Noisy Belt

[AndyCorradoVR6 10]

Hi,

 

I have a very noisy belt that makes a horrible screeching noise. This happens either when I've just cleaned the car or when she's been left out in the rain and often stops after a good drive, assuming when it's dried out. It's the belt that it on the left of the engine (UK models), immediately next to the air filter (mine doesn't have the original boxy one, but a cone-shaped one instead). Somebody told me it was the auxiliary belt, and that it's attached to an idler motor, amongst many other things. I've done a bit of looking around, and I think it's actually called a serpentine belt. Maybe.

 

I'm just wondering whether there's some way to avoid getting this belt wet, or if it's possibly on it's way out. AND, what the actual name of the belt is?!

[Jim 1]

£19 from EuroCarParts for a new one, and a 20 minute job to swap it even for a novice :)

 

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Volkswagen_Corrado_2.9_1995/p/car-parts/engine-parts/belts-chains-and-tensioners/car-drive-belt/?202440405&1&8f70b20c3681329e772672559e039f9556b17534&000108

 

You don't even need to jack the car up as long as it's not sump scrapingly low!

[Supercharged 2]

On a VR6??

 

Yep - the aux belt or serpentine is the only belt on that engine - 2 types, A/C and non A/C

 

Maybe buy a new one from Eurocarparts as they sell continental (same as VAG) and fit it as they need doing every 60k miles or so anyway

 

Easy to fit, just need an M8x80 bolt to release the tension and then swap the belt over.

 

---------- Post added at 05:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:44 PM ----------

 

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[AndyCorradoVR6 10]

Ha, I think 'novice' is still a rank too high for my mechanical fumblings. Though I certainly don't mind trying.

 

Yes, it is the VR6 (no A/C), so is that link for eurocarparts the right belt?

So a new belt should cure all? It's not just water causing mischief?

 

Thanks for the help guys, she's a lovely sounding car when the screech fades and it not nice when heads turn for the wrong reasons!

[RW1 0]

1290mm for non-aircon belt. The slightly larger is the air-con version - 1360mm.

 

Sure its the belt and not the tensioner bearing??? Just wipe a little WD40 with a rag on the belt surface you can see at the alternator pulley. Run the engine. If it goes quiet, its the belt. Still noisey but reduced or gone altogether, its the belt. If it still screaches, use a paper towel card tube and locate near the tensioner pulley to see if it's that. If not, then water pump bearing. Pump pulley is lower down where the engine belt is near the inner wing/body metal.

 

And finally down at the front bottom point of the belt route, the steering pump. Steering heavier than usual when it screaches? Could be the steering pump binding.

 

.

Edited October 7, 2011 by RW1

[Jim 1]

Tensioner bearing isn't a huge chore. Managed to do mine in about 45 mins. Happy to do you a rough guide if that turns out to be the culprit..

[AndyCorradoVR6 10]

She just had a new power-steering pump a few weeks ago, so I should hope all is well in that department.

 

It's definitely from water dripping in somewhere, it's the only time it screeches. If I pull over and give the belt a good spray of WD40 she'll quieten until I set off and get a minute down the road. Other than that, there's nothing I can do but run her for a good twenty minutes until the screeching stops on it's own accord. Which isn't ideal... but if she doesn't need them, then I don't really want to buy parts that I don't need at the moment for financial reasons.

 

In relation to the water getting in, I have noticed that when I lift up the bonnet, the plastic casing is missing just below the windscreen, so after a jet-wash all the water spills down the bonnet onto the components (windscreen-wiper motor at a guess?) there, (not having much joy finding the protective casing at a scrappies!) though they are nowhere near the serpentine belt which is the cause of the awful noise.

 

Not sure if this gives anybody with much better knowledge of the engine any further clues.

[Portent 0]

This is quite useful for me as mine has started making a chriping/sqeaking noise recently. I asked floppyman about it when he was doing my gearbox oil and he sprayed some wd40 on the belt and it quietened down for a while. He reckoned mine was the belt. It sounds very similar to this clip (not mine):

 

[video=youtube_share;l3MD1RFkpFI]http://youtu.be/l3MD1RFkpFI

 

Does that sound like yours?

 

Although I've never done anything on a car before I'm going to give it a go when I have a spare weekend (don't have many of those!). It's about time I got my hands dirty with doing something myself rather than paying people. I will be pooing myself though :D

 

---------- Post added at 11:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 PM ----------

 

£19 from EuroCarParts for a new one, and a 20 minute job to swap it even for a novice :)

 

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Volkswagen_Corrado_2.9_1995/p/car-parts/engine-parts/belts-chains-and-tensioners/car-drive-belt/?202440405&1&8f70b20c3681329e772672559e039f9556b17534&000108

 

You don't even need to jack the car up as long as it's not sump scrapingly low!

 

Would you be able to confirm that this is the right belt for a VR6 without air-con?

[Dox 22]

They're not bad to do, make a sketch of the orientation the belt runs around the pulleys. Usually theres a hole in the tensioners spring loaded arm and one in the back plate, using a spanner release the tension on the arm and put a 5mm masonary bit through the arm and lock it into the backplate.

 

Remove the original belt and slide the new one over the pulleys, tension the arm again and remove the masonary drill bit and then allow the tensioner to take up slack in the belt.

 

Its best to keep the keys in your pocket so now one can start the car while your fingers are involved in the belt.

 

The masonary bit will most likely bend and be scrap afterwards, a HSS drill bit will shear and should not be used.

 

New tensioners come with a 5mm steel rod already pegging the tensioner.

Edited October 29, 2011 by Dox

[Portent 0]

Usually theres a hole in the tensioners spring loaded arm and one in the back plate, using a spanner release the tension on the arm and put a 5mm masonary bit through the arm and lock it into the backplate.

 

Thanks. That's the bit I can't get my head around as I've not done anything like this before. But I'm sure it will make sense when I actually take a look at it.

[Dox 22]

I've got a couple of tensioners hanging around, I'll peg one and post a pic

[Portent 0]

Thanks, much appreciated :)

[Dox 22]

Forget all I've written above, thats for later VWs, the VR6 is even easier, you need an M8 bolt with a decent length of thread and you simply wind the bolt in to take the tension off the belt

 

[Portent 0]

Thanks that picture makes it clear. I see how the bolt pushes through and I guess causes it to move the bearing and slacken the belt. Other pics I've seen just show the bolt from above so you can't see the side view.

[Dox 22]

Thanks that picture makes it clear. I see how the bolt pushes through and I guess causes it to move the bearing and slacken the belt. Other pics I've seen just show the bolt from above so you can't see the side view.

 

With the tensioner on the car its difficult to get a pic, a nice and easy job

[AndyCorradoVR6 10]

Whatever the issue was with mine it seems to have stopped, which can only be a good or very bad thing. She drives alright still. What I have noticed is the faintest of whistling noises as I accelerate through the gears, I'm not sure if it's coming from the rear or from under the bonnet as you have to have the window down to hear it and usually the wind confuses my sense of direction :shrug:

 

It's probably nothing but I'm very particular!