Tensioner pulley seizing up 100 miles after timing belt replacement

I recently took my 99 tacoma to the dealership for a water pump and timing belt replacement. It has 150000 miles. Previous owner did not get it done, so it was time.

After about 90 miles of driving after the repair, the car shut down on me. Had it towed back to the dealer and the tensioner pulley on tbe timing belt is seized up.
They are claiming that this was unrelated to their work and that it is not normally replaced when the timing belt is changed and want to charge me the full amount for the repair.

Has anyone else had a similar issue and had them fix it without charging?
Any advice about getting this service covered?

 

@Crom our mechanical genius should be able to help you

 

It cost $8 for that berring. Just replace it yourself. Very easy job.

 

This is quite important when paying to get work done .

Don`t just assume things will get changed .

get things in writing on the repair order

No doubt the bearing was on the way out if the tech was as stressed as we are right now I could see how it might not even been looked at

Talking with my Service Manger I asked if they did the water pump while they were in there She said most times no unless the customer so states they want it done

 

I couldn't say it better. I can't even trust my local dealer. They replaced my leaf packs under recall and they couldn't even place the bumpstops back in correctly. From then on, I check over their service before I leave the lot. Never know when they're going to try and pull something anymore...

 

If it froze up I am sure it roached that new belt as well. Not a massive job but may be more than he wants to tackle

 

I would call a different dealership and talk to the service manager to inquire about a timing belt change and what it entails just to know what the standard operating procedure is.

It is a rule of thumb when replacing the timing belt, that the water pump and all associated bearings are changed also. Usually when the timing belt is on it's way out.....so is everything else. This is on any vehicle.

 

IMO, that's a pretty standard thing you SHOULD replace when you're in there. Same reason the water pump is done at the same time, too. Gaskets, bearings, Tstat, etc... ALL that stuff should have been replaced...

 

Tensioner for the Timing belt not Drive belts.

 

The tensioner bearing is pretty cheap. I have one sitting in a box waiting to go in my truck next week when I do my timing belt, water pump, etc....

 

It still baffles me that a dealer would do this job and not replace the bearing. The way they like to upcharge, it doesn't make any sense

 

Thanks for all of the input guys! I was able to get the dealer to cover all of the labor so im just paying for the parts that should've been put in in the first place.

 

Doing my own work, in a PM procedure, I typically replace every wear item I touch going in and out of the job. 'cause I don't want to go back.

I did have a TB service on an old Acura at a good independent shop a number of years ago. He told me he'd check the tensioners and such and replace if needed. Called me and told me I could not get the car that evening, as he'd thought a tensioner was just fine, but it started protesting during the test drive after reassembly. Of course I paid for the new tensioner, but he handled the labor to go back in.

I suspect that if you look at the dealership you will find you bought a 'timing belt package', and the tensioner is not on the list of replacement parts. If that's the case, unfortunately it's all yours.

Next time, find an independent quality shop, they'll be about 2/3 the labor cost. And discuss all the parts that will be replaced in the process. It may cost a bit more on material, but almost nothing more on labor.

 

Shit! read that wrong!

I too have a hard time believing the pulley was not replaced. I didn't even know you could get the kits without new pulley.

 

You'd think... Whenever I get the T-belt done on my cars, all the other belts, rollers, water pump, and any gaskets or hoses in the t-belt 'hood gets replaced. Period, no questions. More than once I get the "but everything else looks good". Me, I don't care, when stuff gets old, I don't want my vehicles leaving me stranded, because I decided that a part that I could have replaced when other work was done, failed.

 

I have had people that thought the timing belt was just that and that was all that was replaced

Then Dealers for the most unless they buy the Timing Belt kit on Ebay need to order every part number by number unless something changed in the last year .

I questioned "what no timing belt kit package" no part by part

Your paying get it written on the order don`t just think it should be done because most everyone on here says so.

As a tech your only going by what your reading