU, BFQ

1.6 DOHC (77kW) - AZD, BCB

1.8T DOHC (110kW) - AUM

1.8T DOHC (132kW) - AUQ

2.0 SOHC (85kW) - APK, AQY, AZU, AZJ

Diesel

1.9 (50kW) - AGP, AQM

1.9T (66kW) - AGR, ALH

1.9T (74kW) - ATD, AXR

1.9T (81kW) - AHF, ASV

1.9T (85kW) - AJM, AUY

1.9T (96kW) - ASZ

1.9T (110kW) - ARL

Does NOT cover 2.3 litre V5, or 2.8 or 3.2 litre V6 petrol engines.
Does NOT cover V5, 4-Motion, R32 or Cabriolet models, or new Golf range introduced January 2004




Everything in these manuals is relevant apart from some of the bodywork and interior details.

 

[mty12345]

That could well be it, the belt when first fitted seemed to slip to half way on the roller then fall off on startup, the little black bracket is at the moment between the tensioner and block , will give it a go.

Gonna pick up the new tensioner and probs a new belt anyway, i will let you know what happens

@Mty12345 I was looking at getting a manual (dont do a Leon one though strangely), i was looking at this one though - http://www.whiteheads.biz/haynes-42...-manual-audi-a3-96---may-03-p-to-03-824-p.asp is there much difference, mine is the 1.8 20vt engine.

Manuals are as mutley says above, but you could also get a copy of elsawin off of ebay for a few quid. It's very useful for interior work and electrical wiring diagrams etc.

 

[offitmassive]

That could well be it, the belt when first fitted seemed to slip to half way on the roller then fall off on startup, the little black bracket is at the moment between the tensioner and block , will give it a go.

Thats your problem then... it should be on the outer side of tensioner, the bolts butt up against this bracket. then the tensioner, then the block. save yaself some money and get a refund

 

[Malk]

Thats your problem then... it should be on the outer side of tensioner, the bolts butt up against this bracket. then the tensioner, then the block. save yaself some money and get a refund

Sorted it, thanks to everyone that helped help :thanks:

Turned out it was the bracket that was in the wrong place but also, i needed to tighten top 2 bolts before doing the bottom one, if i did the bottom bolt it was pushing tensioner closer to block and causing belt alignment to be out.

Kept new parts anyway, will last a while and got new belt on also, easy job when you know what you are doing, will defo be picking a manual up though.

Thanks again all, great site, very helpful people.