It must be Fiat quality parts, though if it was failing I'm sure they would have contacted me, my dad's 190,000m, cars engine has only had a Lambda sensor but it's not a Fiat

driving my car tonight with music off (normally always, always on) and convinced I heard a slight 'squeal' (?) when driving in 2nd gear. Timing belt and water pump were replaced on Saturday.

As I sat, I usually have my music on so obviously hear more with it off. Is this anything to worry about? It is very slight squeal, can't be heard with music on I don't think.

JNAnderson said:

driving my car tonight with music off (normally always, always on) and convinced I heard a slight 'squeal' (?) when driving in 2nd gear. Timing belt and water pump were replaced on Saturday.

Is this anything to worry about?

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It could be that the auxiliary belt has slackened (it sometimes happens, particularly if cheap aftermarket parts have been used). If the squealing continues, check and if necessary adjust the tension of the auxiliary belt. If the auxiliary belt snaps, there is a small possibility that it could get tangled in the cambelt and take that out too; in that case, the consequences would be the same as for a failed cambelt.

There was a USA guide to changing a cambelt on the 169A4000 engine produced by a cambelt manufacturer attached to this post. Interestingly it contained a couple of recommendations that I don't think would normally be done. The first was to initially overtighten the cambelt, then rotate the engine by hand for a few revolutions to bed it onto the toothed pulleys, after which you slacken it off and reset to the correct tension (this is to minimises the risk of it loosening up shortly after installation). The second was to turn the engine through a further two complete revolutions after final tensioning and then check that the locking tools can be reinserted in the correct positions (this ensures the belt hasn't slipped a notch). I'd not expect the trade to routinely do either of these things, but it's certainly something for DIY types to think about.

Oh really? Is it quite an urgent job?

A continuous light squeaking/squealing(gets faster or slower with engine speed) is quite possibly the alternator belt, which I had replaced with the cam belt, you could tighten it up or just replace if old £5 for a new one(non AC)

A simple test is remove the alternator belt and start the car, if the sound is gone that's it, and there's no risk to the engine trying this, just don't forget to replace it.

JR, our 1.2 cam belt is totally enclosed if the aux belt came off I doubt it would cause any issue with the cam belt.

John202020 said:

A continuous light squeaking/squealing(gets faster or slower with engine speed) is quite possibly the alternator belt, which I had replaced with the cam belt, you could tighten it up or just replace if old £5 for a new one(non AC)

A simple test is remove the alternator belt and start the car, if the sound is gone that's it, and there's no risk to the engine trying this, just don't forget to replace it.

JR, our 1.2 cam belt is totally enclosed if the aux belt came off I doubt it would cause any issue with the cam belt.

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I only hear it in 2nd gear, completely goes after 2nd gear. It's a tiny bit worse when going round roundabout in 2nd. The boy who changed my timing belt says if it was the aux belt it would squeal all the time and when idle, not just in 2nd gear.

I have air con in my car, very rarely use it as the air conditioning condenser in front of my radiator is a bit bashed (no idea how that happened). So would a normal alternator belt work?

I'm worried if the aux belt goes it mucks up my timing belt and I'm back at square one. Are most enclosed and so not to interfere with timing belt?

JNAnderson said:

I have air con in my car, very rarely use it as the air conditioning condenser in front of my radiator is a bit bashed (no idea how that happened). So would a normal alternator belt work?

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You need to use the correct belt for the application, regardless of whether you use the A/C - the sizes are likely different

JNAnderson said:

I'm worried if the aux belt goes it mucks up my timing belt and I'm back at square one. Are most enclosed and so not to interfere with timing belt?

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If the timing belt is fully enclosed then failure of the auxiliary belt should not damage the engine.

JNAnderson said:

Oh really? Is it quite an urgent job?

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Not if the timing belt is protected by its enclosure from auxiliary belt failure; you'll lose the alternator & A/C, but should be able to get home as the water pump is driven from the cambelt.

If the aux belt is slipping, you'll notice the squeal most when you pull away after first starting the car when it's been standing awhile, particularly if you've got all your lights on; that's when the alternator is working hardest.

jrkitching said:

You need to use the correct belt for the application, regardless of whether you use the A/C - the sizes are likely different



If the timing belt is fully enclosed then failure of the auxiliary belt should not damage the engine.



Not if the timing belt is protected by its enclosure from auxiliary belt failure; you'll lose the alternator & A/C, but should be able to get home as the water pump is driven from the cambelt.

If the aux belt is slipping, you'll notice the squeal most when you pull away after first starting the car when it's been standing awhile, particularly if you've got all your lights on; that's when the alternator is working hardest.

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Thank you. He'lol check it this week to put my mind at rest.

Stupid question maybe but for future, is the fan belt/aux belt and alternator belt all the same thing, just different names?

JNAnderson said:

is the fan belt/aux belt and alternator belt all the same thing, just different names?

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Yes - in days past, the belt looped around the crankshaft pulley, dynamo pulley & water pump pulley; the fan was bolted to the water pump pulley. If they broke, the water pump stopped working and if you didn't notice the charging warning light, they would quickly overheat. The belts failed frequently; most drivers carried a spare and had the tools & knowledge to replace one at the side of the road. If you didn't have a spare, a temporary replacement could be (and often was) made from a ladies stocking.

