Technical 1.2 Auxiliary drive belt

[JayEm]

Hi,

Our Grande Punto has developed a strange fault when starting from cold after a couple days without driving it. It makes a very loud whining sound as if the AC compressor or a pulley/tensioner is seizing up. There's a slight whiff of burning as well, probably from the belt not being able to turn freely. I'm going to try and remove the belt tomorrow and have a look to see whether anything needs replacing.

My question is, if the AC compressor is faulty can you run the car with a shorter belt, connected only to the crank pulley and alternator? That way its still driveable until we can sort the compressor out. I know shorter belts exist as I have a Stilo without AC and with pretty much the same engine and I think they did a 1.2 Grande without AC too???

Thanks

 

[Avocet]

I don't know the answer to your question, but our 1.2 8V doesn't have aircon and I can't see any kind of dummy idler pulley where I would expect an aircon pump to be, so maybe you can just get a non-aircon aux belt and leave the aircon pump out?

 

[puntofan01]

Does the whining seem to go away if you dip the clutch?

 

[Pedrolami]

I would more suspect alternator... There was a design flaw in that the alternator did not drain properly, water would collect, freeze and this in turn would cause the alternator to split.

Symptoms of mine were exactly like yours, bit of a squealing noise that would go after the car started to warm up. When I had it replaced, the housing was in two pieces.

Mine was an 06 1.2 car, had it replaced after owning it for 4 years as I finally got hacked off with the noise.

 

[puntofan01]

I would more suspect alternator... There was a design flaw in that the alternator did not drain properly, water would collect, freeze and this in turn would cause the alternator to split.

Symptoms of mine were exactly like yours, bit of a squealing noise that would go after the car started to warm up. When I had it replaced, the housing was in two pieces.

Mine was an 06 1.2 car, had it replaced after owning it for 4 years as I finally got hacked off with the noise.

I was thinking alternator as well: the description sounds exactly the same as the noise my alternator made intermittently the last 5 months before it died, lol!