Best Audi Dealer near Stamford, CT?
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02-03-2006, 12:48 PM
#9
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Northern VA / DC Area
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Their service department is a gang of idiots. Story inside....
A customer of mine (hi Todd), brought his A4 1.8T in for a timing belt change. It was the 2nd belt as AoF had done the original belt change back at 80-90k miles.
I started disassembly and noticed immediately that there were belt shavings everywhere. Upon closer inspection, I noted the timing belt had been shaved down to the point where it was just about to break. Turns out the AoF mechanic decided that they didn't want to be bothered with putting a new roller on the upgraded TB tensioner. So they LEFT IT OFF. That created a problem since the belt then rubbed on the mounting point for the roller (where it bolts into the tensioner). SO THEY GROUND HALF OF IT OFF so the belt wouldn't touch it. Over time, as the belt slackened up, it rubbed on the sharp edge where the mounting point had been ground down with what must have been an air grinder. I'd say that belt had a few hundred miles left on it (if that) before it wore all the way through. It had worn off 75% of the back of the belt (the smooth side). I took a few digital pics and gave the parts back to the owner...explaining how close he'd come to trashing his engine due to AoF's incompetence. I'm not sure if he confronted them or not, but he lives in Stamford and still brings his car down to me (in Westchester) to fix it.
Mechanics who pull that kind of crap need to lose their jobs. Steer very clear of those clowns.
Cheers,
I started disassembly and noticed immediately that there were belt shavings everywhere. Upon closer inspection, I noted the timing belt had been shaved down to the point where it was just about to break. Turns out the AoF mechanic decided that they didn't want to be bothered with putting a new roller on the upgraded TB tensioner. So they LEFT IT OFF. That created a problem since the belt then rubbed on the mounting point for the roller (where it bolts into the tensioner). SO THEY GROUND HALF OF IT OFF so the belt wouldn't touch it. Over time, as the belt slackened up, it rubbed on the sharp edge where the mounting point had been ground down with what must have been an air grinder. I'd say that belt had a few hundred miles left on it (if that) before it wore all the way through. It had worn off 75% of the back of the belt (the smooth side). I took a few digital pics and gave the parts back to the owner...explaining how close he'd come to trashing his engine due to AoF's incompetence. I'm not sure if he confronted them or not, but he lives in Stamford and still brings his car down to me (in Westchester) to fix it.
Mechanics who pull that kind of crap need to lose their jobs. Steer very clear of those clowns.
Cheers,