Broken alternator belt - incorrect belt?

Hi -

After full service my alternator belt squealed, slipped resulting in my battery not charging properly - went back to garage and they checked it all out fixed problem all OK until this weekend.....!

Same thing happened squealed and then broke this time... AA fixed it had spare belt but said they thought my Trident could take a thicker belt and to check it out.

Returned to garage today.... with brokem belt!!! They agreed with AA but said they tried lots of different ones but the thicker ones didnt fit properly.. teeth hung over the side.. but they would look into it..

Has anyone experienced same problem or has any ideas.... garage fitted Gates Auto Master 6223MC 8.F - AA put on Lucas KDB 107 9.5 x 1075

Many thanks

Caroline x

Was it a VW dealer or an independent garage?

In theory, you should be able to contact your nearest approved VW service centre, give them your VIN or reg. no. and they should look it up on their system and sell you ~exactly~ the right part.

When the alternator belt on my Transit showed signs of wear I bought a supposed replacement from Halfords, but it wasn't the right size, despite what their data book said... The one from a Ford dealer was exactly the same as the original.

My ten penneth would be to go to the main dealer.
They will look up the vehicle VIN number and will supply the correct belt.

Might cost a few bob more, but if if doesn't fail on you.......................................

PB

(another item we always used to carry in the boot....just in case!!)

peugeotboxer wrote:
Might cost a few bob more, but if if doesn't fail on you...

Agreed - the Halfords one was around £9, and the dealer's was £12 - but if it doesn't fit, cheaper is definitely not better!

-mojo- wrote:

peugeotboxer wrote:
Might cost a few bob more, but if if doesn't fail on you...

Agreed - the Halfords one was around £9, and the dealer's was £12 - but if it doesn't fit, cheaper is definitely not better!

Sorry Mojo for repeating post.
Yours wasn't 'up' when I posted mine!!

PB

For a relatively new belt to break then there is something wrong somewhere else. There isn't that much strain on an alternator belt, not like a cambelt that has to contend with valve spring pressure etc.
Don't know about the Lucas one, but Gates are top quality belts.
If it were me, I'd be taking a critical look at the alternator.

Frank

Thanks for replies.... I'll look into your comments, much appreciated x

Caroline
I've never had a problem with any T4 alternator, they are pretty reliable. I suspect like others have advised, the wrong belt has been fitted. Always get main dealer parts, its not worth saving a few £s.
Let us know how you get on
John

Just to make people aware eurocarparts supply oe parts from the farther land for our vw's and quality is spot on and I have been dealing with them for over twenty years for various manufactures.
The best tale is,, I have a 2002 mercedes ml petrol one of the three cats fitted failed £900+vat at the stealers, at euro £400 inc vat oe manufacturer and flown in over night for me.
They rock and help poor people like me run dear cars...

Gaz...

Just to say garage fitted VW belt today and all is working as it should!

Glad I have good garage they came to same conclusion as you guys, refitted new one no charge. Did say I probably will be seeing them again no doubt soon!!!

Thanks for your help

Caroline x

Hi Caroline
Glad you have got it sorted
Enjoy your van
John

caroline70 wrote:Just to say garage fitted VW belt today and all is working as it should!

Glad I have good garage they came to same conclusion as you guys, refitted new one no charge. Did say I probably will be seeing them again no doubt soon!!!

Thanks for your help

Caroline x

Out of interest, did they fit the 'same type' belt or a genuine belt?

PB

I have had the same problem with alternator belts breaking regularly on my Trident until Christmas last year, when my brothers local garage in West Wales solved the problem.

My van has been chewing up alternator belts on & off for the last six years, with the belt squealing like ...... on a lot of occasions

My local specialist VW garage tightened the belt, put on new belt; ditto a specialist VW one man band garage.

No one could solve the problem, until ….

It snapped yet again between new Christmas & New Year (last year) on the way to West Wales. Just got to his farm in the dark on the battery before it went flat!

His garage found that there was so much crud on the main crank pulley that they said it was no wonder the belts were getting chewed up.

They spent half an hour scrapping the crud off, put on a temporary belt & fitted a new belt the next day. I have had no problems since then (touch wood) & 6000 miles covered since.

Why the other garages could not check & do this, I don’t know.

The part they put on was Unipart No GVB21 100 “Fan Belt”

Last week in Bristol, the oil pressure switch failed, resulting in oil haemorrhaging out of the engine. All fixed & engine bay cleaned but that’s another story.

Oh the fun of running an 18 year old vehicle!

Thanks for posting this Spook,
As I said in my previous post, if new belts are snapping regularly there is something amiss somewhere.

Frank

Thanks for all your comments and what you said Spooks - I shall certainly bear that in mind if the same thing happens again - interesting, like you said you would hope that the garage would pick up on something like that!

Ive got a VW 074 903 137 AN V belt on there now... see how that goes!!

I am now carrying a spare.... all good fun, keeps life intersting I say!

Caroline x

I have a 1992 VW T4 camper and have had loads of problems with squeeling and broken belts. I am so paranoid about it that I now carry at least two spare belts ant all the necessary tools to change it!
I was very interested to see Spook69 comments regarding crud on the drive belt, as I have always fitted the correct belt, got the tension checked by a professional. I will clean up the drive pulley next time it breaks
Metal-bob

I believe the main cause of excessive wear on alternator belts comes when the alternator is replaced with one that does not ~quite~ line up correctly with the engine pulley - either because the part is the wrong one, or because the person fitting it gets spacer washers in the wrong place. It's not always easy to see whether alignment is correct (because on many engines it is hard to get far enough away to do it by eye) but generally you should be able to check with a straight edge of an appropriate length.

I have also heard of excessive wear due to damage on one of the pulleys, but that seems to a lot more unusual (because that type of damage can typically only be caused by careless handling when the parts are being worked on).

I've never come across excessive dirt as the cause, because there are few vehicles where it's possible for muck to get thrown up onto the alternator area, though there is likely to be excessive dirt as a ~result~ of wear - simply from the bits of belt getting worn off and building up on the pulley.

I agree totally with what you say. However, this problem occurred when my original alternator was in place. I replaced the alternator not because it was faulty, but to give a higher output. It was fitted by myself (I am a professional engineer), and I checked and have re-checked the alignment.

My first thoughts, were that it may be a common problem, and therefore a design fault, as the belt has to drive two items, namely the alternator and the water pump.  In my case both of the alternator and the water pump run freely. The belts were purchased from a trade motor factor, the present one being a Dayco 10A0975C. At one stage I did think the belts purchased were too small in section, as it sit well down in the pulley grooves and may be bottoming out. However, on closer inspection I don't think this is happening. One other thing that I forgot to mention before, is that when fitting the last belt, I lightly sprayed some "belt dressing" onto the belt and pulleys, in the hope of improving the friction, reducing squeel and therefore reducing the generation of heat which I thought may be causing the belts to fail. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!