Belt replacement was a 12,000 mile service item on many cars well into the 1980's.

Cars evolved; fans became electric so didn't need belt drive, dynamos became alternators, A/C systems were introduced so there was a compressor to drive, water pump drive was moved to the cambelt, hence all the name changes. Belts became tougher and more durable, but they do still need periodic replacement, and occasionally fail outright.

Same thing ,is it possible it's the brakes making the noise?
Provided you ac condenser is not punctured there's no reason not to use it and even more reason to use it? The ac is intended to be left on all the time this way it will work for year's without issue not or never using it will drastically shorten the systems life, a new condenser is not expensive if you do need one about £70

John202020 said:

Same thing ,is it possible it's the brakes making the noise?
Provided you ac condenser is not punctured there's no reason not to use it and even more reason to use it? The ac is intended to be left on all the time this way it will work for year's without issue not or never using it will drastically shorten the systems life, a new condenser is not expensive if you do need one about £70

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So I should use the AC? I've been too scared to use it since about July when I noticed the AC condenser was bashed and the wee comb bits falling out in parts. Only noticed because I had a coolant leak, had a new radiator fitted, looked through grill &I could see it all bashed. I went through summer with my windows opened for cool air because I thought the AC would pack in.

Not sure on the brakes, it doesn't seem to make the noise when I'm in any other gear. Is this likely?

If the ac works, clicks on and off, cooling fans run(when the AC pump is compressing) etc then it's Ok to use even with a slightly damaged condenser if it's just the fins falling off, the system will not work if say the condenser has a hole and it's lost all the refrigerant( pressure switch stops the system working if the pressure is too low-lost everything or too high-too much in but the AC light would still come on inside the car even if it was not working), new condenser £65 delivered form Advanced radiators maybe cheaper elsewhere.

Now my bloody headlights gone tonight! Neve ending with this piece of junk!

JNAnderson said:

Now my bloody headlights gone tonight!

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One blown bulb, or something more serious?

JNAnderson said:

Never ending with this piece of junk!

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I've said it before, but I wouldn't want to run a 500 out of warranty without a decent toolkit, the capability to use it, and this forum.

JNAnderson said:

Now my bloody headlights gone tonight! Neve ending with this piece of junk!

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The headlight is definitely bad luck.

Ignorance is sometimes bliss. A forum such as this can be both a positive and a negitive. If you have or sense an issue many well informed people will help diagnose the issue. The problem is that sometimes it can put the fear or god into you. It's possible that squeak isn't there. It's possible the squeak is there but is a non issue. It's possible the squeak is there and an urgent fix is required.

Take a step back, reread all the info provided here. Take a breath. Decide whether you want to spend more money on a fix.

It's possible that if you owned a rolls Royce and heard a similar squeak and went on the roll Royce forum someone on there mite suggest the same.

I guess my point is, if you ask a forum to diagnose every hum, squeak or rumble someone will always give you the worst case scenario.

I take the info given in this forum very seriously however I don't take it as gospel.

Tom

I'm hoping it's just the bulb. My boyfriend will try and change it later tonight so fingers crossed, but it's the same bulb that went in October then came back on...

I'd be lost without this forum. Very handy for non car minded people like me. My 19 year old sister just passed her driving test on Thursday and collects her 64 plate Fiat 500 tomorrow. Here's hoping she has better luck with hers than I do.

Kekybobo said:

The headlight is definitely bad luck.

Ignorance is sometimes bliss. A forum such as this can be both a positive and a negitive. If you have or sense an issue many well informed people will help diagnose the issue. The problem is that sometimes it can put the fear or god into you. It's possible that squeak isn't there. It's possible the squeak is there but is a non issue. It's possible the squeak is there and an urgent fix is required.

Take a step back, reread all the info provided here. Take a breath. Decide whether you want to spend more money on a fix.

It's possible that if you owned a rolls Royce and heard a similar squeak and went on the roll Royce forum someone on there mite suggest the same.

I guess my point is, if you ask a forum to diagnose every hum, squeak or rumble someone will always give you the worst case scenario.

I take the info given in this forum very seriously however I don't take it as gospel.

Tom

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Thank you. Everything you said is very true.

I'm a worrier so will try and calm down.

Re the headlights replace BOTH bulbs with Philips extreme +130% they're very good and should last several years.
Yes the little Fiat does seem to have more small issues than say a Japanese car but some say that's part of the charm ? Coming from 30 years of Honda Accords where nothing ever went wrong.

JNAnderson said:

Now my bloody headlights gone tonight! Neve ending with this piece of junk!

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It's just a headlight bulb. It'll cost you a tenner to sort out. Don't let the alarmists on here scare you about what is a perfectly decent enough car to own. Mine is 7.5 years old and has gone through a few bulbs in its time. I've had to replace a shock absorber and a thermostat in my time with the car.

Don't let the alarmists worry you, no matter what title is under their name. Some people really should be ashamed of themselves.

Headlight changed and it's working fine now thankfully x