The belt is torn, the valves are bent. And this is six months after replacing the timing belt in Renault. How did an “original” kit purchased from an online store turn out to be a fake?

Updated: 03/01/2021 16:46:36

Expert: Boris Vladimirovich Filatov

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

The belt and roller play an important role in the gas distribution system of an internal combustion engine. Through these parts, torque is transmitted from the crankshaft to the camshaft and a number of attachments (pump, fuel pump), coordinating their operation. Jamming or scattering of the bearing in the roller leads to belt breakage and subsequent expensive engine repairs (in many cars). Since replacing the belt and roller is carried out after a certain mileage, the car owner periodically has a problem with purchasing reliable and durable auto components. The domestic market offers products from domestic and foreign companies. Recommendations from our experts will help you find a high-quality timing belt.

1 Balakovo

The only representative of the cohort of the best manufacturers of timing belts from the Russian side. The secret of success is simple and unobtrusive: the Balakovo plant is exclusively engaged in the production of rubber technical products. Accordingly, if not just one department, but an entire workshop and even a plant are dedicated to solving one big problem, then success should come immediately.

If we talk about the quality of belts, then it is practically in no way inferior to foreign analogues. When the vehicle is used adequately, belt wear occurs around the guaranteed mileage (sometimes the belt lasts longer). The assortment covers a wide range of cars: this includes the entire B1 platform from the Renault-Nissan concern, available to domestic users, as well as VAZ cars (Granta, Priora, Kalina, etc.).

• assortment covering the model range of Russian cars;
• high quality even by high European standards;
• good feedback from specialists based on the results of functional tests;
• low cost.

Packaging overview

Packaging is the first thing a car owner sees when purchasing, and from it you can try to understand whether the product is original or not. Since the Chinese are constantly improving the level of copies, there has been a change in the design of the boxes. New ones now have even more degrees of protection against counterfeiting. So give preference to the new type of boxes with a black line and a control sticker. Although there may also be old ones lying around in warehouses.

A coupon from the original packaging indicating the mileage at which the belt was installed

The original packaging always has a black stripe with white text, which indicates the official website of the manufacturer. But counterfeit packaging does not contain such information. The second thing that immediately catches your eye is that on the back of the original packaging, the large size of the logo on the counterfeit is correspondingly smaller, and it is embossed. And also the inscription “PowerGrip”, there are more in the original. The font in the description on the counterfeit is so-called “bold”, but the original is normal.

The side part of the packaging is so different - in the original the logo and the inscription are on the same line, but on the replica they are below each other (that is, the logo is drawn on top, and the trademark inscription is under it.), moreover, there is no address on the black strip manufacturer's website. The catalog number marking on the original Gates timing belt is stamped with dots - the fake is marked with a solid stamp.

All original packaging is always well sealed, including on the “tabs”. In the original box, there is always a small coupon, which is designed to include information about the mileage at which a particular belt was replaced. Usually this coupon is glued in the engine compartment, in the immediate vicinity of the timing belt.

You can also check the quality of the packaging directly. Firstly, you should pay attention to the presence of an adhesive layer

on the lid of the box.
Moreover, not ordinary tape, but applied glue. It should be in the original. Otherwise (if it is sealed with tape), this is a fake. The next check is to identify the Gates factory sticker with the logo
. Moreover, it must have round, not rectangular edges. The fact is that square stickers are cheaper, which is why they are used on fakes.

Rating of the best timing roller manufacturers

INA

Rating: 5.0

The products of the German manufacturer INA are traditionally of high quality. The company specializes in the production of consumables for vehicles. The concern includes 39 modern production sites located throughout the world. The brand is trusted by such famous auto giants as Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi. Experts note a well-established quality control system. Not a single case of marriage has been reported on the Russian market. The brand wins our rating.

Modern VAZ models are equipped with German timing rollers; their service life before replacement is 100 thousand km. Car owners speak highly of the reliability of INA spare parts. But high popularity pushes unscrupulous businessmen to produce counterfeit goods.

Advantages

• strict quality control;
• modern equipment;
• reliability and durability;
• rich assortment.

Flaws

• fakes appear.

Optimal

Rating: 4.9

The widest range of timing rollers is offered by Optimal. The company was founded in 1992 and immediately began supplying high-quality automotive components for engines, chassis and other systems. Direct cooperation with suppliers, as well as attentive attention to customer requests, helped the brand develop quickly. Knowing that during maintenance the timing belt and rollers are replaced, the company offers the buyer a kit that includes the necessary high-quality parts. The operating temperature range is -40…+120°С. For its responsible and caring attitude towards consumers, experts gave the brand second place in the ranking.

Car owners are satisfied with the combination of price and quality. Motorists are somewhat wary of green bearings.

Advantages

• rich assortment;
• high quality;
• acceptable prices;
• resistance to temperature changes.

Flaws

• different equipment.

The investigation into the test purchase of counterfeit products begins...

