Buy Timing Belt: Best Places & Prices

Hello forum.

Can you recommend a good and affordable source for a timing belt kit for an AHU TDI engine?
The kit costs 110 euros at Q11. Is that price acceptable?

best regards
Peter.

I can only give you this advice: Don't skimp on the timing belt; you're saving money in the wrong place if you do.
I mostly use Contitech products. I've never had any problems or complaints with them.

"Hi everyone, all the timing belts I've installed so far have been from Dayco."
and thankfully, I haven't had a single warranty claim or noticed any unusual wear and tear with the "almost-damage" incidents.
To also cater to customers who are "apprehensive" and don't trust "budget providers," I also offer products from Contitech.
Most often, the tension rollers or the tension itself are the cause of the damage, but there are usually warning signs beforehand.
Or assembly problems.

Contitech, Gates, SKF, or the good old 'original' belt – they all come from the same manufacturer; only the branding is different.

If you're looking for an original timing belt, I can recommend this address to you:
www.ahw-shop.de

Regards,
Christian.

No matter where you order online, these supposed bargains often deviate from the manufacturer's specifications. Frequently, an equivalent product from a different manufacturer is sent instead. This has happened to me several times now.

Therefore, the smart tip, as mentioned above, is to check where you should order from.

Hi Klaus,

I often read here, but just now I was really startled.

You wrote the following:

Most often, the tension rollers/tension are the cause of the damage!But it usually gives warning signs beforehand.

I'm sorry... please, please explain to me how I should announce this...
In my opinion, that's quite a bold statement...

"The tension roller defect I experienced within the warranty period (during a ZR change) certainly didn't happen suddenly... and I'm quite sensitive about these things."
I was lucky because the tensioner didn't completely fail, so the timing belt didn't jump a tooth. I took the altered burning sound seriously and checked it beforehand... Afterwards, my dealer was extremely accommodating to me.
The necessary repairs only cost me in materials.
That was perfectly fine for me considering the age of the car.

Could you please explain in more detail what you meant?
But it is coming.


Please don't take this the wrong way, but I have to ask this very directly...

Best regards,
Wool.

Hi Wolle, when I'm replacing or upgrading the tension rollers, I always rotate them around to see which ones are good. I found some that were making a loud buzzing noise, while others were stiff and quiet, like the new ones. That's how I discovered the KRR rollers.
Some users have reported both a narrowed belt width due to the misalignment of the tensioner pulley and a loud running noise.
I agree that the sound of the burning mechanism is quite loud and can easily mask any noise from the roller bearing, especially when the device is in operation. The most likely source of the noise would be something like a wooden stick hitting directly on, for example, the mounting screw of the roller bearing, if it's located near an exposed area.
I mainly said that because I rarely see worn-out belts, but I often encounter tensioner pulleys that are noticeably misaligned from the optimal marking when they're replaced, or that make noise.

I can't assess your story, but I suspect there might have been something not quite right after the installation (perhaps the belt tension was too tight or too loose?), or it could simply be a defect in the roller, which can sometimes happen.

Hello,

...because I rarely see worn-out belts, but I often see tensioner pulleys that were noticeably off the optimal tension mark when they were replaced...

But if the belt was no longer at its optimal tension mark, wouldn't that be a sign that it has stretched?
Or perhaps I'm currently thinking about things in the wrong way.

Best regards,
Daniel.

Of course, the belt could also have stretched. Belts always stretch a little bit, but if the optimal tension mark is shifted due to a longer belt, then it's definitely time to replace the belt, because belts don't stretch *that* much.
It's also possible that the screw (or nut) of the tensioner could come loose, and so on...

"Yes, it has stretched or worn out on the toothed side, but that doesn't immediately cause it to break. Instead, it breaks because the belt length is no longer sufficient to maintain tension, especially if it's slack in one area, or because it runs at an angle and becomes progressively narrower, or because the base of the teeth is cracked, porous, or frayed. That's what I meant by belt wear."
If the roller is blocked or if the tension changes due to an M8 nut, then it will stop working more quickly.
The good quality of the work is also due to new employees...
I certainly can't see any difference between the Dayco belt that was replaced after 90,000 km and the original one, especially now that the car has 185,000 km on it (G 4 model).

I certainly can't see any difference between the Dayco belt that was replaced after 90,000 km and the original one, now with 185,000 km on the G 4.

As I said, almost everything comes from the same manufacturer. I know this from a very, very reliable source. It's possible that Dayco is also produced at the same facility.

EMSimASZ wrote:

Contitech, Gates, SKF, or the good old "original" belt all come from the same factory.

Only the printing on them is different.

If you were to tell that to a certain Microsoft sales representative, the minimum they would do is give a one-hour presentation refuting that statement.

However, the statement is essentially correct. Gates and Conti belts rarely cause problems. They are also the most well-known brands in the belt industry. And SKF kits usually contain Gates belts.
I used to install belts from Roulunds in Denmark, but they tend to stretch quite a bit. Since then, I've been using Gates belts instead.
Above all, we need proper rollers and spacers. As Klaus already mentioned.

Contitech belts are good, but not as quiet as the original ones, at least not in my 1.9 TDI.

"I've always purchased Contitech parts so far, but now the cost of purchasing genuine VAG spare parts is significantly lower (they offer "repair kits" for almost all engines, which include everything you need), so the next set will definitely be an original timing belt kit."

I use Gates belts and can't detect any difference in the running noise.

And I have a Contitech, and with that running noise, I can't hear anything different. Everything rattles and clatters as it should . Honestly, what are you hearing? When the hood is open, my combustion noise pretty much drowns out all other sound sources.