whoa... that was alot of smoke...

**mmh** · 05-10-2005, 11:31 PM

I just started my car for the first time in over a month (its been on charge all night - battery was flat) and the fan belt was squealing... i thought fair enough, it'll find itself in a second, calm down... 5 seconds later, a BIG cloud of smoke came flooding through the bonnet... i was like... SH*T.... so i cut the engine, pulled the bonnet, opened the bonnet to clear the smoke so i could see the problem... the fan belt had slipped and it was rubbing really bad. needless to say the fan belt split and came off, just found it on the floor.
well i say fan belt, with my car it could be the alternator belt..
so now i need a new belt for my car (Rover 214 Si - T plate).

why would the fan belt have come so loose on the car from sitting there say a month?
i mean, it squealed for like 2 seconds when i started it last time, but it didnt do this?

**5lab** · 05-10-2005, 11:59 PM

the belt was probably old and simply deteriorated over the month you left it. fan belt/altinator belt are omre often than not the same thing. either that or something siezed (altinator/water pump) which is what the fan belt was actually slipping on.. and it's been so long that it didnt un-sieze

**mmh** · 06-10-2005, 12:03 AM

damn, i hope nothing has seized :S

**Rave** · 06-10-2005, 12:48 AM

Alternator belts are pretty dirt cheap, so just try replacing it first.

**5lab** · 06-10-2005, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Rave

Alternator belts are pretty dirt cheap, so just try replacing it first.

personally, i'd check all the wheels turn at the same time - you can normally lop a socket onto the end and give it a tug

**filbert** · 06-10-2005, 01:37 PM

I've known that bits from the fan felt get in the timing belt cover, so have a look there, belts usually squeal because the alternator charges at full wack when the engine first starts and is harder to turn, has it got 1 or 2 belts, also has it got air/con?

**mmh** · 06-10-2005, 02:19 PM

okay... daylight and ive jst been out and checked... the car has 2 belts... no air con, the belt that broke was the belt from the engine to the alternator... the alternator seems to be seized as its not turning at all, i know from past experience of my uncles rover that the alternator on it should turn freely with little force, this on my car isnt turning at all. where the other lead goes to is fine, that turns freely (water pump?) so it looks like the alternator is seized... is it an easy fix, i dont fancy forking out for another alternator so soon after buying the car, and not even having driven the car on a good long run.

**5lab** · 06-10-2005, 04:26 PM

tried turing the altinator with a mole wrench? mine needs a LOT of umph

**mmh** · 06-10-2005, 06:38 PM

*looks sheepish* whats a mole wrench?

**J4MES** · 06-10-2005, 08:26 PM

like a pair of pliers, with a screw thread to adjust the width/tightness of the grip...

alternators are pretty cheap, especially 2nd hand, an easy DIY job too...

**mmh** · 07-10-2005, 03:23 AM

yeah,this should work loose, i realised what mole grips were later on in the pub... also; i dont think that its seized in a harsh way, so bit of WD40 and some working looseness and it should work

just need a new fan belt.

Thread: whoa... that was alot of smoke...

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