Engine Timing Chain Kit

A major European auto parts distributor (customer code: ***) purchased our timing belt kits (specification: ***, quantity: 20,000 sets, total amount: *** EUR) in March 2024 via bill of lading ***, shipped in 5 40-foot high-cube containers to the Port of Hamburg, Germany. During incoming inspection, the customer found that in approximately 12% of the kits, the grease inside the tensioner had abnormally solidified, causing the pulley to stick; additionally, about 3% of the timing belts had fine cracks on the surface. The customer has already distributed about 8,000 sets to end repair shops, of which over 600 have experienced abnormal noise or belt breakage after installation, triggering multiple quality complaints and claims from end users. The customer requires a full refund and exchange for the 12,000 unsold units in stock, and also demands joint liability compensation for the sold defective products.

Our company immediately activated the major quality incident response mechanism, arranged for the European after-sales team (personnel ***) to coordinate with the customer's warehouse, and conducted a box-by-box, piece-by-piece re-inspection of all remaining inventory, confirming a defective product rate of 15.3%. After negotiation, both parties finally determined the following plan: 1) All 12,000 unsold sets will be returned, with our company bearing the round-trip international freight and customs clearance costs, and we will re-produce a new batch of products within one week that meet the standards (drawing number ***), which will be shipped on a priority basis after a qualified report is issued by the third-party inspection agency SGS; 2) For the 600 sold defective sets, the customer will first compensate the end repair shops, and our company will bear 100% of the actual compensation amount, settled through letter of credit offset; 3) Regarding the belt cracking issue, we traced the raw material batch number (***) and confirmed that it was caused by the supplier mixing in a batch of aged rubber material. Our company has suspended the supplier's qualification and upgraded the full inspection process.

An overseas large distributor customer centrally purchased 10,000 sets of timing belt kits. After batch installation, feedback indicated that approximately 350 engines produced a slight "clicking" noise during startup, with a risk of timing belt tooth skipping during acceleration. The customer's on-site engineers preliminarily determined it to be a quality issue with the tensioner or belt, requiring a technical diagnosis within 48 hours and a global multi-batch handling plan, otherwise they would suspend subsequent orders and claim compensation.

We immediately activated our remote technical support protocol. By cross-referencing the customer-provided fault videos, acoustic spectrum charts, tension test records, and engine model parameters against production batch numbers and factory QC data, we confirmed through remote analysis that the abnormal noise was not caused by the belt or tensioner pulley material, but rather by the failure of some of the customer's factories to release the tensioner locating pin during installation, along with a ±2% initial tension deviation in the multi-ribbed belt friction wheel. We worked overnight to issue a bilingual technical bulletin, providing standard installation torque curve diagrams, step-by-step videos for removing the tensioner locating pin, and a vibration spectrum abnormal threshold comparison table based on diagnostic tool readings. At the same time, we arranged for four after-sales engineers to be on duty online in shifts, remotely guiding the customer through video conferences to re-inspect 1,000 engines from key batches, and simultaneously updated the installation instruction cards for spare batches, adding warning stickers.

Customer *** (a large auto parts distributor in Southeast Asia) purchased a total of *** sets of our timing belt kits in batches in Q2 2024 (order no.: ***), for the repair and maintenance of multiple Japanese vehicle models locally. The customer reported that after batch installation, about 12% of vehicles experienced abnormal noise from the timing belt, with some vehicles also showing slight vibration. The customer suspects a quality defect in the belt or tensioner, demanding a return and compensation, involving an amount of approximately *** USD. As this customer is the regional exclusive agent, improper handling would seriously affect local market reputation and subsequent orders.

Our company immediately activated offline technical support emergency response, dispatching 2 senior technical engineers to the customer's country within 24 hours. On-site disassembly and analysis of the faulty kit were conducted, and the problem was reproduced together with the customer's maintenance workshop. Through comparative testing, it was found that the abnormal noise was not caused by material defects in the belt or tensioner pulley, but rather because the customer's maintenance personnel used pneumatic tools to quickly tighten the tensioner adjustment screw, causing the tension to exceed the standard value (measured at approximately 35% above normal range), and failing to check the alignment of the pointer with the notch as required by our installation manual. Our engineers then demonstrated the standard installation process on-site, focusing on tension adjustment and tightening sequence, and supplemented adaptation parameter tables for common local vehicle models. Additionally, a 3-day special training was conducted for the customer's after-sales service team, covering kit installation specifications, fault diagnosis, and tool usage. Furthermore, we provided a batch of assembly positioning fixtures free of charge (market value approximately *** USD) to ensure subsequent installation accuracy.