Golf TDI 130 - Serpentine belt - tensioner pulley bearing - noise at low RPM (under 1000RPM)

slayerx · Jul 7, 2008

Hi,

A rattling noise started coming from the engine bay yesterday and I think its the bearing that for the tensioner pulley on the serpentine belt (belt that comes from alternator, air-con, power-steering). Thats seems to be where its coming from.The noise only starts when the steering wheel is turned. The rattling noise is pretty bad when the engine is idling (under 1000 rpm) if the put boot down slightly the noise drops off quite a bit. Just wondering has anyone had similar problems. Im taking it to a garage after work to see if thats what is wrong for sure. she has 126K on the clock now, im not sure if the pulleys were ever changed.

I was getting alternator light a couple of weeks ago that came on once or twice and then never came back.

Could be something seizing up in there?

thanks for any advice

slayerx · Jul 7, 2008

found aux belt tensioner thread so happy days.

didnt know what the belt was called.

stub · Jul 8, 2008

I have had this noise on my TDI150 and had the tensioner changed, but it

turned out to the alternator bearing, you can just change the bearing depending on the type of alternator. Hope this helps.

STU..

Red Eye · Jul 8, 2008

Got exactly the same prob on mine (130TDi Bora), do you know the part numbers for the alternator in which you can change just the bearing. Would love to solve this as it's a real pain when parking [:$]. Is it an easy job to change the tensioner if this was the fault?

cheers.

stub · Jul 8, 2008

Sorry I dont know the numbers I went to VW and asked them as they can check what alternator your car has fitted and then just got the pulley, as the for the tensioner I got a local garage to do it as its a bit of a pig to do in fact he did both because the alternator pulley if it can be changed is also a pig to do but is a lot cheaper.

Stu

Coggy · Jul 8, 2008

Mine was the belt tensioner

Noise came when I put the aircon on, went quiet when I switched it off again

Cured with a new bracket

(GTTDI 150, 115k)

ARL150 · Jul 8, 2008

Had this job done on my tdi 150 last week. The free wheeling alternator pulley was fcuked and this in turn ruined the tensioner. its a common fault.

New items from VW was £70 for the pulley, £38 for then tensioner and an hours labour. (£40 in my local VW independant. So about £150 should cover it.

regards, M

JuZ · Aug 11, 2010

It's really common for the alternator pulley to fail, they are available from Euro Car Parts for quite a bit less than the dealers, I wouldn't like to vouch for the quality, you need a special tool to change it too.

Andy_Green · Aug 11, 2010

Ah wondered what was causing the noise at low revs, think i'll have to look into changing this myself as it is becoming rather annoying.

aham_uk · Aug 11, 2010

If you change the tensioner the sound will go away for a while but it's nearly always the alternator pulley. Change both and move on.
Eurocarparts stock both for around ?40-50

Jamie8954 · Aug 11, 2010

mine keeps on doing it had new pulley tensioner but garage where i take it says somebody has replaced alternator at some point and put the wrong one on.

Golf TDI 130 - Serpentine belt - tensioner pulley bearing - noise at low RPM (under 1000RPM)

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