help needed (alternator)

[clio_luke]

looked in my engine bay yesterday and i noticed a loose bolt. its hard to explain where it is so i have circled it.

here is a closer pic

you can see that the bolt is completely hanging out of where it should thread into. im not sure what that bolt does but i don't like the fact that its not tight. could anyone tell me what it is please and what harm it will do? is the car safe to drive until tomorrow? hopefully getting it sorted tomorrow. i had an aux belt change last year. could it be anything to do with that?

thanks for any help given on this

 

[clio_luke]

bump

 

[172Ben]

Is that not the tensioner?

 

[sean]

yes thats the tensioner bolt and it looks broken as well to me.
will need take the bracket off to remove the bolt thats left in there , replace with new bolt. has it been fitted recently ? someone may well have left it loose. luck it hasnt caused the belt to come off and go behin d the crank pulley and affect the timing.

 

[172Ben]

I think if it was me i wouldnt be driving it, can you reach down and tighten the bolt up yourself?

 

[clio_luke]

the bolt is not lining up with where it should screw into. so i cant tighten it up.it doesn't look like the bolt has snapped. just not tightned properly so it has came right undone.

 

[clio_luke]

aux belt was changed a year ago, might have been loose since then. going to have a right go at the bloke that did it, clearly his fault!

 

[Alastair.]

oh fuk me i wouldnt drive that, if that belt comes off i will more than likely wrap itself around the crank

 

[clio_luke]

oh fuk me i wouldnt drive that, if that belt comes off i will more than likely wrap itself around the crank

thats what i thought, prob take the cambelt out too :S
no idea how long it has been like it. getting a rubbing/grinding type noise at full lock. anything to do with it?

 

[BioHzrd]

that looks like the bolts snapped

 

[clio_luke]

what should i do? get the bolt sat in and tightened up, or replace the aux belt and tensioner? the aux belt was only changed a year ago.

 

[172Ben]

If your gona drive it somewhere to be fixed, id see if you can tighten it back up.

If it was me though i wouldnt even bother, you got break down?

 

[LeeJSA]

You need to to adjust the tensioner so the bolt lines up & you'll be able to screw it back in & tighten it back up.

 

[Sean6545]

Its broken. New bolt needed.

 

[Josh@Renparts]

bolt has sheared, need a new bolt and the broken part extracting, probs been like it since he did it, looks like the tensioner is resting on the alternator bracket.

 

[sideways danny]

bolt doesn't look broken to me, but it does look like it's pulled the thread out of the bracket

 

[clio_luke]

there is no sign that the bolt has snapped, the threads in the bracket look fine. there is no broken part to extract. just seems like the bolt needs lining up with the bracket and tightening in.

would this bolt have been removed to fit the aux belt? if so the guy that did it is in trouble!

 

[gtruk]

Ah i can see the confusion as to some people think the bolt has sheered. At first glance the relfection makes the thread in the hole look 3d so it appears to be thread coming out the hole, but on closer insepction it is in fact a whole the bolt should go into....

soo basically yeah just needs putting in and tightening up....shouldnt take to long hopefully, just DONT drive it. Yes this bolt could have been removed.

 

[caister]

If you had the tensioner and pulley replaced with the belt it would have been removed.

 

[clio_luke]

right. after a close look at it, the bolt HAS actually snapped! so it needs removing and a new bolt. should i get the garage to fit a new aux belt too? as the belt may have aged because of running at the wrong tension etc. my car is on 50000 miles. the belt was replaced last year. would it be worth doing the cambelt now too or is that a waste of money?
the top of the damper has also cracked by hitting into the bracket when the bolt snapped it seems. sounds like its going to be a pricey job at an expensive time of year

 

[caister]

For the sake of £15-20 I would replace the belt but theres no need to do the pulleys again.

As for the cambelt how old is the car?

Also I dont see how the bolt sanpping could effect the damper?

 

[clio_luke]

For the sake of £15-20 I would replace the belt but theres no need to do the pulleys again.

As for the cambelt how old is the car?

