Auxiliary drive belt
Q
My daughter has a 61-plate Citroën DS3 1.6 e-hdi 90bhp with Stop-start fitted. It had a new aircon compressor fitted a couple of months ago and today the alternator belt came off. Can you please send me a diagram of the belt run so that I can refit it? I believe it has two tensioners fitted for the belt and I will check them to try and find out why the belt came off. Is this a known concern on this engine?
Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.
I then received a second email
Further to the previous e-mail. I have taken off the covers and found the belt has snapped. Everything looks and feels OK with the tensioners, alternator and aircon compressor. The belt has only been on for approximately 10,000 miles so I can’t understand why it has snapped. I have attached a photo of the belt.
I have asked my daughter if anything happened before the battery light, etc., came on and she said the Stop-start function had just operated – so it looks like that caused the belt to snap! The break in the belt was a clean snap.
Craig Christie
A
From the picture of the belt you sent, this is a 6PK 1020, and from the details I have from the Gates catalogue, this is the correct one to fit the DS3 with Stop-start and aircon – so this is the correct application.
The break is as you say a clean break and would appear to be a failure of the belt. Having checked the pulleys I can see no other reason for the failure and I would contact Gates customer support at this link Contact Us (gates.com) and ask for their opinion on the matter.