Drive belt tensioner mounting bolt snapped twice
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:01 pm
Hello, I currently drive a very old, but beloved VW Polo 1.9l SDI with 150K. Its 2002, 9n, ASY engine model.
Back in November 2020 the battery light came on and the alternator had failed and needed replacing. I took it to a local garage who did this and replace the belt. A few days later the belt came off and the tensioner was loose within the housing it is normally situated in. I took the belt and tensioner out (It was just loose flopping around) and the bolt on the end of the tensioner itself (Which normally attaches it to the engine casing I believe) had snapped flush. I took it back to the garage who charged me a further £80 to replace this bolt and all had been fine for two months until yesterday. Out of the blue the battery light came on again. I checked under the Bonet and surprise, surprise, the tensioner is loose again, rattling in the casing, and the belt is off. I wiggled the tensioner out again, so it didn't fall off while driving back from the shop, and the bolt has snapped off again.
Has anyone experienced this problem and knows why it may be happening multiple times? Also, it appears the bolt was loctite'd in the second time.. I'm not sure how its coming out now ....
Here a link to a video I made the first time it broke. Its exactly the same now.
https://youtu.be/Qw6Pb9shDQw
Back in November 2020 the battery light came on and the alternator had failed and needed replacing. I took it to a local garage who did this and replace the belt. A few days later the belt came off and the tensioner was loose within the housing it is normally situated in. I took the belt and tensioner out (It was just loose flopping around) and the bolt on the end of the tensioner itself (Which normally attaches it to the engine casing I believe) had snapped flush. I took it back to the garage who charged me a further £80 to replace this bolt and all had been fine for two months until yesterday. Out of the blue the battery light came on again. I checked under the Bonet and surprise, surprise, the tensioner is loose again, rattling in the casing, and the belt is off. I wiggled the tensioner out again, so it didn't fall off while driving back from the shop, and the bolt has snapped off again.
Has anyone experienced this problem and knows why it may be happening multiple times? Also, it appears the bolt was loctite'd in the second time.. I'm not sure how its coming out now ....
Here a link to a video I made the first time it broke. Its exactly the same now.
https://youtu.be/Qw6Pb9shDQw