Dayco advises on keeping warranty claims to a minimum
Stating the obvious, it is in the best interests of both factors and their workshop customers that the number of warranty claims that arise following a vehicle repair are kept at an absolute minimum.
It is also worth stating that unfortunately, the vast majority of component failures that are the subject of warranty claims are in fact caused by the incorrect installation of replacement components during service and repair operations, not the replacement items themselves.
In a bid to reduce these installation derived claims, Dayco is encouraging factors to use their considerable influence to help their customers to prevent these labour intensive and costly incidents, by gently reminding them of potential issues when they order a particular timing belt kit or auxiliary belt/rigid component combination.
Following industry best practice, factors obviously promote the supply of a timing belt kit, rather than supplying a belt in isolation. However, to reduce the risk of related problems, Dayco also recommends that they remind their customers that because the timing drive system is so vital to the overall health of the engine, they use all of the replacement items in the kit, including the nuts and bolts/studs also supplied.
One of the most common, current installation problems is caused by the inappropriate handling and installation of the hydraulic actuator that acts upon the timing belt tensioner on the diesel engine, which is used in numerous VW Group vehicles, as well as the Ford Galaxy.
Before its installation, it is important for the actuator to be left to stand in the same orientation as it will be once installed on the engine, to let the hydraulic fluid neutralise, which allows any air bubbles to vent from the wrong side of the seal. The ram also needs to be in its locking position, so if it needs to be pushed into this position, this must be done slowly and carefully in order not to damage its seals. The use of a lever should never be contemplated.
It is also important for technicians to follow the installation instructions that come with Dayco kit KTB415 and check the gap and the alignment of the actuator against the plate on the tensioner.
The examination of many warranty claims have revealed that the actuator is often wrongly positioned and is therefore unable to apply the correct and aligned pressure on the tensioner, which results in the incorrect tension on the belt. In extreme cases, the ram can come off of the plate and come into direct contact with the tensioner contact tyre, with the subsequent dire consequences.
However, following the correct installation procedure will avoid all of these problems, which is why Dayco is appealing to factors to pass on these little tips and help to prevent such problems and in the process, reduce the hassle of having to deal with unwelcome warranty claims.