Ford Ka - Engine Squeek - Drive Belt ??

madcal87

My engine - or something in it, has been squeeking for a few months now, and its getting worse.

This is a picture of someone elses ford ka engine
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/313/dsc00204wx.jpg

Its on the left hand side of the engine, near the power stearing fluid...but deeper...Its a belt i think....So is that the Drive Belt?

Thanks

TadleyBaggie

Sounds like what happened to my daughter's C1 just before the water pump seized.

bosseyed

If its a convoluted belt down to the left of the engine, under the screen wash reservoir etc then its likely to be the timing belt (or drive belt is also fine terminology I think), ie the toothed/cogged rubber belt that loops around a myriad of cogs and wheels on the side of the engine block - as far as I know it controls the camshaft which in turn controls the timing of the engines valves. Often it drives the water pump aswell.

Its a hugely important belt really that controls a lot of the major engine functions, thats why its generally a big issue if it ever snaps at speed as the whole engine tends to ingest itself in messy and expensive fashion.

I was under the impression that this squeaking noise (if it is the timing belt thats emitting the noise) is due to the belt being incorrectly tensioned, ie too loose or too tight, either way not ideal. There is a tensioner in the guts of the engine under the belt which might need some adjustment, or just a new belt - get a garage to look at it and see what they say. I've helped change a couple of drive belts with my mechanic brother in law and it is something that requires you to keep your wits about you to ensure you don't completely f**k up the timing of the engine when you put the new belt on. And thanks to the location and awkwardness of most timing belts its a couple of hours labour to get various bits of the engine out of the way, the old belt off, the new one on and correctly aligned and tensioned and then the various bits of engine put back over the top.

forgotmyname

Timing belt is different to a Drive belt..

Youve had the noise for months???

Ever had it serviced?


Does it have a timing belt or is it the old chain engine?

Drive belt needs tensioning or one of the pulleys starting to wear or breakup, Waterpump, Power steering pump, Alternator.

Any one of those or several of those can all produce the noise you mention.

Problem is by leaving it this long it may cost you more to sort out.

System

It is most likely to be the drive belt that includes the drive for the alternator.

If the squeal gets worse when you switch on lots of stuff like headlamps, heated rear screen etc. that confirms it is the alternator drive belt.

There should be an adjustment to allow the correct drive belt tension to be set, but it may not be easy to get to the adjustment and you also need to inspect the belt to make sure it has not been worn too much whilst it has been slipping.

It will NOT be the timing belt, if that slipped the engine would not run properly and it is possible that the engine would be severly damaged when pistons hit valves, so I do not think it will be the timing belt.

debred86

My first car was a KA, it sounds like you had the same problem as me. It turned out to be the power steering pump, if i remember correctly it was about £200 ish to fix.

steady__eddie

Apologies for an attempted hijack here but my daughter has been experiencing the same symptoms for about a week now on her mini one. (70k on the clock). I know that it has a cam chain, a local garage has suggested spraying the camBELT with WD40.
Does this sound like reliable advice ? Is it likely to perish the belt or at the least make it slip ?

Norman_Castle

I know that it has a cam chain, a local garage has suggested spraying the camBELT with WD40.
Does this sound like reliable advice ?

No, find another garage.

TrickyWicky

steady__eddie wrote: »

a local garage has suggested spraying the camBELT with WD40.
Does this sound like reliable advice ? Is it likely to perish the belt or at the least make it slip ?

Erm, unless you want a repair bill of £1k+ don't follow that advice at all.

Putting WD40 on a cambelt would be like walking on a banana skin. It's going to slip, the timing on the engine will be out and then you're valves are going to get smashed to hell.

Any mechanic saying to spray a cambelt with WD40 should be shot :mad:

mikey72

If it's the alternator, or power steering belt, it needs re-tensioning. Some still squeal then though, I have a belt dressing spray, which is the exact opposite of wd40. It's a sticky rosin spray, and stops belt slipping. Not for use on cambelts though, these don't slip because they're toothed, and held in the exact place they should be.
If it is the cambelt, it needs changing as a belt kit. It'll be the tensioner starting to seize, if it goes, it'll let the belt jump, and break the valves.

bungle4by4

As you dont know what it is, and there is the potential here for an expensive repair bill if its a cam belt issue.

I Would find a reputable, local garage, and get them to have a look. for something like this, it won't take them long to tell you whats wrong. a random squeek will not be easy to diagnose on an internet forum.