Engine: TD: - 2.5 TDI fuel pump timing mark / base settings - Page 6

Turbodave · Jul 17th, 2013, 08:50

Just to update / bring closure...

I fitted another new tensioner and found it was again rattling off the block withing a couple of hundred miles. I made some calls and it was decided that the most likely culprit given the tensioner had been replaced for the third time, was indeed the diesel pump failing and tightening up - thus putting extra tension on the belt which in turn was forcing the tensioner beyond it's normal operating limits.

I spoke with a diesel specialist who offered to strip and check the pumps but costs into the hundreds were mentioned, plus the cost of another timing belt kit. I had a look for second hand pumps - most seemed to be starting at the £100 mark and reconditioned units, well lets just not go there.

The car has sat for the past 6 weeks at my unit. The tax is due to expire, the Mot expires next week, it needs a pump, timing belt, two lower arms and a couple of tyres plus there's also the main timing belt to consider - it's never been done and it's tensioner slipped a few months back but luckily, didn't do damage. I tightened it up but the belt has always moved about on the top pulley ever since. There's also the clutch, the pedal was getting increasingly stiff and it's chirp under load.

So, having added up the costs even just to get the car back on the road...

Tax
£125.00

Mot
£50.00

Diesel pump
£150

Injection pump belt kit
£75

Two lower arms
£80

We're already pushing towards £500 and the main belt and clutch would always be an underlying concern - sods law one of them would give up in the near future, rendering the car a write off. Plus it's old, tired, the body isn't tidy so it's with genuine heartache that I've decided to cut my losses and scrap the car. Not an easy decision - despite being old, a bit dull and not very fast it has been the most utterly brilliant old workhorse I've ever owned. 3yrs and about 60,000 miles with minimal fuss.

It's like an old dog... 99.9% of you knows it's the best decision but that 0.1% still thinks it can be saved and for the past 6 weeks, that 0.1% of me has been the ruling factor. But, enough is enough. I could take the £500 I need to spend, add it to the money I'll get scrapping it and buy another tidy example or another T5 estate. However, I also have my old Cavalier on the road again and she has her car so at the moment there is no need for three cars - come winter when the Cavalier goes into the garage again, I'll look at another winter runner.

Hey ho, but I thank all of you who have offered advice and help and hopefully my saga has helped others along the way.

Now, I'm away to have a wee bubble to myself!

catflem · Jul 17th, 2013, 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbodave

It's like an old dog... 99.9% of you knows it's the best decision but that 0.1% still thinks it can be saved

Now, I'm away to have a wee bubble to myself!

And just like owning an old dog, you've got to know when is the right time to put it out of its misery :-(

RiPsTa33 · Jul 17th, 2013, 14:46

Well if it hasn't gone for scrap yet i'll take it as my timing belt snapped on mine and i could make one up out of the 2

BillB · Jul 17th, 2013, 15:39

Turbodave: Sorry to hear you're scrapping it but I did pm you about a known good pump I have. You didn't reply so I assume you're not interested. Will advertise on here soon. Regards.

Turbodave · Jul 18th, 2013, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiPsTa33

Well if it hasn't gone for scrap yet i'll take it as my timing belt snapped on mine and i could make one up out of the 2

I've sent you a PM sir... the car is still here up until Friday but I'm not sure it makes financial sense to come and get it, bearing in mind I'm a few miles north of Edinburgh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillB

Turbodave: Sorry to hear you're scrapping it but I did pm you about a known good pump I have. You didn't reply so I assume you're not interested. Will advertise on here soon. Regards.

Hi Bill, apologies... I've only just found your PM. Very kind offer however despite the pump being quite cheap, time I add up all the other costs I'll still be pushing towards £500 just to get it road legal and moving again and that just doesn't make sense to me.

