Alternator belt snapped

Mr Angry

Mr Angry

A2OC Donor
Hi Guys,

As some of you know i am driving the Seat Alhambra monster bus and don't spend as much time driving the A2 as my Mrs is still not confident enough driving it, she'll get there eventually :) Anyways, she was driving the A2 yesterday and the battery light came on. Upon inspection i see that the alternator belt has snapped and it looks a bloody mess in the engine compartment. I've taken a photo of that section to see if anything is more suspect but due to lighting issues and time factor i can't see much more on my driveway. Is the alternator belt an easy fix? My car is due for a timing belt change too, which i have at my disposal along with the water pump.

To cut a long story short can anyone recommend a garage in North Lanarkshire local to me that would do this job quickly? I don't have the time to personally faff about with this, so any recommendations is most appreciated.

TIA
 
20220105_164810.jpg
 
Spin pulleys spin by hand and check they are straight and true. Maybe a stone got lodged in the belt and brought about its demise!

Recovery service might replace if your lucky!
 
Mr Angry said:
View attachment 89600
Click to expand...
When mine did this I replaced the belt and the tensioner. It soldiered on for another month or so, then threw the belt off again - this time with the alternator pulley - the overrunning bearing inside had been seizing and I didn't realise this - it was heralded by a few weeks of occasional gentle chirps when changing from first to second (less so with higher gear changes). By this time the pulley was so knackered it was impossible to get the tool into the axle to remove it, so my mechanic had to cut the alternator off in two pieces with a plasma cutter.

While things are still apparently intact I would recommend replacing the pulley, a belt and a tensioner. In an ideal scenario if you have time see if you can get a Tdi alternator and send it for a refurb as well so that the whole lot can be refreshed in one go.

Best of luck! These things are easily fixed if you get to them in time.
 
Sylvester said:
Would this cause any big issues with the engine, like when the timing belt snaps? Cheers
Click to expand...
Battery light comes on. You have to get home before the battery runs out. A/C would stop working presumably. I guess that if something went really pear-shaped the belt remains could stall the engine but unless I'm really missing something the loss of alternator power and a/c is about it.
 
The tensioner's probably failed. Difficult to see from the pics, but get the garage to check that the tensioner hasn't worn, twisted around and chewed up the belt. It's easy to do, just see if the tensioner pulley is dead in line with the other ones.

Passats (same system) are notorious for it, esp with this earlier design.
 
Mr Angry said:
Hi Guys,

As some of you know i am driving the Seat Alhambra monster bus and don't spend as much time driving the A2 as my Mrs is still not confident enough driving it, she'll get there eventually :) Anyways, she was driving the A2 yesterday and the battery light came on. Upon inspection i see that the alternator belt has snapped and it looks a bloody mess in the engine compartment. I've taken a photo of that section to see if anything is more suspect but due to lighting issues and time factor i can't see much more on my driveway. Is the alternator belt an easy fix? My car is due for a timing belt change too, which i have at my disposal along with the water pump.

To cut a long story short can anyone recommend a garage in North Lanarkshire local to me that would do this job quickly? I don't have the time to personally faff about with this, so any recommendations is most appreciated.

TIA
Click to expand...
A mobile mechanic might be a solution, the work is straight forward, you tell him what to do, and maybe supply the parts, including that tensioner.
Mac.
 
Hi Guys,

Just thought i would pop in and say thanks to @damadgeruk aka David, who helped me out this morning for fixing my alternator belt. Not only did he make his way through the snowy conditions from Hamilton this morning, he also supplied the belt too. It's always good to put a face to the name. We will no doubt meet up at some point to discuss A2's but most importantly, he's a sparky to trade, which is also a bonus lol

Thanks for all of your help and replies people...time to get the car booked in for the almighty cambelt/water pump change soon :)

Cammy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top