New Timing belt brakes after ~300 miles

[HopefulFred]

oilhammer said that in his shop, the shop and the supplier would work something out. Now that seems vague, but really, it reiniforces what parts suppliers and professional mechanics know: the installer has to take responsibility for assuring that he is using the proper quality parts. I understand that you inspected them all and double- and triple-checked your work, but the buck stops with you. If you were a professional like oilhammer, you would recognize a change in parts supplier and perhaps quality and maybe reconsider installing those parts. Unfortunately, you probably don't have the experience and exposure to the number of parts a seasoned professional does. However, the buck still stops with you.

I'm afraid the parts vendor has done all I could ask him to.

 

[oilhammer]

What I meant was the owner of the car, MY customer, needn't worry about anything because our shop would make the car right for them no matter what. What would end up happening with me, our parts supplier, or whatever would remain our business. The car's owner would not be troubled by that in the least.

This is the advantage of bringing your car to a reputable shop versus just some guy in his back yard doing this on the side as a hobby or whatever. Not trying to talk down to shadetree folks, lots and lots of good ones out there, but you (as a car owner) have to understand that there is some risk that YOU must assume yourself with that situation.

You cannot take your car to some guy on a weekend that spends his work days doing home appraisals or landscape design or whatever, and expect him to assume the same level of liability as you would at a shop like ours. So if you do-it-yourself, then YOU become that weekender shadetree guy, and that extra liability remains in YOUR hands.

This is also why a shop like ours charges more per hour, marks parts prices up a fair market amount, and can give some other services at the same time. Overhead needs to be paid for.

This website can be a double-edged sword. It can offer lots and lots of great real-world information to those who are seeking it, but can also give a false sense of security to others. Not everyone has the skills to install brakes, a timing belt, reseal an injection pump, etc. While I think VAG products are largely a breeze to service, it may not be that way for everyone....just like there is no way I'd ever be a ballet dancer!

This is why we get so many threads here that start out "Well, I started to do this but then this happened..." Or "How do I do this or that?". Because lots of people try to do things they probably shouldn't have.

Judging by this thread's original poster, and a couple of his other posts, he may just be one of those people.

 

[ninedee_golf_tdi]

That is one reason I do not provide parts but install what the customer brings except for the eMiata quality stuff. Speaking of which, have we ever learned the manufacturer of the belt or the supplier ? No one on here is going to be offended if they sold you a belt and it broke. They might ask your qualifications to install the belt though.

 

[jasonTDI]

I was just going to mention that a-hole on flea bay.

Bet it came from there.

Just had some guy from PA call me this morning about gettin g his stuff. Send him to Dennis at metalman parts instead for everything since he's close.

 

[mohawk69]

I may have missed it in all the dozens of posts. Can you clear up how you set the timing and whatever did you find that stopped the engine earlier in the year? Also, is the belt that broke the one you installed in Feb?

 

[ninedee_golf_tdi]

whatever did you find that stopped the engine earlier in the year? Also, is the belt that broke the one you installed in Feb?

OP said the shaft in the pump broke and I sure would like to see a picture of that. Probably the same belt.

 

[oilhammer]

OP said the shaft in the pump broke and I sure would like to see a picture of that. Probably the same belt.

And the same tensioner? Hmmmm...the plot thickens....

 

[TornadoRed]

I know people are gonna ask about install problems etc.. Lay off that Lets look at the assumption that everything was installed correctly... then what?

Without naming the supplier, could you provide a list of parts, with part numbers, of everything that you replaced?

Could you also list the tools you used?

This would go a long way toward reassuring those who, right now, are tending to blame you for the problems you've had.

 

[TDIJetta99]

I've had one belt tear apart at the seam, thankfully not on a TDI.. It happened on the test drive after a head gasket job on a 3.4 DOHC GM product. Fortunately that engine is completely freewheeling. I wish I still had the pictures of that one.. The timing belt was supplied by the customer and was of a "no name" variety..

Had a 30valve Passat come in with a broken belt due to a previous installer error... Think TDI's are expensive when the belt breaks? Nothing compared to a 30V...

 

[MOGolf]

Questions about the parts:
1) was the timing belt the long-life belt or the original design belt for your 99.5 Jetta?
2) was the tensioner a newer design one or one of original design for your vintage Jetta?

The original design belt can pull apart as described much more easily than the long-life belt.

Did the tensioner fail? A loss of tension can cause the timing to get off, valves hit pistons, engine still turns a bit but the cam doesn't and the belt can snap as described.

As others have requested, pictures of the parts could answer several questions.

 

[whitedog]

Grabs popcorn and subscribes.

 

[jobob307]

Well all we are are some name on a screen. For all you know I could be a Design Engineer for an Automotive manufacture in which I would design and spec out all of the components in and around engines and would be reponsible for failures.

Being an engineer doesn't make you a mechanic. I found this out by towing engineer's cars to Jason to have botched do it your self timing belts fixed.

