Aux belt horrors

[piggoy]

Hello everyone,

I'm just curious to know whether anyone on here has had an aux belt snap on them? It hasn't happened to me (yet), but my aux belt system has been squeeking quite a lot for the last two months. Looking through the service history of my car I've realised that it's never been done and the car is an 02 reg! The cambelt was replaced two years ago but they didn't do the aux belt !! I've got all the stuff to do the job but I'm not planning to do the work for another 2 months. Am I generally safe or there a real risk the belt could snap and f*ck up the timing?

 

[Da]

There's a real risk! I wouldn't be driving it that's for sure!

 

[R20 CWH]

aux belt goes and it will take out alot of things, so id get it changed asap

 

[Beef-Mc]

I think I'll phone and get mine booked in tommorrow.

 

[Rob R26r]

It's worth getting the aux belt tensioner done as well seeing that it's an 02 plate.

 

[sideways danny]

i'd be very surprised if the aux belt wasn't done at the same time as the cambelt, even if it's not written in the book. Does sound like the tensioner might be seized if the belt is slipping, so an aux belt kit is a good idea ASAP

 

[Darren S]

It sounds like you're on some serious borrowed time there, m8!

Get it done as soon as you realistically can.

D.

 

[piggoy]

i'd be very surprised if the aux belt wasn't done at the same time as the cambelt, even if it's not written in the book. Does sound like the tensioner might be seized if the belt is slipping, so an aux belt kit is a good idea ASAP

I'm not relying on the service book. I also have the service invoices. They indicate that only a cambelt kit was paid for at a price of £108 excl VAT.

I'm starting to sh*t myself a bit now. The squeeking is only light and mostly when its cold. I don't really drive regularly but I must get it done ASAP.

 

[Andyman]

No way would Renault put the old auxiliary belt back on but yeah still needs looking at ASAP as youve no proof either way

 

[nathanH]

The AUX belt on my 172 was never changed and was still going strong when I sold it on 100k... but I could have been lucky

 

[KungFuSpaghetti]

mine's gone, believe me when I say it's an expensive doo

 

[Magic Johnson]

Mine's never been done, 8 years old and 65,000k.

Was squeaking but the guy tightened it up a bit and it's fine now.

 

[KungFuSpaghetti]

mine's gone twice... lol

 

[piggoy]

mine's gone twice... lol

Twice! What was the damage when it broke?

 

[piggoy]

No way would Renault put the old auxiliary belt back on but yeah still needs looking at ASAP as youve no proof either way

This morning I spoke to the garage that did the cambelt change two years ago for the previous owner. They're not a stealership, just an independent garage, but they said they would have inspected the aux belt and tensioner at the time and deemed it to be fine !?!? I also made sure to ask if they used the proper timing tools when they changed the cambelt, you can't trust these cowboys these days - they assure me they did :approve:

 

[sideways danny]

This morning I spoke to the garage that did the cambelt change two years ago for the previous owner. They're not a stealership, just an independent garage, but they said they would have inspected the aux belt and tensioner at the time and deemed it to be fine !?!? I also made sure to ask if they used the proper timing tools when they changed the cambelt, you can't trust these cowboys these days - they assure me they did :approve:

A lot of places "think" they have the right tools, but they're cheap copies that bend

 

[Fred@BTM]

we've heard that before eh danny?

 

[sideways danny]

keeps making me look good when i make them fast again, so what can you do

 

[Andyman]

This morning I spoke to the garage that did the cambelt change two years ago for the previous owner. They're not a stealership, just an independent garage, but they said they would have inspected the aux belt and tensioner at the time and deemed it to be fine !?!? I also made sure to ask if they used the proper timing tools when they changed the cambelt, you can't trust these cowboys these days - they assure me they did :approve:

They refitted a 6 year old belt. If that aint cowboy i dont know what is !

You have to take the aux belt off to fit a cambelt

 

[maynard]

Refitting a 6 year old belt is just asking for trouble. Best advice is to not drive the car until you've had the aux kit changed.

 

[Robidiot]

how does the aux belt failing cause engine damage?

 

[barnesautos]

It winds up tangled in the cambelt ends up being a nitemare

 

[maynard]

Then cambelt skips and throws valves out in the head.

Therefore this sort of repair = lots of money.

 

[piggoy]

The sound the car is making isn't what I would associate with a slipping belt. It's certainly not a loud screeching sound. The sound is best described by a periodic quiet squeek with a light clattering sound and is generally persistent throughout the rev range. The frequency of the squeeks increases with the revs. You can't hear it inside the car, only when outside or with the window open. On inspection under the bonnet the belt is not cracked and does not appear polished or worn on its outer face - so i am presuming nothing, especially the tensioner, is seized yet. But presuming is dangerous lol.

I'm just saying this cos I'm gonna be a complete prat and not do the work for another two weeks. Two weeks this weekend is the earliest conceivable time I can do it. I'm also gonna have to drive 150 miles back to the parents house to use their garage - hilly streets in Sheffield are not ideal for working on cars

 

[GodSpeed]

It never stops amazing me how stupidly tight-fisted some people are…

 

[piggoy]

It never stops amazing me how stupidly tight-fisted some people are…

Thanks! This isn't out of stupidity, more out of necessity. I need to save money. I can't afford to have a garage do it so i've got to do it myself. Plus I'm completely capable of doing it myself and i've got all the tools so it would only frustrate me to have someone else do it. Obviously the garage labour costs won't be as much as an engine rebuild if the belt snaps, but I'm just gonna have to be very careful, take a punt and cross my fingers that nothing happens on the journey back to my parents'. I won't be driving the car til then.

 

[Andyman]

It'll be one of the aux pulleys most likely.

Auxiliary belt kit including fitting is roughly 250 area from Renault.

 

[sideways danny]

what i mean by seized tensioner is that the pivot rusts up and doesn't allow the auto tensioner to do it's job. The pulleys will still turn perfectly normally. Lower idler is known for getting noisy, and some places dont change it even with an new "kit"

 

[GodSpeed]

Thanks! ....... I won't be driving the car til then.

No offense to you, I’m more thinking about those other guys bragging about never changing their belts. That’s just so stupid I lack the words for it. Can’t afford to service a car properly you can’t afford the car, simple as that.

In your case I understand that you want to do the job on your own. But I would not drive the car until it’s been done the stakes are high. I guess you will be alright; it’s just me who have a bad relation with that bloke called Murphy…