Surely if it’s broken down you would just call VW assist and have it all taken care by them?
How long should it take for an Alternator to be fitted by dealership?
- Thread starter Wagner
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- alternator dealers
Has the alternator been proven to be defective, seems very odd?
Phil,
I’m not disagreeing with you that technically the timing belt does not have to come off due to an alternator failure.
Good practice dictates that the timing belt be checked fully after an alternator failure.
checking can only be carried out visually !
the timing belt can be damaged by the alternator failing , as in my clarification.
as a minimum, the timing belt should be thoroughly checked to ascertain if it has Been damaged or compromised, depending on the type of failure of the alternator. if damaged it should be replaced. Big If ?
Timing belt failure has a the potential of severe consequences on the engine, should it fail prematurely, its future integrity should be considered carefully in context, when an alternator has failed, simply replacing the Aux belt and alternator hoping for the best (as regards the timing belt) would be fool hardy.
VW UK seem to take a different view to the rest of the world, regarding the timing belt, they think the belt is much more fragile than the rest of the world ! (Hence VW recommend a max 4 years from new to replacement of the timing belt)
All I am saying is VW will only offer to visually inspect the Gates timing belt, with no guarantee, visual inspection by its very natures carries no guarantees to the OP and is only as good as the person carrying out the visual inspection (a person with no vested interest in vehicles longevity)
Visually the belt may look OK but the belt may have been compromised, which cannot be ascertained visually, particularly is the alternator has failed electrically causing Excess heat,
VW cannot have it both ways, particularly when a component failure (the alternator) closely situated to the timing belt, has the potential to affect another critical part, the timing belt, timing belts (according to VW U.K. Have a maximum U.K. lifespan of 4 years under normal operating conditions, (failure of the alternator is not normal) let alone when that belt has been subject to failure of a component in close proximity to the belt which as a direct consequence of failure of a close component has the potential to damage or degrade the timing belt Causing potentially catastrophic damage to the engine if it fails.
I have my own thoughts on the timing belt life, but VW insist on Timing belt replacement within 4 years, to maintain manufacturers warranty & or ongoing warranty such as “All in” warranty.
Hence my comments that VW cannot have it both ways & visually inspecting a timing belt is as good as a chocolate tea pot particularly if the timing belt subsequently fails through no fault of the user but instead due to a secondary consequence of a faulty / failed part fitted originally by VW And laterally a visually inspected timing belt
