JPQuattro

Very similar. Stripped mostly at the crank. Bent 2 intake valves. Not sure of the engine speed as I bought this project off the shop once the cust left it & they got shop holders lean & sold it to me.

JPQuattro

So it looks like the best FCP Groton will do is give me a $50 credit towards an OEM tensioner unit. They wanted to charge me $15 price diff plus shipping & only get the $50 credit when they get the defect & decide its bad which I know they wont because the piston fails intermintantly.

I told them of this post & they seemed to some what care but then said "we sell 1,000's of these tensioners & this is the first 2 ive heard of failing" also implementing an install error. I told them to look into this ASAP but they said they need more proof of failures so good luck to the test mules out there!

This is really poor business practice esp since I just spent over $500 with them in the last 30 days. They are worried about $15 & I have a crap ton more in labor to redue. I think an even swap would have been more than fair.

I am going to get the word out on all VW/Audi forums.

Joey T

And lo and behold, the tensioner failed.

Here is how it went down:

My neighbor bought parts from FCP Groton, installed on car. During road test ( about twenty miles in ) tensioner failed, and customer tore car down. Found tensioner stuck in retracted position, removed tensioner and compressed as per Bentley manual and tensioner began to work again. He reinstalled it and started riving, it failed again within 200 miles. He then called FCP Groton and they offered a replacement tensioner. This part, which I just inspected, has no part number, no identifying marks, and no grind marks on it. Against my advice, he installed the second part from FCP Groton. I checked the installation, and he installed both parts correctly. It is impossible to install the tensioner incorrectly.

As a professional mechanic ( as in I get paid for a living to repair German cars ) I would strongly suggest against buying the timing belt kit from FCP Groton unless they change suppliers. As always, Axis or PureMS sell quality parts at affordable prices, and stand behind their products.

Joey T

Got the vin? I just bought one in NY

JPQuattro

Dont have the vin anymore but I sold it to a jamaican guy who modded it. Did you buy a 93 Green on Ecru?

FCP Groton

Good morning all,

My name is Scott Drozd and I am the sales manager at FCP Groton. Although we monitor each and every forum on an almost daily basis and are supporting vendors on many, we hesitate to post. We feel as though our service and products stand for themselves and the reputation will follow. However, when someone misrepresents our company by stating we have poor business practices I feel as though it is our responsibility to step in and defend ourselves as there is always two sides to a story.

As you all know we specialize in timing belt replacement kits for all Audi/VW platforms, as well as suspension kits. We stand behind our products 100% and we also have a ASE certified technician on hand ready to assist you with any problems that may arise. Most of our clients are not certified technicians and have no business working on vehicles. Approximately 98 Percent of the phone calls that we receiving claiming a "defective part" are illegitimate due to improper installation procedures. Simple fact is if every customer claiming a "defective part" we sent out a replacement no questions asked, we would drive ourselves into the ground.

I have talked to our tech extensively about this timing belt issue and also done my due diligence by reading many posts concerning possible installation errors on the B5 platform and the 2.8 and 3.0 V6. I am preparing a response from him and it will be posted shortly.

The customer service representative at that spoke to John was Andrew- and I was present when this conversation occurred. It as stated that the tensioner "completely failed" and was also stated later that the piston was working "intermittently." From all this evidence our technician and I came to the agreement that we did not feel that the tensioner was defective, and that this "intermittent" issue just was not adding up- we have never known a piston to work "intermittently." With that being said, we offered to sell JPquattro (John) the original NTN tensioner for $65 and issue a $50 credit for the aftermarket unit- which we thought was more than fair. JPquattro (John) felt as though somehow this was poor business practice and expressed to the board above, which we feel is a misrepresentation of our company and what we do daily to work hard and deliver an oustanding product and service. Andrew offered JPQuattro to talk to a manager such as myself, however he declined and stated that he would take care of this issue on the forums.

Nonetheless, I felt as though a phone call to JPQuattro from myself was appropriate. Even though I still feel as though this was due to improper installation, I have shipped JPquattro out a replacement OEM free of charge for exchange of the aftermarket unit.
Even though JPquattro is not a certified mechanic he has assured me that he has wrenched these Audi's for over 10 years so I have taken that into consideration and feel as though we have come to an amicable agreement. I am in no way questioning his skills as a mechanic- but I do question the extremely high margin for error when performing a complicated task such as a timing belt replacement especially on an Audi.

I appreciate the time everyone took to read our response. Please do not interpret this as any manifestation of "commercial use" of the board. We are simply standing behind our company, products, and services that we offer day in and day out. We not only work hard to support families and ourselves, but to make the automotive community a better place.

Kind Regards

Scott Drozd<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/30vv6/msgs/4756.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/30vv6/msgs/4756.phtml</a</li></ul>

Joey T

As you know, I have the same exact mode of failure here on another tensioner sourced from your company. In this case, the customer was asked to pay for the replacement part and that FCP would credit him when the original part was returned. Can I tell him that you will personally handle the refund of his money when he returns the failed tensioner?

Again, the same exact mode of failure.


I am a professional technician, and I am not looking for anything from your company. What I do want is for you to understand that the potential for very expensive engine damage exists when tensioners fail, and that you have at least two tensioners from your supplier with the same mode of failure.


As a former sales manager for a few larger companies, I would also like to point out that blaming your customer for bad installation is very poor business practice. I suggest that unless you want to sell only to professional shops that meet your criteria for qualified installers you should be less likely to blame the messenger.