Also I dont see how the bolt sanpping could effect the damper?

the very top hat part of the damper has cracked, looks like with the force of the bolt snapping, its hit the bracket and snapped the damper.

the car is an 04 plate on 50000miles.

i dont think the pulleys were changed when the aux belt was changed, just the belt itself i think.

 

[clio_luke]

i think you can actually see the crack in the damper here...

 

[Fred@BTM]

DO NOT drive that anywhere! if the aux belt comes off then there's a 99% chance of bye bye engine

 

[clio_luke]

DO NOT drive that anywhere! if the aux belt comes off then there's a 99% chance of bye bye engine

it is safe and sound at jabba sport mate. thing is i drove 4 hours to devon the other weekend :S good job nothing happened then! god knows how long it has been like it! not a part of the car i check on a regular basis.

 

[caister]

Ah that damper! If the pulleys weren't done jsut get the full aux belt kit and replace. everything. The cambelt needs doing early next year so it might be worth doing that as well if you have the money.

 

[clio_luke]

Ah that damper! If the pulleys weren't done jsut get the full aux belt kit and replace. everything. The cambelt needs doing early next year so it might be worth doing that as well if you have the money.

hmmm, i could scrape the money from my savings. i was going to wait till the next service (10 months) untill i do the cambelt. might go for it now tho.

thanks for the advice on everything.
i think that you are right tho. i might be best to replace the whole aux belt kit.

 

[caister]

The kit includes tensioner, pulley and belt. IIRC the tensioner on its own is more than the kit anyway!! The auxbelt has to come off to do the cambelt as well so in the long run it might save you some money getting it all done now just a pain this time of year spending any money.

 

[172Ben]

And fit the cams josh has for sale at the same time

Glad your getting it sorted mate

 

[clio_luke]

The kit includes tensioner, pulley and belt. IIRC the tensioner on its own is more than the kit anyway!! The auxbelt has to come off to do the cambelt as well so in the long run it might save you some money getting it all done now just a pain this time of year spending any money.

but when they do the cambelt the will fit a new aux belt too, not the whole kit? so it will only be the price of the aux belt extra.
so is an 04 due a cambelt change early 09? or late 09?

 

[caister]

Depends when it was registered for an exact date but it will be due in the first half of 09. You will save costs on labour too dont forget.

 

[clio_luke]

Depends when it was registered for an exact date but it will be due in the first half of 09. You will save costs on labour too dont forget.

yeah i think im going to have to bite the bullet and play it safe and get the cambelt and aux belt kit done.
what parts need changing with the cambelt?
what sort of price do you think i will be looking at? £600?

 

[caister]

Just the full cambelt and aux belt kit. Do a search on price as i'm not sure. Just make sure someone does it who knows what they are doing! I dont think it will be £600 though 400-500 would be my guess.

 

[clio_luke]

Just the full cambelt and aux belt kit. Do a search on price as i'm not sure. Just make sure someone does it who knows what they are doing! I dont think it will be £600 though 400-500 would be my guess.

that is not as bad then. hope its 4-500.
jabbasport are doing it. vag tuning specialists. should be in safe hands

 

[clio_luke]

car got picked up today, they ordered all of the bits from renault (aux belt kit and cambelt kit), all in stock. should be sorted tomorrow. got a price of £525 for all of the work. cant complain at that really.
cant wait to get it back.

here is a pic of it on jabba's trailer
hope its the last time its on there tho

 

[clio_luke]

well... all sorted now. very happy i must say.

this was the problem!!! snapped bolt, which caused the tensioner damper to crack!

this also looks broken to me!

was £523 for everything
im back on the road

 

[bing_17]

Money well spent mate, top notch jabba are.

 

[clio_luke]

it wasn't jabba that actually did it for me in the end. they didn't have the correct renault tools, so they took it on the trailer to a trusted friend of theirs that has worked on renault sports before and he has all the gear. he did a top job.
jabba are great, good friend of theirs. friendly and always top notch work

 

[fossie]

Jesus you have been lucky there matey (sneaks out to see if his is snalled as well)

 

[clio_luke]

Jesus you have been lucky there matey (sneaks out to see if his is snalled as well)

tell me about it! i drove an 8 hour round trip 2 weeks ago! :S
have no idea it it was faulty then or not.
think it has saved me a lot of money