Fan/Alternator belt gone?

Doooford

Hi all. Had an issue with my car this morning which I wondered if somebody could shed some light on. When turning the ignition, I could hear the starter motor going, but the engine didn't turn over at all. This happened yesterday but when I re-tried it the car started fine.
I managed to bump the car started and was luckily parked on a hill :T

I'm assuming that a belt has gone, so I wondered if this is this case, how much roughly would a garage cost, or is it easy enough to do? I imagine there is a fair amount of tensioning to do.
Any help would be appreciated, and does anyone think that it may be anything more serious than a belt?

maninthestreet

If the belt driving the alternator had gone you would have a warnig light on the dashboard as the battery would not be charging. If the belt driving the waterpump had gone, the car would soon overheat. If the car started fine, why did you have to bump start it?

Alias_Omega

It was cold last night, so if the battery has had it then it will lose charge overnight.

If you bumped started the car, and the car ran fine once it was going (not cutting out) then the alternator is charging the battery.

You could check this by turning the car off and back on, if the battery has been charged then the battery has died due to the cold.


Halfords will check the battery for free, but you dont have to buy a battery from there.

(I going to go with that the car has a slurred start, sluggish but bumping it turned the engine, which fired the alternator into life which powered the ECU, which told the coil packs to fire & to throw some fuel through the injectors, the fuel ignited and your car was away...)

Heliflyguy

It will not be a belt as there are none involved with starting the car and the fan will be an electric motor and not driven by a belt (unless you have a much older car)

Possibly a problem with the starter motor itself not engaging with the engine and turning it over to start, the gear on the starter should move out to engage then pull back after you release the ignition key , did it sound like a wizzing electric motor when it failed to start?

Doooford

It did sopund like a whizzing electric motor. So something wasn't engaging. The car is a P reg peugeot 406.
It seems I got mixed up by calling it an alternator belt, the alternator is fine.

redux

There are companies specialising in exchange reconditioned starter motors and alternators, probably for from about £100 fitted. Explore your local phone book and Google.

Doooford

I think I may have mislead some people due to my inability to explain car problems. The starter motor seems fine, but hust not engaging. What might this be?

maninthestreet

Doooford wrote: »

I think I may have mislead some people due to my inability to explain car problems. The starter motor seems fine, but hust not engaging. What might this be?

The starter motor should pre-engage with the flywheel before the motor begins turning, so this pre-engagement process isnt happening?

Heliflyguy

You need to get the starter motor checked, I dont know if its still common practice to give the starter motor a couple gentle(ish) taps with a hammer to cure the problem short term when it doesnt engage.
In the end you will need a new one or better still a reconditioned one, you will need to remove yours to exchange for the reconditioned unit or maybe one from a breakers, they are not difficult to fit so the cost for labour should be as low as an hours charge, mind you its a french car so maybe not an easy job

goldspanners

sounds like the starter motor solenoid. you can get recon units for around £50 -£60. or you could try to buy the solenoid yourself and swap it over.

harveybobbles

An auto electrician will service the starter motor for you for a crisp £20 note.