T-Belt Tensioner and Idler replacement question

My fathers TDI has a timing belt chirp, anyone else have experience with this problem?

Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the link, very helpful, but my question remains:

Is it possible to replace the tensioner and rollers, without doing an entire TB job?

In the link you will note that it may well not be the tensioner making the sound, but instead the outer edge of the belt rubbing. Replacing the belt would get rid of the sound.

To check use a candle and lightly touch it to the outer edge of the belt. If the sound goes away you have just proven it is the belt (the only par that has lubricant) and not the tensioner.

If it is the belt then you simply need to check it every couple weeks to make sure it is not fraying.

Ok thanks, I will definitely try the wax trick.

But I'm confused as to why the belt would start rubbing, presumably on the tensioner (because it is the only one with sides), after 20k miles.

Wouldn't the only explanation be because a bearing (either on the tensioner or an idler) is starting to go bad, and is not providing even tension, therefore pushing the belt very slightly against the side of the tensioner pulley, producing the chirp sound each at rotation?

Easiest way to find out is with the wax.

There is a dealer that gives this trick in that link, he says it's nothing to worry about unless it starts to frey. He only replaces it so that customers don't ask what the noise is.

yes or the stud the tensioner bolts to is slightly bent....

silverfishk8 said:

Thanks for the link, very helpful, but my question remains:

Is it possible to replace the tensioner and rollers, without doing an entire TB job?

Click to expand...

__. Kinda, no. To get new tensioner and rollers in it, about the only (practical) way would be to remove the entire set of parts, install new rollers and tensioners and re-use the old belt. But if you have to do the entire job, why cheap out on the belt. If there's something gone wrong in there worth changing a lot of other parts, I'd want a new belt (and probably a new waterpump, too, unless I knew that the waterpump was reasonably new).

__. IMO, it's one of those "possible/practical/smart" dichotomies (or maybe multi-chotomies).