Yes, I am currently searching the site for answers, but any help is greatly appreciated. This is my sister's car, a 2003 1.7L, and she originally had the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump replaced at pep boys (i know...). Less than a year and a half later, the water pump failed and had to be replaced again. Two months later, the car wouldn't start. I told her to take it to the place I go to, and they found the tensioner bolt broken inside the timing cover. They said to take it back to pep boys since they did the original work. Pep boys is now blaming the other shop for the damage, and I have no way to prove otherwise. She has barely put 2k on since the water pump was replaced the second time.

I'm thinking that maybe they replaced the tensioner, but didn't use the upgraded bolt that honda recommends? If pep boys cross-threaded the bolt, we will never know because it most likely has to be drilled out. I'm really stuck here. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

You on the losing end, as both shops are on the blame game.. i would just take it to another shop or DIY if inclined.

 

What would cause a tensioner bolt to break? PEPBOYS. But I agree your on the loosing end. If I took a problem to a shop & they told me to take it back to Pepboys I would be finding a new shop. I would say it really doesn't matter what caused it but it needs to be fixed. Find a good shop or as suggested fix it yourself.

 

The problem is that the one shop IS a good shop, and they told me to go back to pep boys for warranty reasons. I figured I'm in a no-win situation, but I was just curious to know if there were any other instances of this particular bolt breaking, other than over-tightening or cross-threading?

 

170,000 miles on my 90 civic & the belt has been replaced once & never had a bolt break or an problem, but the work was done by a Honda Dealer. I'm getting ready to have it changed again but the shop I use has a one time Honda Dealership mechanic, & he still drives Honda cars.

 

What kind of break? Did it shear off?

 

It broke at the block. Still unsure if the second shop found it already broken, or if it broke when they tried loosening it.