Arrrrrrrrghhh VR6 fan belt

[schrickvr6 0]

What a day, the first sign of good weather and i end up with a boiled foot :x

 

I was stuck in traffic today for a while before i pulled onto the bypass, within seconds the windscreen had misted up and i had boiling water pouring on my foot...i knew instantly the heater matrix had gone....but it's lucky i keep a bit of 30mm copper pipe in the boot. :D But before i got home it was getting very hot and on inspection the rad fans were not coming on.

 

My first thought was the fan switch but looking closer i found a small belt hooked around the blades of the main rad fan. I can see a pulley on the back of the secondary fan but where does the other end go? And more importantly how do i get to it? PLease please please don't tell me it's a bumper off job, i say this because there is very little room between the fan cowling and the inlet manifold.

 

Shouldn't the main fan still work without this belt fitted?

[Ollienorth 0]

God replace the matrix it's a pain in the arse but it stops your head from going next

[Roger Blassberg 0]

The first fan is driven by the enormous-great electric motor behind it. The belt runs from the first to the second fan. You should be able to change the belt without taking the front off of the car; it's a fiddle to be sure - (my goodness, I've started talking Irish !!).

 

The first fan should run even if the belt to the second fan is broken. If it doesn't, there is an electrical fault; the thermostatic switch in the side of the radiator, down in front of the battery, is the first suspect. Alternatively, the drive motor, or the fan control unit (which sits towards the back of the engine bay near to the washer bottle). Or a fuse.

 

I'm sure that you don't need to be told, but I'll tell you anyway; "VR6 engines are very intolerant of being overheated". There. You now have no excuses.

 

The heater matrix is generally accepted to be a horrible job; some say that it can be done without stripping the dashboard out, but I am sceptical that it can be done satisfactorily and without setting up all sorts of future rattles and squeaks.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[schrickvr6 0]

Thanks for the advice guys even if it is a little late :-P I managed to get it sorted reasonably easily with only one or two skinned knuckles, it was the belt that was jamming up the main fan and stopping it from working.

 

Ollie do you mean that the increased coolant pressure can blow the headgasket?

 

This is the second matrix to go in this car grrrr but it's not 'too' bad a job just removing the centre console and lower passenger side dash.