Skoda Kamiq belt tensioner issue

I'm getting annoyed. My 2023 Skoda Kamiq with a Gasoline engine is giving me trouble. It has 204073 km and the belt tensioner seems to be failing. The belt squeal is driving me crazy, and the automatic tensioner no longer works. It’s making an awful engine noise. I suspect the automatic tensioner itself is defective. Has anyone else had this? What am I looking at to repair it?

4 comment(s)

Wow, 204073 km on a 2023 Kamiq? That's a lot of driving! Belt squeal usually means a tension problem, so you're likely right about the tensioner pulley or belt tensioner failing. When you say automatic tensioner, do you mean the mechanism that automatically adjusts the timing belt tension? Does the engine noise change with RPM?

Mileage is high because I drive a lot! And by automatic tensioner I mean exactly that mechanism, that automatically adjusts the timing belt tension. About the engine noise: Yes, it gets worse with higher RPM. Does that clarify it?

The fact that the noise worsens with RPM really points towards a tensioner issue. Since the automatic tensioner isn't working, it's not maintaining the correct tension on the timing belt. Continuing to drive it like this could cause the timing belt to jump a tooth, which would be catastrophic for your engine. 455€ sounds about right, including labor. I'd recommend getting it fixed ASAP at a workshop.

Got the Kamiq back. It was the belt tensioner. The automatic tensioner was broken. Cost 455€ total. Thanks for the help.

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