Fan belt AND timing belt damage

[Dah78]

I've a 2019 204ps dsg 4motion kombi with 11000 miles. Bought it cash this summer with 9000 on.

Dropped off the kids for school and headed on to the a41 dual carriageway. Everything felt and sounded normal then all of a sudden there was a jolt and the engine seemed to just cut out, power steering went and I wrestled it on to a slip road hard shoulder.

Tried turning it over but it sounded wrong.
Called VW assist, they sent the AA and the guy who turned up confirmed the fan belt had completely shredded.
This didn't explain the sudden cut out, and when trying to turn it over he gave a concerned look and said he thinks the timing belt may have been damaged too, by the shredded fan belt.

Flat bed took it to VW in Wycombe and I was provided with a courtesy car.

That was yesterday. This morning I phoned VW in Wycombe and a tech confirmed the timing belt has been damaged but wouldn't say more than that.
They plan to fit new belts and run tests to see if there's any internal engine damage.

I'm still well within warranty but I'm shitting myself that if it's knackered the engine they'll try and wriggle out of sorting it.

Has anybody else experienced this?
Anyone with propper knowledge/experience able to give me realistic outcomes?

 

[Kind of Blue]

I've a 2019 204ps dsg 4motion kombi with 11000 miles. Bought it cash this summer with 9000 on.

Dropped off the kids for school and headed on to the a41 dual carriageway. Everything felt and sounded normal then all of a sudden there was a jolt and the engine seemed to just cut out, power steering went and I wrestled it on to a slip road hard shoulder.

Tried turning it over but it sounded wrong.
Called VW assist, they sent the AA and the guy who turned up confirmed the fan belt had completely shredded.
This didn't explain the sudden cut out, and when trying to turn it over he gave a concerned look and said he thinks the timing belt may have been damaged too, by the shredded fan belt.

Flat bed took it to VW in Wycombe and I was provided with a courtesy car.

That was yesterday. This morning I phoned VW in Wycombe and a tech confirmed the timing belt has been damaged but wouldn't say more than that.
They plan to fit new belts and run tests to see if there's any internal engine damage.

I'm still well within warranty but I'm shitting myself that if it's knackered the engine they'll try and wriggle out of sorting it.

Has anybody else experienced this?
Anyone with propper knowledge/experience able to give me realistic outcomes?

I am really sorry to hear about you experience. I have not suffered anything like that. It seems strange to me that a fan belt could snap on such a recent vehicle and very unlucky to cause collateral damage to such extent. Try and stay calm. There will be others here soon with more pertinent advice than mine. Hold on!

I presume that the AA took your vehicle back to the same garage that you bought it from and that is a VW garage? My initial thoughts are that you vehicle is covered under warranty. That, in any case the selling garage has a duty to supply goods that are fit for purpose. Do not allow your self to consider negative thoughts at this stage. Try and stay positive. Let us see what the garage has to say first. Only then consider you plans, only then. You do have the AA, and they can advise you far better than I. Good luck. Please let us know how things are going.

 

[JOG]

I've a 2019 204ps dsg 4motion kombi with 11000 miles. Bought it cash this summer with 9000 on.

Dropped off the kids for school and headed on to the a41 dual carriageway. Everything felt and sounded normal then all of a sudden there was a jolt and the engine seemed to just cut out, power steering went and I wrestled it on to a slip road hard shoulder.

Tried turning it over but it sounded wrong.
Called VW assist, they sent the AA and the guy who turned up confirmed the fan belt had completely shredded.
This didn't explain the sudden cut out, and when trying to turn it over he gave a concerned look and said he thinks the timing belt may have been damaged too, by the shredded fan belt.

Flat bed took it to VW in Wycombe and I was provided with a courtesy car.

That was yesterday. This morning I phoned VW in Wycombe and a tech confirmed the timing belt has been damaged but wouldn't say more than that.
They plan to fit new belts and run tests to see if there's any internal engine damage.

I'm still well within warranty but I'm shitting myself that if it's knackered the engine they'll try and wriggle out of sorting it.

Has anybody else experienced this?
Anyone with propper knowledge/experience able to give me realistic outcomes?

Sorry to hear about this.............I'm not clever about such matters but as @Kind of Blue says, someone who knows more will doubtless be along soon.

Can you keep us posted on what happens/outcome with VW? I am sure that there are many of us (whether in warranty or not) who are keen to know how this pans out. Fingers crossed that the "sudden cut out" you described protected the engine.

 

[DXX]

Seems odd as the CXEB cambelt is fully guarded, I would have thought that a broken aux’ belt would not interfere with the cambelt.
See photo, you can see the exposed auxiliary belt and the cambelt cover.
Red lines show auxiliary belt, odd the AA man said ‘fan belt’ as there is no fan belt it’s an electric fan.
Hope for the best and keep us updated.

