Pully chewed threw pipe - what'd it eat?

[landrumdh]

I was driving to my parents house today and lost power on the highway. I managed to limp the rest of the way to thier house in 4th gear flooring it to keep power. It felt like the MAF went out so I was just trying to get to thier house and deal with it from there.

I got to thier house and popped the hood to take a look and found this.

I just had my 80k including timing belt changed 1.5k or about 2-3 weeks ago. Since it was a pully belt that ate the pipe, I got the dealership to tow me there for free. Unfortunatly they work Tues-Sat so I won't hear anything until Tuesday and they can take a look.

This is the 3rd time and two dealerships that have trashed my car when doing routine maintance on it.

 

[whitedog]

Motor mount bolts again?

 

[landrumdh]

Motor mount bolts again?

You think one of the motor mounts gave way allowing this to happen? I don't think they touched the motor mounts during an 80k service do they?

The pipe it sliced through was very easy to move around, so I'm wondering if it wasn't reattached properly after they did the timing belt.

 

[whitedog]

If they replaced the timing belt, they had to unbolt the motor mount. Can you get to the car before the dealer lays their incompetent hands on it again? The intercooler tube may not have been securely mounted, but it's also likely that the motor mount bolts were reused. To find out more about this, there is a PDF thingie in the TDI FAQs at the top that goes into detail about how to change a Timing Belt. you can also search for words such as "falling engine" or "engine fell out", or "*%!&^@()#($ dealer".

Where abouts are you located at this time even if you don't want to be there?

 

[landrumdh]

Damn, so I was right it is thier fault!

I'm in CT. The car just got towed back to New Milford dealership as they did the timing belt job.

The dealer thats closer ****ed up my car during the last 2 services so I don't use them anymore.

The fact that I have a few minor electrical gremlins I'm dealing with and that I can't get anybody who can service this car properly is really making me want to sell it after this is resolved. I'm just tired of dealing with the BS.

 

[whitedog]

I'm not one to jump in and say for sure anything at all happened unless I can look at it personally. I am just going by the things I have read here all to often and looking at the two pictures you provided. Those pictures plus the likelyhood of the dealer screwing up makes me suggest that is what happened. But get it looked at by someone that knows these cars and knows what to look at before the dealer opens it up and tries to hide things.

Visit the regional section here to help you find someone that can take a look, you may have to buy them dinner or something, but if you know what happened before the dealer does, you will be ahead of the game.

Good luck.

 

[MOGolf]

It could be that they did things "by the book". That "book" says to remove the pipe by disconnecting it below the headlight. If they didn't get it clamped properly back in the coupling, then it could get dislodged and make contact with the power steering pump pulley as pictured.

Or the engine mount is suspect like whitedog indicates and the engine has fallen over to that direction.

 

[whitedog]

Hopefully MoGolf is right in the first choice. If it is just the tube that came loose, don't get too ticked at them, but be sure to get a list of all of the parts that were replaced with the timing belt job. Heck, get that list anyway and let the experts here see if they replaced all of the things that they needed to.

 

[dataiv]

I have had this happen to me before after doing my timing belt. My guess is either the pipe was not clamped on properly (it's darned hard to get it in there right!), or the pipe was a bit oily/slippery and slipped off while under hard boost. I've now done the TB three times and have it figured out now . . . wipe it off really well so it doesn't have any oily gunk near it, and make darned sure it's on properly. Then tighten. My hose actually has that same kind of rubbing mark on it from the first time it happened.

 

[whitedog]

An experienced eye (meaning not mine) should be able to tell if the motor is moved or the pipe is moved. Maybe someone could take a look at theirs and compare angles and relationships and such.

 

[ymz]

Not to rub it in, but...

You've been around here long enough to know better than to have your timing belt changed at a VW dealership - especially in the U.S...

Chris Hill isn't _that_ far away from you...

Hope it's just badly mounted pipe, as MOGolf said... but do check your receipt to see that they replaced the bolts (and the rollers, and the water pump, and the tensioner...)

Good luck,

Yuri.

 

[landrumdh]

I hadn't actually been active here for a year or two until recently again (few weeks ago).

Ok I think it's the pipe that came loose as it was easy for me to move it around up and out a few inches which shouldn't happen if it was properly attached.

 

[whitedog]

So all they owe you is a new pipe installed correctly and the correct oil and filter for an oil change.