Citroen C5 - 2010 Citroen c5 2.0 163 HDI - aux belt

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Thu 30 Aug 2018 20:22
Citroen C5 - 2010 Citroen c5 2.0 163 HDI - aux belt - CitroenianAgain
Forgive me, it has been quite some time since my last posting... hope everyone is doing well

I’ve a Citroen c5 tourer, 2010 with the auto HDi 163 engine.

When I pulled up outside my house the other night, noticed that the air con had cut out, and got an error saying battery low or electrical system fault (or words to that effect). Assumed the alternator was shot.

Drove it to work and same problem, error after a couple of miles and battery light in display. Charged it up yesterday and drove it again today, with the intention of taking to a garage next week. When I turned the power steering the fan slowed down so assumed the battery was doing all the work.

Parked the car up, turned off the engine (everything working as you’d expect). Popped the bonnet to connect to the battery charger and noticed the aux belt had snapped.

Worth noting at this point that I know pretty much nothing about mechanics, so slightly freaked out at the belt and lifted it off. Took me a while to convince myself it isn’t the cam belt (it’s got grooves round it, not teeth) and is to the left hand side of the engine as I look at it from the front.

I have a garage about 300m away and they will have a look next week, but I daren't start the engine. I don’t need to use the car as I also have an Mx5, so not in a mad rush to get sorted.

My assumption is that the symptoms are consistent with a snapped aux/belt, and I’ve been very lucky that it hasn’t fouled up and taken the main cam belt out (like my Volvo s80 d5 did-horror show that)

Cam belt changed a couple of years back at a Citroen specialist and serviced properly as you’d expect.

Would appreciate any reassurances/advice from the assembled experts here!

Thanks
Lee

Edited by CitroenianAgain on 30/08/2018 at 20:24

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Thu 30 Aug 2018 21:37
Citroen C5 - 2010 Citroen c5 2.0 163 HDI - aux belt - elekie&a/c doctor

Poly-vee drive belts are very long lived,and generally give good service over 100k miles. A belt that has snapped has done so for a reason.Possible oil/fuel contamination or a drive pulley /tensioner running out of true. Probably not a good idea to run the engine,just in case any belt remnants have lodged behind the cam belt cover..

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Fri 31 Aug 2018 13:15
Citroen C5 - 2010 Citroen c5 2.0 163 HDI - aux belt - Gibbo_Wirral

Is it the original belt on the car? They can last anywhere between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, depending on which source you read.

haynes.com/en-gb/tips-tutorials/common-problems-au...t

Edited by Gibbo_Wirral on 31/08/2018 at 13:15

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Sat 1 Sep 2018 15:30
Citroen C5 - 2010 Citroen c5 2.0 163 HDI - aux belt - skidpan

Only had to replace one of the poly V belts in the 30 or so years I have had cars fitted with them. That was in a Focus with about 50,000 on it. It was showing signs of cracking and with a Scottish trip weeks away it was daft to risk it. Only about £40 fitted, not worth getting dirty.

The only car I remember where the auxilliary belt caused cam belt issues was a colleagues mid 70's Audi 80 (think that is what they were called then). Did it on the way to Luton with the family to catch a flight to their Spannish holiday, not a good time for it to happen.

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Fri 21 Sep 2018 22:23
Citroen C5 - 2010 Citroen c5 2.0 163 HDI - aux belt - CitroenianAgain
Thanks All - my mechanic has been away for a while so it took a while to get it fixed. Belt replaced and it seems to enjoy running fine now.

Thanks for the advice

Lee
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