to V-belt or not to V-belt

[Huw Powell]

V-Belts are the belts that drive your "accessories" - the alternator,
the PS pump, and the AC compressor.

Your description sounds like either one is really bad and slipping a lot
now, or one of the three devices mentioned above has a problem - maybe
bad bearings, internal wear, etc.

Does it seem related to steering function?  Electrical load?

A good place to start, if you don;t know how old they are, would be to
replace all three accessory belts (with the right sized european belts,
the ones for US cars have the wrong pitch, Continental is a good brand)
and see what happens.  If they should be good still, try retensioning
them.  The alternator belt is the one that takes the worst punishment,
and is also the easiest to replace (since it is on the front).

That underbody cover is part of what guides air through the radiator, it
also helps keep road grime and moisture out of the engine compartment.
A slipping belt or almost failed "spinning device" could be made worse
by getting it wet or grimy.

Tessie McMillan wrote:
>
> Hi listers -
>
> I have an unholy disgusting squealing/rubbing/shrieking noise emanating from
> what seems to be underneath and in several places in my engine compartment.
> The sound has gone from being present only at stop lights (when it sounded a
> little like a bad belt) to being a constant loud noise (now sounding like
> nothing you want to listen to). This is my '88 80 Q.
>
> The noise started a few months after I lowered the car. At the time, I was
> unable to replace the plastic under-panel because it would scrape too badly.
> The noise seems to be related to driving through the rain -- at least it
> first started after a really bad rainy period, and then has gotten seriously
> worse in our recent rainstorm. During the summer it went away.
>
> Someone mentioned a "V-belt" to me. Why would that be a problem and how
> would moisture be involved? Would not being able to replace the plastic
> under-panel have anything to do with this? Since the 4000s don't have the
> underpanel, I didn't see anything wrong with not replacing the one on my 80.
> Is this something that needs to be replaced? Or lubricated? Or tightened?
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> Tess
> in Seattle WA, USA

--
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/

http://www.humanthoughts.org/