And to make it clear, you are selling a part with a clear history of failure, two of which we know about. In both cases the tensioner has an intermittent failure. Failure of the tensioner can cause catastrophic engine damage.

Also, in both cases, the customers were informed by your company that the failure was never seen before, and in both cases the installation was blamed for the failure.

FCP Groton

Joey,

He can personally ask for me at 877-634-0063 ext 202.

I have never blamed JPQuattro for incorrect installation and I have never told him "you installed it wrong so you are SOL" - which we could have but we didn't. We tried to work something out. I have simply stated that it is in my opinion from my experience with these parts and our techs experience with installation that I feel it was incorrectly installed. I could be flat out wrong, or I could be right- but I am entitled to my opinion. Like I stated before, If we took every customers word for a defective part, and we haphazardly shipped out replacements without doing our due diligence, we would not be in business anymore supplying our customers parts and this email would never exist.

I would like to play devil's advocate and post this question in response to the below comment:

"What I do want is for you to understand that the potential for very expensive engine damage exists when tensioners fail"

So the question I ask is the following:

If there is this much potential for expensive engine damage, why would anyone other than a certified ASE technician make an attempt at this repair?

And Like I promised before, a response from my tech is being drawn up and will be submitted here shortly. Hopefully by reading this article you will see first hand the experience and qualifications we use to determine how and why we determine if we feel a part is defective, or not defective, and if the installation was proper or improper.

FCP Groton

Audiworld community-

In replacing your timing belt You will have to do so following these steps and instructions, this is the procedure in removing the
Timing belt and timing components on a 30 valve engine as it is the most common. Remember this procedure is for 2.8 vehicles
many cars can have different set ups but the procedure is fairly similar for most:



After the front end pieces of the vehicle are removed and the radiator and coolant are flushed out of the vehicle as well as the
Condenser and supports are out of the way. Leaving only the front of the engine and the serpentine belt assembly and you can
Begin to disassemble the front engine covers, remove three black plastic covers, The coolant overflow and catch tank and the
top of the air filter tunnel. Then remove the serpentine belt assembly by first applying pressure on the serpentine belt tensioner
to release the belt, Then insert a strong metal rod or thin enough screwdriver into to the socket carefully to keep the tensioner
preloaded. Then you can remove the serpentine belt. Very carefully remove the bolts that holds on the tensioner assembly, and
remove the tensioner and power steering pulley (it can be held in by a 8mm wrench and simply take off the 3 6mm bolts). There
are four nuts holding on the clutch fan assembly that need to be removed and you can use a wrench to hold this assembly in place
as you undo the 4mm allens. The procedure is the same for the clutch fan bracket, some of the bolts on this bracket are hard to
see so be careful removing it, not using force as it could damage the bracket.

Continue to remove the remaining pieces in the timing cover. You will then see the timing belt assembly and tensioner. Crank the
Motor using a 19mm socket until the timing marks line up on the marks on the shield. Then mark the Gears Using a white chalk
pen or any sharp tool that can make a noticeable mark on the gears. Then remove the crankshaft pulley and the Lower shield. Now
for the tensioner, using a allen to push to timing tensioner back and use a strong thick wire to hold it in place. There Are a few bolts
holding the roller and tensioner on, remove them. Being sure to watch the marks you made on the gears, very carefully remove the
Timing belt making sure none of the gears rotate as you do so. If you are going to replace the water pump, now would be the best
time. There Are a few bolts holding it in if you have not replaced the pump before it will probably be hard going out as the materiel
used to seal it is very strong.

Reinstall the new water pump assembly using good sealant or RTV material ( I recommend Black RTV available at the local auto
Parts Store). Reinstall your tensioner and the rollers, Now thread the new timing belt on, I Usually start from the bottom crank
pulley and Work my way up to the adjacent pulleys over the roller, moving up to the right side, You may have to tweak the cam
sprockets slightly to Grab the belt correctly. Go under the water pump pulley, and over the left cam, you may have to tweak this
cam side to get it right as well. Then go over the tensioner. Put a straight edge across the cam gears and make sure it is still aligned
On the marks as you began. You can Relieve the tension on the tensioner now ensuring that the tensioner is applying pressure to the
belt accordingly. After you replace the timing Shield the marks should still line up. Check to ensure that the belt is properly aligned
by rotating the crank using a 19mm socket and a long breaker bar, spin the assembly to see if the valve train does not come into
contact with the piston tops. After a few rotations you should be fine.

Reverse the steps to reinstall the serpentine belt and pulleys For the power steering and the covers for the air box.

The opportunity for error in this procedure is extremely high. It should only be attempted by a ASE tech or a mechanic that exhibits only the highest level of skills.

If anyone would like to talk to me personally about this I can be reached at the number below, or Scott Drozd the sales manager at 877-634-0063 ext 202

Michael Rivera

ASE Certified Technician

1-877-634-0063 ext 206

Joey T

You do not suggest using the factory cam gear holding tool as per the Bentley manual and factory procedures, and you do not suggest using the crankshaft locking tool as per the Bentley and factory procedures, even though the sales manager linked to a post earlier to imply that failure to use the factory tools will cause intermittent timing belt tensioner failures?

And I will clarify:

Not using the factory tools to hold the cams in place and to hold the crank in place is dangerous, and you, sir, have just explained why an Ask Someone Else technician should not be used to install the timing belt on a VAG product.