uwe_lange10

Skoda Rapid Diesel Engine Noise Issue

I'm getting a bit frustrated. My 2012 Skoda Rapid with a diesel engine is giving me headaches. It's got about 84784 km on the clock, and recently, the belt-handover has stopped working properly. I suspect it's a defective belt bringer/handover itself. The main symptom is this awful engine noise, almost like a belt squeal, especially at lower speeds. I've checked the serpentine belt itself, and it looks fine, but the tension seems off. Any ideas before I start tearing things apart?

4 comment(s)

Sounds like a bad belt tensioner to me. I had a similar issue with my old Opel a while back. The serpentine belt was all over the place. Is the engine noise constant, or does it change with RPM?

Interesting. So, what exactly went wrong with your Opel? Was it the tensioner itself, or something else in the belt drive system? And did you notice any other symptoms besides the engine noise?

Yeah, in my case, the tensioner pulley bearing had gone bad. It caused the whole thing to wobble, which led to excessive engine noise and eventually the belt jumping off. If the belt tensioner isn't doing its job, you'll definitely hear it. I'd get it checked out by a professional if you're not comfortable messing with the belt drive yourself. Better safe than sorry.

Thanks! It turns out you were spot on. I took it to the shop, and it was indeed the belt tensioner. A new one is installed, and the noise is gone. Cost me 455€, but at least it's fixed. I appreciate the insight!

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