Recently, our market and the closest neighboring countries have become increasingly flooded with such counterfeits and specifically the original Renault, since the brand has become very popular over the last decade due to the combination of quality, modern technology and design. It’s unknown how many of these kits were sold, and it’s hard to say how many cars have such a time bomb under the hood.

But we were able to purchase one of these “original” kits online with the help of one of those burned customers who luckily still had a box with the name of the supplier of the fake original, after which everything became clear.

We order – and within a few days we have the fake original in our hands.

Go!

Checking the originality of the Gates timing belt via SMS

The level of security is constantly improving, and in 2022 one of the most popular and easiest verification methods is SMS verification. So, on the surface of the box with the Gates strap there is a protective sticker, if you peel it off you will see an alphanumeric code and a short phone number to which you need to send a message (it differs for different countries). The cost of SMS is equal to the price of a regular message within the tariff of your mobile operator. In response to this, you will receive a similar message with information regarding the authenticity of the belt being tested.

Our advice

If you decide to service your car, make repairs or simply buy spare parts, first of all, contact the specialists of any official Renault dealership in Belarus and find out the cost. In most cases, given the use of bonus products and special programs, such a purchase of services or goods can be much more profitable than the “gray” market or garage service stations. Moreover, the risks of having to undergo expensive repairs will be eliminated with the provision of real guarantees from an official representative of the Renault brand.

Unified Renault mobile line in Belarus: 527-1111 (A 1, mts , life ).

Official website – renault.by

* for advertising purposes

Packaging, that is, box

Despite the apparent external similarity between the real original kits and the fakes, for the inexperienced buyer, in fact, the differences between them are more than obvious, BUT! only if the buyer has the real original in front of his eyes. Otherwise, the owner himself may not immediately notice such differences.

Even the packaging of the goods and the stickers on it, supposedly confirming the original origin, are different. But in order to determine this, you need either experience with original spare parts for Renault, or at least a sample for comparison. We have both. This is what we saw and are ready to share.

The counterfeit packaging has a different shade of cardboard from which it is made, and the font on it is more blurred.

Stickers with a bar code and catalog number between the fake and the original also have many differences.

As always, there was some “psychology” - elements that should convince the buyer that everything is clean, transparent and more than honest. There is an identifying QR code on the packaging, through which you can immediately get to the online store’s website, they say, we work cleanly, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Reviews about BRT timing belts

31 reviews and 96 votes
among 7 manufacturers

I once bought a timing belt, it didn’t even last 3 thousand.

Everything was fine, except for the market economy with planned work! Lots are not alike, some belts can enviably go 100 thousand, others break after sliding off the lift. Weak OTC. Another pebble in the garden, a large share of counterfeit goods

The brt belt (there is less and less trust in it, almost none left, it broke along the seam for 2k).

I installed the BRT, it began to run away from the engine, I also placed a lining on one of the sides under the tension roller and everything was fine. The BRT lasted 23 thousand km and broke.

BRT is a very lottery thing, but I definitely wouldn’t cover their commercial tires with poop. For example, their timing belt, with the caveat that it is not “third shift” and not “nearby basement”, is no worse than the same Kontik.

The radiator hoses are also quite normal, they last 5-6 years. CV joint boots are also better than anything that is available in stores as an alternative.

Under load, the belt began to whistle, especially when the heated rear window and side mirrors were turned on. I decided to do a revision, because... The last time I changed the belt was 3 years ago and the new one has been riding in a zipper for a year now.

The crack runs through to the outer cord, is not visible from above, only discovered when it was removed. The parasitic roller with noticeable play is in need of replacement, on the tensioner it still looks good, both rollers from VBF are from Vologda, installed by Kraft.

Electronic verification methods

There are three methods for electronically checking GATES POWERGRIP timing belts. Briefly they can be described as follows:

• checking the 14-digit code on the package;
• using a smartphone with pre-installed software or a special laser barcode scanner;
• checking the holographic sticker.

Original packaging with a black stripe indicating the official website of the manufacturer.

Now we will describe each of the listed methods in more detail. So, checking the 14-digit code is possible on the official Gates website. To do this, you need to go to the mentioned resource, select “Russian” (or another convenient one) from the list of languages ​​and go to the verification section. After this, enter the 14-digit alphanumeric code indicated on the package in the field and click the corresponding “Check Code” button. After this, information about the authenticity of the product that has the entered code on the packaging will appear directly on the page in the browser. Note! If the letters in the code on the packaging are in capitals, then they must also be entered in capitals in the verification line. Otherwise, the system will perceive this as an error and will not accept the information.

The second verification method is to use a smartphone or laser barcode scanner. Since July 2015, all GATES belt packaging has a unique QR code. To read them, download and install one of two applications on your smartphone - TecIdentify or Neoreader. Their versions are available on both Android and iOS operating systems. Next, using your smartphone camera and appropriate software, read the QR code from the packaging. As a result of these actions, the application will display one of three messages to you - about the authenticity of the product, its outright counterfeit, or the third case - when there is no such code in the database, so additional identification is needed. But most likely, this will mean that the packaging and product are fake.