It's a 160k, 15 year old Volvo at the end of the day which was great as a rather bombproof, solid big workhorse for dragging trailers and generally abusing and chewing miles, however it wasn't very attractive and it was like driving a tank... so Mrs Turbodave struggled with it at times. The clutch being the biggest issue (mega heavy) so hence, if it was a potential time bomb then really, it'd be silly to invest time / effort.

I'm cutting my losses, I have the Cavalier on the road for summer and she has a Calibra. The Cavalier will be back in the garage come winter and we're selling her car to get something that will replace the Volvo, but not be quite as tank like hence I mulled over a phase 1 V40 Turbo a few weeks back but I think we may end up with a Zafira GSi or a Mk5 Astra SRi Turbo estate. Shhhhh!

Cheers chaps

CPH · Jul 18th, 2013, 23:34

I think you've done the right thing TurboDave.

I always get a bit too attached to my cars and it's sometimes difficult to make the decision to move on (especially when you've spend money, time and effort trying to fix it) even though you know deep down it's the right thing to do.

But at the end of the day nothing lasts forever and you have to do the thinking with your head and not your heart otherwise you'll just end up throwing good money after bad.

And it's not like you didn't try, you did everything you reasonably could to keep it on the road and then some.

Turbodave · Jul 23rd, 2013, 09:47

Gone now, scrapped it yesterday. Emotional day!

So for the time being, that's me out the Volvo game too... no doubt I'll be back again at some stage, probably armed with another T5 but for the time being, I thank you chaps who have offered help and advice during the old 2.5D's last days.

fuller0554 · May 31st, 2015, 10:21

Hello every1 i have just had this same problem, travelling to bridgewater from newquay got within 20 mile and my car just cuts out, i knew what it was straight away and sure enough the pump belt had snapped so we had to tow it 20 mile back to my brother inlaws hous. Not something i want to do again in a hurry.
After a nights sleep i got a new belt then realised it was the tensioner that had given up so i had to pay the 67 pound for the full kit and after trying it tooth by tooth from tdc it started but it needs abit more work as its totally flat and theres loads of deisel knock when accellerating. Im going to try moving it another tooth forward to see how it is and if i have no luck il take it to be fine tuned. It ran like a dream before and pulled really well but only ones warmed up so my thinking is that slight heat expantion in matirial from cold to hot made the difference in timing from being noisy to running sweet. Hope this makes sense.
Now ive done it ones id have no problem doing it again as ones you get into it its pretty easy to set up.

I think mine and other that have been marked on the cam/crank timing side is just from a belt change and that was the top tooth at the time the belt was changed as i used this mark on mine and it was 4 teeth out before it would start.

Thanks for starting this thread as i wouldnt have known where to start without it.

Jul 17th, 2013, 14:46	#53
RiPsTa33 Trader Last Online: Jul 7th, 2022 15:22 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Shildon	Well if it hasn't gone for scrap yet i'll take it as my timing belt snapped on mine and i could make one up out of the 2 __________________ ABS Ecu Repairs £25 850 T5 304 Chip £80

Jul 18th, 2013, 23:34	#56
CPH Senior Member Last Online: Dec 10th, 2020 09:39 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Caldicot	I think you've done the right thing TurboDave. I always get a bit too attached to my cars and it's sometimes difficult to make the decision to move on (especially when you've spend money, time and effort trying to fix it) even though you know deep down it's the right thing to do. But at the end of the day nothing lasts forever and you have to do the thinking with your head and not your heart otherwise you'll just end up throwing good money after bad. And it's not like you didn't try, you did everything you reasonably could to keep it on the road and then some. __________________ Where are we going and why are we in this hand basket?

