Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrian888
V60 D6 hybrid quote for belt and tensioner incl VAT and labour is coming in at £435 from dealer. What actually does this belt do and what determines need to change it at 54k miles?
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Although I have a different car to you, I presume the function of the auxiliary belt is similar. This belt drives the alternator, crankshaft & power steering pump on my car.
The reason the auxiliary belt needs to be changed is because it can cause serious engine damage if it snaps, due to the chance of it getting tangled in the timing belt & knocking everything out of sync. The same with the tensioner, if it fails, the auxiliary belt will no longer be under tension & you have the same scenario with regards to the auxiliary belt potentially wrapping itself around the timing belt. If either occur & the aux belt gets tangled, then potentially, you could be looking at very expensive repairs (cylinder head replacement for example).
Don't take chances, as these parts are prone to failure. The price you've been quoted is certainly much cheaper than what it would cost to rebuild your engine. By all means, look around for cheaper quotes, but make sure you get them replaced sooner rather than later. Use genuine parts too ideally, or quality aftermarket ones as a minimum.