gridstd4

New Member
Hi all,

Well problems strike again, alternator belt snapped off yesterday.
Have been recovered to home address, and now lookign for a local garage to do it for a good price.

I have been recommended one place by the recovery guy.

However, how much should it cost to actually put a new belt on?

Thanks
 
think I paid under £200 parts and labour, think it was a bit of a mare for access. I've had a look for the invoice but can't find it as the accounts have gone off for end of year
 
easy to fix jack up on off side front take wheel off the take the plastic protector of that covers the belts ect. then you need a large spanner i think 25 mm not sure though as it has been a long time you need to find out how the belt fits if need be I can send photo the thred belt on then put spanner onto automatic adjuster and pull down na put belt on to adjuster and you are done cost of belt about £20 taking all this into account i gather it is a td4 mine also as air con
 
If its this one doesn't look too drastic
 

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Assuming we are talking TD4 (can't see it specified anywhere) then it is an easy DIY job but as already stated, the aircon belt sits behind it so while you are there do that at the same time. Did both the belts on my wife's TD4 the other day and with the wheel off and the panel removed it was quite easy, just make sure you use the correct sized spanner on the tensioner to avoid rounding it off.

With regards to the quote of £200, someone is really taking the micky but unless you check how are you to know?
 
£200 is a ****-take.

Yep, Hippo's pic shows the serpentine belt that needs replacing in your case. I paid £20 for a belt and it's a 24mm spanner needed to move the tensioner. Access is awful, but you can do it with a bit of patience and a LOT of brute force :)

You'll need to remove the splash shield from the wheelarch as well as the underbelly pan. No jacking up required, unless you want to...

As others have said, it's worth doing the A/C belt too as a) you need to remove the serpentine belt to do this one, and b) it's a job where you WILL invent new swear words, so you won't want to be doing it to often :D
 
Like they say its an easy DIY job
Do both belts while you are at it
just remember to use a axel stand no groveling around with only the original jack as a lone support
 
Ming Tip. . . . . .when you pull spanner down [on tensioner] to put new belt on . . . . .get some large mole grips to hold spanner in tension by griping on sub frame to hold spanner in position, so you can slip belt over last bit . . . . .makes it so much easy er . . . . . . . :)
 
thanks all for your information. I was a bit strapped for time, so its gone into a local garage.
I was called yesterday and it appears a pulley or something that should have been attached to the alternator has sheared off and was sitting on the underbelly shield. when they took that off it almost smacked the head of the mechanic.

Dreading what else needs doing now.
 
That's frightening figures for what is a very inexpensive part. I'm having problems with my Freelander Sport. The battery light came on the other day, all seems fine but I went to Halfords in Ormskirk last night and to be fair to the lads they spent a fair amount of time and effort (2 of them) checking the battery.
All seems ok so they guessed it might be the alternator belt and recommended I take it to a garage. I did and an "off the top of my head it'll cost you £100 - £150 mate" was the quote I was given.
Anyone know a garage locally worth talking to?
Deelander
 
I have an invoice that came with my car for a new belt fitted it cost £220 which I thought was excessive when I saw it.
 
think I paid under £200 parts and labour, think it was a bit of a mare for access. I've had a look for the invoice but can't find it as the accounts have gone off for end of year

£200 for a fen belt fit bloody rip off. the belts costs around £14-18 no need to remove wheel should be no more then a 30min job provided there is nothing else damaged therefore it should not cost you more than £25 to fit total cost should max £50. If you live in or around Penzance give me a PM and I will fit it for you. Bloody some garages only see pound signs and give independent people like me a F***** bad name.
 
£200 for a fen belt fit bloody rip off. the belts costs around £14-18 no need to remove wheel should be no more then a 30min job provided there is nothing else damaged therefore it should not cost you more than £25 to fit total cost should max £50. If you live in or around Penzance give me a PM and I will fit it for you. Bloody some garages only see pound signs and give independent people like me a F***** bad name.
what he said
 
We'll mine went on me today :( lucky I was near garage who had them in stock cost me 25 pound and fitted it in about 30 mins on a car park with help of a friend but, I find it stupid how garages have charged 200 for some people for a easy fix all you need is 24 mm spanner and a Stanley knife or something to cut the old belt of with, I didn't even take off the side plate just moved it out the way was a bit of a pain, but with a bit of persistence and a diagram of how it goes on was easy!
 

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