I drove my Cinquecento Sporting to the airport this morning. All the way there with no problems but as soon as I arrived at the drop off point I heard a squeel (i'm guessing this is the timing? belt) it nearly stalled and started running badly. I dropped my passengers off and had a look, the black plastic cover over the belt was loose and rubbing on the belt itself so i took it off. There were two wires (one might just be a tube actually) that ran around that cover so i kept them away from the belt - in doing this the thin yellow wire came away from whatever it was attached to

First question - anyone know what that little thin wire attaches to? it looks like it might go down somewhere near the fan

Second question - with the wire now not attached to whatever it should be attached to would that cause the battery light to stay on?

I set off but after a few metres there was a puff of smoke out of the exhaust so I stopped again. Had a look, revved it a bit and nothing else bad happened (apart from the battery light being on)

The belt had only squeeled the once and didn't do it again all the way back - which was fine

Car seemed to be running normally all the way home, no squeels, no rubbing, no funny noises at all

Just the battery light on

I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to engines and their mysterious ways so...

any ideas?

Squeel is probably the alternator belt -- if it's slipping badly the battery won't be charged.

ok

so there's two belts?
the cam belt
and the alternator belt

must confess i don't think i have even seen the alternator on my cinq!

anyway - sounds likely - i'll get it to the garage

just had a proper look in the daylight

reason the squeel stopped is because the belt came off! also reason for the battery light

should be easy sorted then

and that little yellow wire is some kind of sensor that's supposed to make the car not go if it's detached but for some reason mine just carried on

stuartp said:

just had a proper look in the daylight

reason the squeel stopped is because the belt came off! also reason for the battery light

should be easy sorted then

and that little yellow wire is some kind of sensor that's supposed to make the car not go if it's detached but for some reason mine just carried on

Click to expand...

yellow wire, u sure u not talking about the battery light plug into the alternator?

ming

the yellow wire is the wire of the oil pressure warning light. the sensor is near the oil filter.

if your alternator was making the car struggle, then smoke, then chucked the belt off then it is possible that it has seized. check it before just fitting a new belt.