Jul 17th, 2013, 08:50	#51
Turbodave VOC Member Last Online: May 2nd, 2024 08:34 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Fife	Just to update / bring closure... I fitted another new tensioner and found it was again rattling off the block withing a couple of hundred miles. I made some calls and it was decided that the most likely culprit given the tensioner had been replaced for the third time, was indeed the diesel pump failing and tightening up - thus putting extra tension on the belt which in turn was forcing the tensioner beyond it's normal operating limits. I spoke with a diesel specialist who offered to strip and check the pumps but costs into the hundreds were mentioned, plus the cost of another timing belt kit. I had a look for second hand pumps - most seemed to be starting at the £100 mark and reconditioned units, well lets just not go there. The car has sat for the past 6 weeks at my unit. The tax is due to expire, the Mot expires next week, it needs a pump, timing belt, two lower arms and a couple of tyres plus there's also the main timing belt to consider - it's never been done and it's tensioner slipped a few months back but luckily, didn't do damage. I tightened it up but the belt has always moved about on the top pulley ever since. There's also the clutch, the pedal was getting increasingly stiff and it's chirp under load. So, having added up the costs even just to get the car back on the road... Tax £125.00 Mot £50.00 Diesel pump £150 Injection pump belt kit £75 Two lower arms £80 We're already pushing towards £500 and the main belt and clutch would always be an underlying concern - sods law one of them would give up in the near future, rendering the car a write off. Plus it's old, tired, the body isn't tidy so it's with genuine heartache that I've decided to cut my losses and scrap the car. Not an easy decision - despite being old, a bit dull and not very fast it has been the most utterly brilliant old workhorse I've ever owned. 3yrs and about 60,000 miles with minimal fuss. It's like an old dog... 99.9% of you knows it's the best decision but that 0.1% still thinks it can be saved and for the past 6 weeks, that 0.1% of me has been the ruling factor. But, enough is enough. I could take the £500 I need to spend, add it to the money I'll get scrapping it and buy another tidy example or another T5 estate. However, I also have my old Cavalier on the road again and she has her car so at the moment there is no need for three cars - come winter when the Cavalier goes into the garage again, I'll look at another winter runner. Hey ho, but I thank all of you who have offered advice and help and hopefully my saga has helped others along the way. Now, I'm away to have a wee bubble to myself!

Jul 17th, 2013, 15:39	#54
BillB VOC Member Last Online: Apr 24th, 2024 13:58 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Bristol	Turbodave: Sorry to hear you're scrapping it but I did pm you about a known good pump I have. You didn't reply so I assume you're not interested. Will advertise on here soon. Regards.

Jul 23rd, 2013, 09:47	#57
Turbodave VOC Member Last Online: May 2nd, 2024 08:34 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Fife	Gone now, scrapped it yesterday. Emotional day! So for the time being, that's me out the Volvo game too... no doubt I'll be back again at some stage, probably armed with another T5 but for the time being, I thank you chaps who have offered help and advice during the old 2.5D's last days.

May 31st, 2015, 10:21	#58
fuller0554 Member Last Online: May 21st, 2018 13:20 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: oswestry	Hello every1 i have just had this same problem, travelling to bridgewater from newquay got within 20 mile and my car just cuts out, i knew what it was straight away and sure enough the pump belt had snapped so we had to tow it 20 mile back to my brother inlaws hous. Not something i want to do again in a hurry. After a nights sleep i got a new belt then realised it was the tensioner that had given up so i had to pay the 67 pound for the full kit and after trying it tooth by tooth from tdc it started but it needs abit more work as its totally flat and theres loads of deisel knock when accellerating. Im going to try moving it another tooth forward to see how it is and if i have no luck il take it to be fine tuned. It ran like a dream before and pulled really well but only ones warmed up so my thinking is that slight heat expantion in matirial from cold to hot made the difference in timing from being noisy to running sweet. Hope this makes sense. Now ive done it ones id have no problem doing it again as ones you get into it its pretty easy to set up. I think mine and other that have been marked on the cam/crank timing side is just from a belt change and that was the top tooth at the time the belt was changed as i used this mark on mine and it was 4 teeth out before it would start. Thanks for starting this thread as i wouldnt have known where to start without it.

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