On a side note jofndeereranger if you really believe you installed this correctly take some high res photos and post them it could clear your name.

I can and do fix just about everything and aything but, I DON'T to tdi belts.

Dog remember the term cartooning? It sure does come into play here.

 

[Lefty]

OK, looks like all these questions must have been asked of him before he posted here and just doesn't want to answer them twice. Possibly the vendor that sold him the parts. We all know that we don't like to be wrong and will try our hardest to find someone else to blame. Well, everyone but me of course. I don't mess up. How can I, I have other people do my work. Safer that way.

 

[Souzafone]

mmmm, popcorn.

 

[TDIJetta99]

I just want to see a picture of the belt where it broke and what brand of belt it is, I don't want to know who he got it from or who's to blame...

 

[paramedick]

If something like this were to happen at our shop, our parts supplier and ourselves would work something out, the customer would not be out a dime. We'd even pick up the tab for a rental car.

I would be happy if the vendor supplied some parts, and we would cover the labor for the valve job, and get the car fixed ASAP and get the customer happy.

Does that answer your question?

But I have to tell you, if I called my timing belt vendor up and said I had this problem, he would be far more likely to think there was a problem with the parts and not the installer because he'd know just how many of these I install..

Yup!!

Actually, my first thought was a Prothe TB kit. Heard of several belt failures identical to this one.

 

[Ray_G]

My money is on a Prothe belt too. He needs to be run out of business.....I have no clue where his kits actually come from, but my money is on China.

 

[TornadoRed]

My money is on a Prothe belt too. He needs to be run out of business.....I have no clue where his kits actually come from, but my money is on China.

I've never even heard of that brand.

 

[Ray_G]

Red,
It is not a brand, Prothe is his ebay name.......... I just wonder what his tdiclub name is. He sells junk for sure. Don't quote me, but I think his complete tb kit is like 89.00 or something close. Unfortunately MetalMan sells his kits there too. You just know people look at his and then Prothes and you know what happens....(Not saying anything bad about MetalMan, I get a lot of my kits from him, his just cost more than Prothes)

 

[TornadoRed]

Red,
It is not a brand, Prothe is his ebay name.......... I just wonder what his tdiclub name is. He sells junk for sure. Don't quote me, but I think his complete tb kit is like 89.00 or something close. Unfortunately MetalMan sells his kits there too. You just know people look at his and then Prothes and you know what happens....

It's a damn shame, because Metal Man has good products at a great price, with excellent service. I just looked at the current iteration of his deluxe kit last night, and it has all the right parts (even better than before, I think, because he's using better water pumps now). If someone is too cheap to pay for quality, or only looks at price and doesn't pay attention to quality, then I am not very sympathetic if things go bad.

But we are just speculating here, we don't know what parts were installed.

 

[aja8888]

This is the eBay ad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Timing-Belt-Tensioner-TOOLS-VW-TDI-Jetta-Passat-1Z_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713Q2em153Q2el1262QQcategoryZ38656QQihZ016QQitemZ260258701307

 

[TornadoRed]

This is the eBay ad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Timing-Belt-Tensioner-TOOLS-VW-TDI-Jetta-Passat-1Z_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713Q2em153Q2el1262QQcategoryZ38656QQihZ016QQitemZ260258701307

I didn't see anything approaching a complete TB kit for the A4 TDIs in his eBay store -- just a TB and tensioner.

 

[aja8888]

I didn't see anything approaching a complete TB kit for the A4 TDIs in his eBay store -- just a TB and tensioner.

That's all I could find too, but I just was pointing out the ebay seller.

 

[Ray_G]

That link is for a 1z - ahu kit. I just checked his other auctions and there is no longer a kit for the ALH motors listed. If he pulled them because of all the damage he has caused that is good. But he used to sell a complete ALH kit for better than half of what MM sells them for. I don't remember but I don't think it had the bolts etc. Anyway I just won't buy anything from this clown.

 

[aja8888]

He may just have sold out of the kits for the ALH models.

 

[Ray_G]

Could have. Just think how many unsuspecting people are putting their TDI's at risk with this guy?

 

[Lefty]

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might get what you need. Firm believer in: You get what you pay for.

 

[mrGutWrench]

I didn't see anything approaching a complete TB kit for the A4 TDIs in his eBay store -- just a TB and tensioner.

__. But that's all you need right? My daddy never needed nothing more that a chain on his '64 Ford pickup. Never changed that air filter thang, either.

 

[whitedog]

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might get what you need. Firm believer in: You get what you pay for.

Woot! (Stones)

But yeah. When shopping, if I see one thing that is similar to another but at a much, much lower price, it sends up a red flag.

Does this Prothe person provide tools as well?

 

[TornadoRed]

When shopping, if I see one thing that is similar to another but at a much, much lower price, it sends up a red flag.

Then everything in Prothe's eBay store should send up a red flag. Turbos and injection pumps for less than $300, nozzles for $60, etc.