Fan belt replacement ?

Question

Hi there , I own a 05 plate winter edition ford streetka and the vehicle needs a new fan belt due to a squeeking noise thats constantly there ! Does anyone know how long this takes to fix and how much it costs roughly , im low on funds this month but can get it into a garage if not to pricey , thanks guys !

Answer 1

The belt in question doesn't actually drive a fan, so is now more commonly called a 'serpentine' or 'auxiliary drive' belt. If the belt is squealing due to slipping, it can usually be tightened - five or ten minutes with basic tools. If the belt has stretched & needs replacing & retensioning, I would expect a bill to supply & fit for less than £40 - £50, although it really is a simple DIY job. Get yourself a Haynes manual and you should be able to tackle the job with ease.

[Edit} Don't know why the US responder thinks car parts are dearer in the UK, an OEM belt is under £15 ($23.50)

Answer 2

On most modern vehicles the "fan belt" is actually what's called a serpentine belt as the first responder said. On most serpentine belt systems there is no adjustment per se. The tension is controlled by a tensioner pulley that is spring loaded to maintain the correct tension on the belt. On most, the belt replacement is quite easy, using a wrench you release the tension on the belt by turning the tensioner pulley either right or left, then remove the belt from that pulley which slackens it enough to take it off the rest of the pulleys and remove it. Replacement is the reverse. After the belt is positioned on all the other pulleys the tensioner is again released and the belt paced on it then its released to tighten the belt. That's it! One caveat however, be sure you have a diagram of the routing of the belt BEFORE you remove the old one. Serpentine belts here in the states usually run in the $30/40 range, double that over there.

Answer 3

Modern "fan/serpentine/auxiliary" belts VERY rarely squeak due to the way they're designed, so I'd be inclined to think the noise is coming from the alternator/water pump/ PAS pump etc.

Needs seeing to before whatever it is breaks completely.