Another Diesel Problem...

[Andmcit]

this time on a pal's 2.5TD's auxiliary belt (again )

The aux belt is regularly being shredded despite VERY expensive renewal
with new belt AND tensioners by an Indy Cit specialist.

It's now being suggested that the vibration damper has gone weak on the
adjustable tensioner (probably the only old part of the system left apart
from the main crank pulley and hydraulic pump) as it has reached 150k
miles...

Does anyone know if this is a main dealer (extra expensive) part only or is
there a magic supplier out there who actually sells these for sensible/fair
money? GSF and Eurocar parts don't sell them and the specialist cannot help.

It's marring the ownership of an otherwise fine car.

My pal has reached the point where he doesn't know whether he'll get home
again under his own steam or by train/taxi when he sets out in the morning

Andrew

[xmexclusive]

Hi Andrew

Is the 2.5 with or without aircon?

Regards

XMexc

[Andmcit]

Hi John.

Thanks for the ECU mention elsewhere - possibly where the problem lies!?
The battery is off it now so I guess this will have the same effect as disconnecting
the ECU loom plug. The 2.5 with the shredding belts IS an aircon car - forgot to
mention that one...

All the best, Andrew

[xmexclusive]

Hi Andrew

The serpentine belt for an aircon 2.5 is a real sod both for the number of components it runs and the fact that the chassis prevents you examining/reaching some of the critical components. There is some information posted by Little & Large who had similar belt shedding problems that I seem to recall were solved by a Citroen Centre fix. Mine have been trouble free so have not needed to work on these belts so far. This will change before long as I have a couple of 2.5's that I am going to retrofit with aircon.

P.S. I think that there is a spring tensioner that only works one way round but can physically be fitted either way round. Will see if I can find any more info.

Regards

XMexc

This post has been edited by xmexclusive on September 21, 2007 12:28 am

[Little&Large]

Hi Andrew
I never did get to the cause 100%.When I bought mine there wasn't even a tensioner fitted at all!I suspect this was because it had had 2 or 3 belts in the previous 18 months and they ran out of ideas so thought they'd just take it off!A new tensioner was fitted and it then shredded the belt but it did not break(one in the garage the week before had snapped and written the engine off).
A brand new Citroen belt was fitted of the correct length and the pulley was taken off and cleaned/lubricated.This seemed to cure it until I switched the aircon on(I say seemed as it may have done it anyway).It started with a very faint line 2mm in on the belt on the engine side.This was an improvement as the original set up had scored the belt 1cm in.I have left my belt as it is and have travelled 40,000+ with it like that now.I check the belt every so often and trim a bit off the inside strip if it has delaminated a little.I don't use the a/con anyway now as I think there are other issues with it-it never got very cold.In my case I suspect something is slightly out of line somewhere.When you watch the belt with the car running it seems slightly too far over and is then pulled back by the next pulley where it goes back on itself with minimal clearance.This is where I think the belt is rubbing slightly on the edge rim of this pulley.My belt jumped off once when I dumped the clutch by mistake which also suggests this.
I wasn't inclined to spend anymore money on a £620 car trying to sort it out as it seemed to have stabilised anyway.
Access to the tensioner and lower pulleys is simple(even I can do it) via the wheelarch,you don't even have to take the wheel off.Just unclip the inner liner and fold back and remove the stiffening bar attached with 2 bolts.You can easily see the items you need to.
Good luck with your friends attempts,but as everything is new it could be an alignment issue like mine.
Regards Rob

[mouseflakes]

Probably no help whatsoever, but our Fiat Multipla JTD managed to shred two belts in one day before it was discovered that the tensioner was worn and misaligned (at just 55k!). It has a grooved jockey wheel which, once out of alignment, very effectively forces the belt onto the rim of the adjacent pulley where it is rapidly sliced to ribbons. Access looked horrendous but thankfully I always let the main dealer 'deal' with the Fiat. That was an expensive day!!

Good luck to your mate Andrew.

This post has been edited by mouseflakes on September 21, 2007 04:17 pm