allen_p
Member
My '03 ALH Jetta wagon went in for a clutch replacement and then a few weeks later for a timing belt replacement.
Immediately afterward, the sump was bearing on the (aftermarket, heavy aluminum) skid plate. The shop said it couldn't have been anything they did, so I lowered the skid plate a few mm for clearance.
A few hundred miles later, the sump was again vibrating terribly against the skid plate so I took it off. A few miles later, the timing belt (right) side engine mount failed completely and the engine moved down & forward, contacting the radiator fan and starting an electrical fire there.
I can see now that the aluminum ear on the engine block, where the motor mount bolts on, is broken off & gone.
The shop owner claims this is purely a coincidence. Since the shop had that engine mount unbolted to install my new timing belt, this claim seems unlikely. I like my mechanic and am inclined to trust him, but his boss is a different kind of person.
Can anyone offer any advice on how to advocate with the shop owner to accept some responsibility for the current problems, or
Can anyone explain to me how this uncommon failure of the engine block is probably unrelated to the recent timing belt and clutch work?
Thanks for any experience/expertise you can share!
Immediately afterward, the sump was bearing on the (aftermarket, heavy aluminum) skid plate. The shop said it couldn't have been anything they did, so I lowered the skid plate a few mm for clearance.
A few hundred miles later, the sump was again vibrating terribly against the skid plate so I took it off. A few miles later, the timing belt (right) side engine mount failed completely and the engine moved down & forward, contacting the radiator fan and starting an electrical fire there.
I can see now that the aluminum ear on the engine block, where the motor mount bolts on, is broken off & gone.
The shop owner claims this is purely a coincidence. Since the shop had that engine mount unbolted to install my new timing belt, this claim seems unlikely. I like my mechanic and am inclined to trust him, but his boss is a different kind of person.
Can anyone offer any advice on how to advocate with the shop owner to accept some responsibility for the current problems, or
Can anyone explain to me how this uncommon failure of the engine block is probably unrelated to the recent timing belt and clutch work?
Thanks for any experience/expertise you can share!