Rubbing Aux belt advice

[Jme34]

hi all,
Bought myself a 182 (full fat) just over a month ago. Though I have now noticed the aux belt is rubbing on the tensioner to the point that some thread in the belt is visible. I have booked it in to get changed in about 2 weeks time, but the garage is over a 2hr drive away as it is a specialist. What have people been paying for a straight aux belt & tensioner +labour?
Should I try and source somewhere more local and stump up however much more it might be? It feels like a bit of a gamble waiting that long and driving that far :/
Thanks muchly

 

[Fletcher]

Mine did this a few years back, I managed to limp home ( about 2 miles) I then had it towed to Rentech. I wouldn't drive it for 2hrs, as it could snap at anytime and then take out cambelt etc.

 

[Crybert]

Yeah I don't think I'd be driving it 2 hours..not sure what you can do temporarily but I'd recommend taking it to a specialist if you can

 

[Jme34]

Mine did this a few years back, I managed to limp home ( about 2 miles) I then had it towed to Rentech. I wouldn't drive it for 2hrs, as it could snap at anytime and then take out cambelt etc.

So it's as high risk as I suspected. I'll track down somewhere very local to do the job as soon as I possibly can. In the mean time its still going to need to do the 2miles to/from work, I'll just have to be really really gentle with it for the next couple of days.
Thanks very much for your advice! hoping I don't get stung too badly for the work!

 

[Jme34]

Yeah I don't think I'd be driving it 2 hours..not sure what you can do temporarily but I'd recommend taking it to a specialist if you can

Thanks, I'll seek out a Renault specialist, preferably not a main dealer though haha
If people have ideas to ease the risk temporarily that would be great, as it's a tensioner, it will just keep wearing until it punches right through. Fortunately I was nosing around the air con clutch and noticed, else the first I would've known of it is the belt going ping! :'

 

[welshname]

Do you have breakdown cover? If so but not home assist then drive it to a local pub, park up, engine off. Cut the aux belt, ring breakdown to take you there. Job jobbed.

 

[RichieJA]

Do you have breakdown cover? If so but not home assist then drive it to a local pub, park up, engine off. Cut the aux belt, ring breakdown to take you there. Job jobbed.

Very good idea, i think it's half a mile away from your house if you don't have home start.

Don't risk driving it, if it snaps you will be looking at major bills

 

[Crybert]

I wouldn't do that either. AA/rac guy might try fix it by the roadside and f**k it more! Just drive it to your nearest specialist asap? 2 miles to walk to work would be a godsend for me!

 

[welshname]

I wouldn't do that either. AA/rac guy might try fix it by the roadside and f**k it more! Just drive it to your nearest specialist asap? 2 miles to walk to work would be a godsend for me!

If you tell him the aux belt is snapped and not to start the engine he won't

 

[Budgie]

Aux belt is a simple enough job.

No need for that to go to a specialist.

Definitely buy a whole new kit though. Something's not right, sounds like the tensioner might be seized?

 

[Jme34]

Do you have breakdown cover? If so but not home assist then drive it to a local pub, park up, engine off. Cut the aux belt, ring breakdown to take you there. Job jobbed.

Not a bad idea, wouldn't need to cut even, just tell them it's making a funny noise and point at what I 'think' it is

 

[Jme34]

Aux belt is a simple enough job.

No need for that to go to a specialist.

Definitely buy a whole new kit though. Something's not right, sounds like the tensioner might be seized?

I could very happily do it myself, but given the current weather conditions I just can't get a gaurunteed good day to do it.
I think it's never been driven with any 'enthusiasm' until I got my hands on the car, and it's either simply shifted and/or damaged the tensioner.

 

[Jme34]

have re-booked to a place about 5 miles away from me, to the tune of a fair few more pounds for the convenience. they have offered to pick it up for an extra 35 quid and all so, thats me happy(ish). got to blag lifts to work for the next 3 days though!
tah for all advice, wouldve just taken a punt on the 2 and 1/2 hour drive to ktec without :/

 

[Crybert]

Who are you letting do the work mate? You may aswell get all the belts done to be honest!

 

[Budgie]

Who are you letting do the work mate? You may aswell get all the belts done to be honest!

Hardly.
Aux belt is half hour's work for someone who knows their stuff and £70 parts. Cambelt is a £500 job.

 

[Crybert]

Hardly.
Aux belt is half hour's work for someone who knows their stuff and £70 parts. Cambelt is a £500 job.

Why not have them all done for piece of mind? If the aux belt is falling to pieces I could bet some money the belts are quite old as it is.

 

[Budgie]

Depends on your mindset i suppose. For me, not worth the investment on most 172's (especially mine).

 

[Crybert]

Yeah depends on the history. He could have the aid belt done this week then something else goes giving him a huge bill. I'm just paranoid!

 

[Budgie]

Lol, with mine, i'm never going to do the cambelt (until they start rising in value).

If it s***s itself, i'll get a spare engine stuck in for £250 and fit it one weekend.

 

[Crybert]

See I don't have the skill to fit a donor engine!

 

[Jme34]

It's an independent specialist in West Sussex area, if the work done is good I'll post a name for reccomendation I would agree with you on getting them all done at once, though they had only been done around 8k ago at a main dealer so I won't be bothering this time! History is full Renault dealership & one owner so there's not a lot left to chance here