 

[Loz]

If the Aux belt fails it could get wrapped around and then trash the bottom of the cam belt cover and interfere with the cam belt.

 

[DXX]

If the Aux belt fails it could get wrapped around and then trash the bottom of the cam belt cover and interfere with the cam belt.

Let’s hope not. I thought there would have been a sufficient inner flange on the damper / pulley to stop that, perhaps not.
If it has damaged the cambelt it would seem the plastic lower cambelt guard isn’t up to the job, steel would be better.

 

[Pauly]

@11k miles VW don’t have much wiggle room

 

[Dah78]

Thanks for the replies everyone, here's some pics of the shredded belt.

 

[Niknak]

Had this on my managers tiguan last year a piece of aux belt went in the bottom pulley and between the cambelt, unfortunately he and the AA continually cranked the engine and when I got to it to repair it several valves were bent and rocker arm and tappet damage I’m sorry to say it made a real mess

 

[Niknak]

Is that the twin cam engine ? If so make sure you check the cams as they are hollow not only do the loves and the gears move on them they twist the one I done destroyed the camshafts and there is quite an elaborate tool for holding them to refit them I was lucky enough to be able to borrow one

 

[Dah78]

I'm a bit clueless in identifying the belts.

The AA tech said he'd not encountered this before. Actually asked if I could keep him updated so he can learn from it. He came across as a decent bloke.

Could he be wrong and that's actually the timing belt?
Because when I recall my conversation with VW, I asked what the prognosis was and the tech just said they've ordered parts to run tests. Only when I asked if the timing belt was damaged that he confirmed it was. I don't think he or I even mentioned a fan/auxiliary belt.

I'll be chasing an update tomorrow but VW said it may be after the weekend when they run the testing, so I'm not hopeful of any answers until then.

 

[Niknak]

Looks like in your picture the aux belt still on the a/ c compressor but that’s only the lower half but defo some shredded something hanging down

 

[Dah78]

Had this on my managers tiguan last year a piece of aux belt went in the bottom pulley and between the cambelt, unfortunately he and the AA continually cranked the engine and when I got to it to repair it several valves were bent and rocker arm and tappet damage I’m sorry to say it made a real mess

As soon as it dawned on me the timing belt was likely damaged, my thought went to when I tried turning it over followed by the AA chap giving it a go.

 

[Niknak]

Oh Christ the AA everything can be cured by cranking the absolute shit out of it before thinking about actual engine movement lol, anyone remember the old Vauxhall vectras with the plastic tensioner that always exploded everyone knew about this but still every AA bloke “ give us the keys if it ain’t dead I’ll crank it till it is “

 

[Dah78]

I'm in the lap of the VW gods on this one...

I'll keep the updates coming as and when there's any news.

 

[Niknak]

Should not be a problem if you have warranty it’s no mileage it’s not due a belt so no worries on that part not even close schedule wise

 

[Dah78]

Oh Christ the AA everything can be cured by cranking the absolute shit out of it before thinking about actual engine movement lol, anyone remember the old Vauxhall vectras with the plastic tensioner that always exploded everyone knew about this but still every AA bloke “ give us the keys if it ain’t dead I’ll crank it till it is “

With all the different sensors on modern vehicles I couldn't help but think the sensor that cut out the engine could also block the ignition to prevent this from happening.
That's just my own uneducated logic though, you'll probably tell me its not possible...

 

[Kind of Blue]

Something appears a little odd. It is assumed that the auxiliary belt damaged the timing belt case. Then the timing belt was damaged with potential further damage to valve etc, etc. They are assumptions. It has been alleged that cranking of the engine by the AA may have damaged the timing belt and case. These are all assumptions.

Even if the timing belt did the damage, it is surely far more likely that the damage was already done while vehicle was still in motion and the engine turning over rapidly.
The engine had already stopped as the vehicle came to a halt. The power steering had packed up before the vehicle came to a stop also. I would therefore assume, that the timing belt was already damaged before the vehicle came to a halt.

Even if this was the way things happened. What caused the auxiliary belt to self destruct in the first place? It was a small mileage?

Is it even slightly possible, if the timing of events was completely the other way around?

Usually in my experience, garages volunteer what they have discovered after investigation. They do not need things being auto suggested to them.

 

[Dah78]

You are right, there are a lot of assumptions there - as I questioned in an earlier post as to whether it was even the fan/auxiliary belt.

It felt like it happened all at once. No indication prior from noise or driving feel.

I don't have much of a clue mechanically myself and I didn't auto suggest anything to VW, just asked if the timing belt was damaged and accepted they need to do there investigation.

 

[Niknak]

Hate to say it but they are an interference engine they cause extensive internal damage when the belt fails, if they confirm it is the case and warranty dig your heels in and even consider getting an external assessor as under warranty you’ll get the bare minimum not always the best repair unfortunately it’s a business and cheapest option is what they will go for