Shredded drivebelt

My wife’s car is a 53-plate Land Rover Freelander Td4 that has done just over 110,000 miles. It has a couple of problems: 1) The auxiliary drivebelt shredded approximately two miles from home, resulting in an increase in engine temperature and loss of power steering. I allowed the car to cool and, after inspecting the vehicle, decided to coax it back home with several stops along the way. When I got it home, I noticed oil leaking when I pulled onto the drive. After taking off the splash guard and engine undertray, I removed the shredded belt. Now I have two remaining problems: there are some remnants of the belt wrapped behind the crankshaft pulley and I cannot locate the leak. Where would the oil leak most likely be from? Do I need to remove the pulley? 2) I plan to change the clutch within the next few months. Would it be advisable to replace the DMF at the same time? 3) I replaced the anti-roll bar droplink four months ago and the lower rubber cover on the offside lower rubber cover is cracked. Any idea what may have caused this? David Brown It is highly likely that the oil leak has been caused by remnants of the auxiliary drivebelt winding their way behind the crankshaft pulley and damaging the oil seal. The crankshaft pulley will need to be removed, after which I suspect you will be able to see the damage to the oil seal. Fitting a new oil seal after cleaning out the remaining strands of the old belt should rectify the problem.

The DMF should be replaced if it is worn beyond the tolerances allowed – it should be checked for free play rotationally and by rocking the vehicle. A special rig is needed to test the DMF, but I would replace it if the rotational movement is more than 20mm or the rock is more than 3mm.

Without inspecting the rubber cover, it is difficult to give a proper diagnosis, but this is normally a sign that the rubber is old or has been subjected to extreme heat.