Urgent Help Please! Breakdown

[lukemk5gti]

Just broke down there. Sounded like a belt slipping for a second whilst in traffic. Then drove fine for a minute. Then cut out and battery symbol appeared.

Drove into car park and all is fine. Turned engine off and on again and belt is slipping noise is so bad that the engine cut out again.

Waiting on breakdown recovery.

Any ideas?

Timing belt changed 20,000 (2years) ago.

[xjay1337]

Could be your flux capacitor?

Sounds like auxiliary belt.

[lukemk5gti]

I wasn't going 88mph though?

I was bored on the roadside so did a few tests... Alternator belt slipped intermittently. Either the belt, bearings or alternator are gone.

Rough cost for alternator? €250 sound right or cheaper if reconditioned?

Recovery truck was already on the way even thought the car was back in driving condition so I saved the petrol and had it sent to VW to get it done. Would do it myself only I'm away from home and don't have access to any of my stuff!

[PhilNUK]

My alternator pulley knackered on my mk4 gttdi a few years back...  No charge was going back into the battery as the belt was slipping.....  Sure enough one day the pulley snapped off and the car shut down...  Recovery man fitted a charged battery to get me to my mechanic.
They fitted a new pulley and think it cost me £160

[xjay1337]

From VW it will be about £450.

Cost me £250 for a brand new Valeo about 5 years ago on my old 1.9 lol

[doylebros]

This is worth a watch if that's your fault https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fyosuYbPxr4

[Andy]

Sounds like the pulley on the alternator has gone

[PhilNUK]

Yup...

If you can hear a squealing sound from around the alternator then that is a sign it's about to die...

Mine completely snapped but was getting the squealing noise for a few days before it. Then got the alternator workshop warning on the display about 10 seconds before it snapped off

[xjay1337]

Pop the belt off.
Is noise stops problem solved.
It's like a 12mm spanner and a screw driver to get it off.

[lukemk5gti]

Here's the update - Left it there with VW since I actually had the same branch do my last service and was told it would only be €50 to have it kept in, tension adjusted and scanned over.

After a whole day I call back and they hadn't even looked at it. I get a call 20mins later and I'm told there's nothing wrong (clearly not, In physically watched the belt slipping). Now I'm told because I'm a previous customer they'll knock 50% off and it's only €102.

I'm now paying €102 even though they never actually did anything!!