Cam belt tensioner failure

[dopson52]

Hi everyone.

I have not posted many threads but have read alot. Any way a warning to all cupra r owners I have a 2005 LCR registered march have covered 84000 miles. Cruising at 70 mph on motorway lost all power. It turned out cam belt tensioner arm failed striped the cam belt. Now need new engine Quoted £5200 from dealer which is not covered by warrany - Warranty terms 2 yrs unlimited mileage or 3 yrs 60000 miles. Full seat service history no cam belt change yet seat customer care not very helpful. Any advice welcome thanks.

 

[Deleted member 16792]

you shouldnt need a new engine, just a head rebuild and a new cambelt kit. we rebuild heads where i work, and to do a 20v vag head is about 500-800 quid,(depending on the damage) plus the labour to remove and refit, gaskets, and all the cambelt stuff. Take it to a non-dealer garage get them to remove the head and do a quote...
i cant see why you would need to replace the engine unless something has fallen into the bore(s).

a dealer will quote for a full engine because some are funny about skimming heads, which wont cause a problem at all.

 

[longman]

I agree with the above. I don't work in that game but I have had to shell out to fix a car that has done just the same.

You can definitely get away with a new head withough removing the engine at all, as long as the bores are not scratched with bits of valve. Even then, you might be able to change the bore liners if there are any???

Its worth a second quote from someone local to you. Bigger_Bash's quote is well resonable too as I payed more than that for a 16V Vauxhall Engine 3 years ago.

Sorry to hear the terrible luck though mate... Hope you can get it sorted.

 

[DPJ]

...........Even then, you might be able to change the bore liners if there are any???
................

The 1.8T doesn't have liners, Rob.

 

[longman]

The 1.8T doesn't have liners, Rob.

Thats, that idea out of the window then!!

Cheers Dave.

 

[gazzy-g]

sounds like the stealers are pulling your pants down take it to a independant garage with a good reputation who will remove the cyl head and get it sorted for around a grand tops or if worse comes to worse and the valves are stuck in the pistons its a good excuse to rebore bigger pistons head work and bigger turbo and it will still be cheaper proberbly

 

[Deleted member 16792]

Its worth a second quote from someone local to you. Bigger_Bash's quote is well resonable too as I payed more than that for a 16V Vauxhall Engine 3 years ago.

that estimate is only the repair to the head, once the head is off the car, sitting on the bench. the total, to remove and refit with all the gaskets, bolts antifreeze etc will be more.

we actualy have a 20vt head in at the moment with a broken belt.

 

[Buzz84]

With the cam belt being changed at 60K the tensioner should have been as well as it is included in the kit, but thats probably no help as its probably been a couple if years since that work was done. if it was more recent you may have had a case against.

Might be worth contacting Seat UK and complaining as the part should not have failed as that is well within its lifespan. they should last 60K with the belt. I had a work mate that had something fail in a saab and it was a part than should never have gone, this blew out the cat so saab replaced the cat for free.
Slightly different situation i know, but if you complain they might be able to help somehow.

 

[andyj]

Seat recommend the belt and tensioner to be 'inspected' at 60k, and changed if required, but the standard replacment is at 120k :shock:

from the first post, it sounds like the camblet was not changed at 60k, and was due to be done at 120k....

Yet another reason why you should get it changed at 60k regardless of what the handbook says.....

 

[Buzz84]

Yet another reason why you should get it changed at 60k regardless of what the handbook says.....

handbook, it says 120k??? my servicing log book says 60K in the front, all the garages i spoke to (had mine done yesterday) say 60k is standard too.

when I was quoted for the work i was told that there is a cam belt, or a cam belt kit (kit contains the tensioner) which surprisingly were the same price.

 

[Gnollins]

My LCR logbook says cambelt *change* at 60K, not inspection...

 

[Deleted member 16792]

another thing to think about when repairing these heads from my experance. the valve springs may seem ok, bt we had one case of a head being put back on and the valve springs then snapping, due to the extream forces when the belt snapped.

check the camshaft pully for cracks, they are fairly thin metal and can cause problems