SLC Cops Mistake Audi Timing Belt Tensioner for Bomb

Audi Bomb

While it might vaguely resemble a grenade, the incident-provoking bit was just an important Audi part.

Late last month, officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department responded to a report of a possible explosive device at an apartment complex just south of the downtown core. In a move done out of what the department called “an abundance of caution,” portions of the building were evacuated while members of the SLCP’s Hazardous Devices Unit came to inspect the offending piece of equipment. Fortunately,  residents ultimately had nothing to be afraid of — because the “explosive device” was just an Audi timing belt tensioner.

For what it’s worth, while the offending mechanical bit only measures around four or five inches long, the cylindrical shape and pin at the top do make it vaguely resemble a grenade. So while savvy gearheads might have immediately recognized the piece for what it was, it’s somewhat reasonable to understand how — an obviously paranoid — person could mistake it for malicious, especially given the waves of violence that have shaken communities across the country. In the SLCPD’s press release, it doesn’t sound like any charges will be filed in relation to the incident, and the owner of the part hasn’t been identified.

In an interesting twist, on Reddit an Audi enthusiast grifrowl noted that while the timing belt tensioner of interest will get the job done, it’s not an OEM part. And given that most Audi engines are interference engines — meaning if the timing belt goes, the valves will collide with the pistons — the potential for this little unit to cause massive damage is quite real indeed. Which is exactly what made grifrowl’s headline, “Well it’s not OEM so I guess that headline is accurate,” so funny. That said, here’s hoping that the shadetree mechanic gets their part back, and that this incident was the most stress-inducing part of a stressful operation!

Photos: Salt Lake City Police Department

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums

Does Driving Your Audi Leave You All Wet? If So, Check These Common Water Leak Causes

Audi water leakGerman luxury car like an Audi could suffer from water leaks it is actually more common than you think. And it is not limited to just the lower-end models. There are reports of the Q7 and A8 having issues. There is nothing more disconcerting than washing your Audi in preparation for a nice night on the town. And the next thing you know your feet are soaking wet.

There have been a number of threads in the AudiWorld forums over the years that have discussed the water leak phenomenon. The censuses have been that if you are unfortunate enough to have an Audi that suffers from a water leak there are two main culprits. One is the air conditioning evaporator drain and the other is the sunroof drain. Both of these tend to get clogged with debris. The good news is that if you know where to look both are relatively simple to clear on your own and you can avoid an expensive trip to the dealer.

Wet Feet

Water leakAudi Pages site which provides a detailed walkthrough of how to clean these drains. You need nothing more than a small flat head screwdriver, a pair of needle nose pliers, a shopvac and about 45 minutes.

Sunroof Drain Tube Water Leaks

Sunroof water leakAudiWorld forums are a fantastic source of helpful information. But it would also help you to have a service manual to show you the location of the drains for your particular model. If you click HERE, you can download a PDF of most shop manuals for free. Also, investing in a good Bentley shop manual is never a bad idea either. Just one DIY fix will more than pay for the cost of the book. Happy driving and stay dry out there!

Images: Audi

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!

Top 5 DIY car maintenance tasks for drivers

Home / Auto News / Top 5 DIY car maintenance tasks for drivers

Gareth Herincx

2 days ago
Auto News

Car maintenance

A new study has revealed the car maintenance jobs motorists feel most and least confident about tackling themselves.

According to an AA-Populus survey, more than 97% of drivers can open the bonnet and top up the windscreen washer fluid. However, checking the power steering and changing the oil are the hardest tasks.

Top 5 tasks that drivers feel most confident doing themselves:

  1. Open the bonnet – 98%
  2. Top up windscreen washer fluid – 97%
  3. Check tyre pressure – 93%
  4. Check engine oil level – 91%
  5. Top-up engine oil – 86%

Top 5 tasks that drivers feel are the hardest:

  1. Change oil and oil filter – 31% confident to do this themselves
  2. Check power steering is working – 46%
  3. Check for safe level of brake fluid – 63%
  4. Change a flat tyre / fit spare wheel – 63%
  5. Change windscreen wiper blade – 75%

Older and wiser

It appears that age is a deciding factor when looking at vehicle maintenance confidence, with an average of 77% of drivers aged over 65 claiming they could carry out the tasks listed in the survey.

Conversely, one in three drivers aged 18-24 weren’t confident tackling the same tasks.

While 97% of the youngest age bracket felt confident opening the bonnet of their vehicle, less than half were comfortable with tasks relating to flat tyres, brake fluid, power steering and oil changes.

Tags

Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who’s worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

Check Also


Used MINIs

How a bad credit score can cost drivers dear

Having a poor credit score could end up costing you as much as £8,000 extra …