Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs

Technical 1.6 Aux Belt

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Technical 1.6 Aux Belt

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p1nkpanth3r

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Ive just had a cam belt change. Bloody Fiat mechanics.

Tonight being only the second time ive driven the car since my cam belt was changed on monday, by some bizarre coincidence my aux belt has snapped. Could this be something to do with the mechanics at fiat or pure conincidental. Also when the cam belt was changed the cover looks to have been snapped off ?
 
p1nkpanth3r said:
Ive just had a cam belt change. Bloody Fiat mechanics.

Tonight being only the second time ive driven the car since my cam belt was changed on monday, by some bizarre coincidence my aux belt has snapped. Could this be something to do with the mechanics at fiat or pure conincidental. Also when the cam belt was changed the cover looks to have been snapped off ?
Click to expand...

Right, I have had more than my fair share of pops at Fiat techs but let's not be too hasty. Theres a couple of decent techs on hers that might have an answer for you so please treat them nicely. They'll be on soon no doubt. The cover snapping is easier to point the finger of blame. Ask yourself, did you do it? if not it's obvious!

Which dealer did you go to?
 
Aha. I was not having a go across board really it just a general annoyed comment. They dont have to take it so personally :) Im sure there generally good.

As for the cover I definately did not do it myself. When i got the car back I noticed I can actually see the cam belt now through the hole they've left in the cover. This certainly was not the case before.
As for the snapped belt I actually believe its the one to the air con, as my air con is now totally dead. The problem being is I also think this may run the water pump, which could cook my engine.
Is it the cam belt that runs the water pump or is that run along with the air con? As I'm meant to be driving to Blackburn tommorrow. No water pump - no drive. Only no air-con means I can obviously still go.

Once again I must reiterate I do not actually hate all Fiat techs. Just the one that snapped my cover. Im sure your all great people really :worship:
 
1)cover probably broke because of seized mounting screw,whatever it would of been nice if this was pointed out.

2)Air con compressor driven by alternator belt,won't 'cook' your engine (water pump is driven off timing belt) but remember alternator(charging)runs off this belt.Shouldn't be too difficult to obtain one tomorrow morning otherwise you'll end up with flat battery.
 
Cheers for the advice much appreciated. First ever thread on here aswell...

Another quick questions (I know a little bit but not alot about cars :) )
What looks like my alternator belt is still totally in tact and spinning so I should still get a charge. The belt that snapped goes to the air con but its like a double ring thing back to where the alternator belt goes. One is now empty where the old snapped belt used to be. The other still intact to the alternator. Am I right in presuming the alternator is fine?
 
Blimey two belts, that takes me back. The belt could snap due to many things, if the belt grooves were not correctly located and the belt pulled itself out of the grooves. Normally when this occurs the belt has shredded into a long strip where it slices the groove off the end and then carries on peeling the belt off. Quite easy to identify. AC compressor locked up, again easy to identify as the AC compressor will not rotate properly when turned by hand. Stone or other foreign body got into the belt, normally identifiable by marks on the pulleys where the foreign body has gone in and come out. Tension, not overtensioning as on this belt the belt tensions itself, but because of the design of the belt the loss of tension and retensioning can actually damage the belt. Personally I would only fit a new belt if it came off. This is the most likely cause, but if the garage was trying to keep the cost down then they may try to refit the old belt for you.
 
Spot on thanks. Least I know now the cars actually Ok to drive as I'm pushed to get it sorted for tommorrow and people are relying on me.

As for the actual snap it looks like it may of been put back incorrectly as it has stripped like you suggested.

Thanks for clearing it up tho
 
Any bets the original air con belt was put back on. Very bad practise if it was as it's a self tensioning belt with no other means of tensioning apart from its own elasticity and that disappears with age.

If you have the belt that's been shed still, have a look at the writing on the outside, look new? If not, then strangle someone with it - you know who:)
 
Ah, I have it but its very hard to read black spagetti. Yes my faith has been restored though there are some very good techs out there. What I've learned tonight would of cost me plenty of doh and visits to the garage no doubt.

I shall edit that. Theres a bit thats says "Stretchy Belt". Says it all
 
Is it their job to change it when they change the cam. Or is it something their not really obliged to do?

The AC belt is definately old though all the writing on it is hardly readable. Got the evidence to take in when i go in tommorrow though. Hopefully can sweet talk a free replacement
 
An inspection of the belts should be done at every 40km and each annual check but it'll be up to the person doing the inspection to make the decision. You have to rely on the person's expertise:)
To not change them at a cambelt change if they are still orginals would seem a bit stupid as you have to take the belts off to do the cambelt and tensioners

Personally i check the belts every week as part of my weekly checks as it only takes a moment but that's just me
 
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Garage has got to be careful here as it could look like they were fishing for sales.
For example

Quote you £20 for cam belt change (I know its cheap)
then get the car in and say oh it needs a tensioner, and it needs an aux belt, and it needs a ac belt.

Or say it needs all of the above items when giving initial quote £50 and fred in the shed says he will do it for £20, who do you go to?
 
Yep it's got to be the customer that demands a change of all the belts at cambelt time if they havent been changed before, unfortunately it's the customer that so often just asks for a price quote for " a cambelt change" and that's all.

A mechanic/technician timely comment of "I would seriously advise replacing the other belts at the same time and it won't cost any more for labour as the belts are off anyway" leaves it up to the customer to make the decision good or bad

The customer assumes the person doing the work is going to tell them of any work that really needs doing though and advice can be taken or not, after all they've been dealing with Kwik fit "advice" for years
 
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