Alternator Belt slipped off - Is the car still safe to drive
Discussion
Basically, the alternator belt slipped off my car today but my car still has enough charge in the battery to start the engine fine. It happened at a friends house so I've left it there at the moment. Just wanted to ask if it is safe to drive the car back to the garage or is there a risk if I stall then the car might not start again.
Thanx
Thanx
If the drive belt thats slipped off only drives the alternator and you drive without using any lights etc the car can be driven quite a long way. But if the belt drives the fan and water pump you can only drive it a few hundred yards before it gets too hot and you cause major engine damage! Hope this helps!
sniff petrol said:
75_Steve said:
When the alternator failed on my MkIV Scrote, it would do an 80 mile round-trip before needed the battery charging.
Petrol or diesel?My mk3 fiesta diesel never had a decent alternator in the 40,000 miles I had it.
Loved that car, I did.
I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR YOUR FINGERS OR YOUR CAR
Okay get the belt and get it back on as best as you can so that it is around all pulleys apart from one. On the last pulley have it half way on so that when the engine starts it will pull the belt into the V
Now either put the car into 5th and rock it forwards or take a brave pill and just blip the starter and the belt should pop back on.
Your friend Cowboy bob
Okay get the belt and get it back on as best as you can so that it is around all pulleys apart from one. On the last pulley have it half way on so that when the engine starts it will pull the belt into the V
Now either put the car into 5th and rock it forwards or take a brave pill and just blip the starter and the belt should pop back on.
Your friend Cowboy bob
shouldbworking said:
Its possible the alternator belt also drives the water pump. If this is the case you should not drive it.
Is there some reason you cant just pop it back on?
Happened to my Scenic. First wondered what the hell had gone wrong after the rev counter hit zero and then after 5 miles down the road the temp gauge hit the roof!Is there some reason you cant just pop it back on?
Anyhow I was informed by the garage that they are now called auxiliary belts.
Edited by Morningside on Saturday 19th April 21:22
Morningside said:
shouldbworking said:
Its possible the alternator belt also drives the water pump. If this is the case you should not drive it.
Is there some reason you cant just pop it back on?
Happened to my Scenic. First wondered what the hell had gone wrong after the rev counter hit zero and then after 5 miles down the road the temp gauge hit the roof!Is there some reason you cant just pop it back on?
Anyhow I was informed by the garage that they are now called auxiliary belts.
planetdave said:
Can't you jerry rig some tights round the pulleys? It probably won't work well or last very long but it might help for a while.
A customer of mine did that and they proceeded to slip off into the gap behind the crank pulley and timing cover,worked their way into the timing belt cover and wound themselves around the crank sprocket snapping the timing belt`and smashing the offside timing belt tensioner clean off the block with it,on a 3.0 omega,it wasn`t cheap!!Another customer tried the same with a bit of blue telecom rope on a Vectra Ecotec,did the same but smashed the tensioner and the top of the oil pump off.
I was working at a pizza delivery place when my alternator failed. I honestly don't know at what point it failed but by the time I got home the headlights had all but stopped working, the tacho wasn't working the radio wouldn't turn on. Pretty much anything non-essential wouldn't work and it struggled to start when I started off to go home.
The trip home is probably about 3 miles in the dark so my drain was probably fairly high with the need for lights and if it happened earlier in the night as I suspect it could have been a lot more miles to total failure.
It can be done taking it a few miles with no alternator but I wouldn't bother. Either take a few tools to your mates and fix the car wherever it is or use the last few miles to limp it to a garage. That said if the car is fairly new it will have more electronic aids. Some PAS is now electronically assisted. I dont know how that would drain and what would happen if that stopped working. Also look at the drive belt and see what it connects to. If the water pump or something equally important is on there don't drive it. You don't want an unexpected outcome like cooking the engine.
The trip home is probably about 3 miles in the dark so my drain was probably fairly high with the need for lights and if it happened earlier in the night as I suspect it could have been a lot more miles to total failure.
It can be done taking it a few miles with no alternator but I wouldn't bother. Either take a few tools to your mates and fix the car wherever it is or use the last few miles to limp it to a garage. That said if the car is fairly new it will have more electronic aids. Some PAS is now electronically assisted. I dont know how that would drain and what would happen if that stopped working. Also look at the drive belt and see what it connects to. If the water pump or something equally important is on there don't drive it. You don't want an unexpected outcome like cooking the engine.
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