Snake Belt Tensioner

[stericker]

I have had a problem with the snake belt tensioner on my LS400 Mk 4. Not very engine savvy but I believe it had seized (?)

It has been replaced by my local indie for £300. Does that sound about right and is it a fairly common fault ? Could it have

caused any further problems for the future ?

[Chris Skelton]

??? Wots a Snake belt?

[thatfatbloke]

Serpent-ine belt?.

[cruisermark]

a non genuine tensioner is £100 - the actual tensioner is 2 nuts and 1bolt - for a mechanic it should be a 10 minute job max

[Titch LS]

Anthony, you've been ripped off mate. £300 is waaay over the top for this relatively easy fix. I did mine for a fraction of that money. I woudn't take your car to them again if I were you. And no, it won't have caused any problems to anything else.

[stericker]

Thanks for your comments. The belt had been making a squeak - squeak noise for a couple of weeks. The tensioner cost £88 and the belt £22. The rest was labour.

(he called it an 'auxilliary' belt rather than a snake or serpentine belt). I must say that he is usually very reasonable with his charges.

[cruisermark]

Thanks for your comments. The belt had been making a squeak - squeak noise for a couple of weeks. The tensioner cost £88 and the belt £22. The rest was labour.

(he called it an 'auxilliary' belt rather than a snake or serpentine belt). I must say that he is usually very reasonable with his charges.

hi

i had never changed an auxillary belt and it took me 5 mins when i done my mark 4 - so his charges are a bit on the high side

[messi]

Cost me £20 to have mine replaced

[alien1974]

Lots of garages tend to charge 'lexus' tax though

[steve2006]

I gets worse,you can actually replace the bearings in both the tensioner and idler pulleys with a quality Japanese bearing costing a couple of pounds.

Remove the pulley and drift the old bearing out and a new one in, 30 minutes tops including removal and refittimg

If anyone else has the same problem I'm doing a special offer of £299.99 this week only.

[ROYT]

Steve, you forgot to add VAT!!

[steve2006]

Steve, you forgot to add VAT!!

Sorry I am registered in the Cayman Islands ( for tax reasons only you understand) so no VAT is payable :)