Serpentine Belt/fan Belt

[ValleysC4]

Driving home from work and started getting a tapping or knocking noise coming from under bonnet, i know I have an oil leak slightly so i thought i was low on oil. Well looks like now the belt is just about to snap it has started to snag. How mich are they to buy and is it an easy job for mechanic??

[paul.h]

There are a few different part numbers for the alternator drive belt so you need to use your car VIN to get the right one. As well as the belt the tensioner (if you have air con) and crank shaft pulley need to be checked since they can also need replacing. I replaced this belt on our C3 last year and the belt was £30 from Citroen. For the C4 the procedure is similar to the C3. The C3 has air conditioning so it was easy to fit, just needing the tensioner to be pivoted and locked in the off position (as well as the drive roller for the water pump since it is a 1.4 vti engine) so the belt could be removed and replaced. If your car does not have air con the tension is adjusted by adjusting a bolt on the alternator after slackening the alternator pivot bolts. The procedures for your car suggest the driver's side front wheel and wheel arch liner should be removed, I had to do this but did it at the same time as cleaning the front brakes so was not too much more effort. The book time to replace the belt is about 30 minutes.

 

I have put your car details from an earlier topic as your signature to save you needing to mention it every time you start a new topic.

[ValleysC4]

Thanks for reply. Im going to try get it towed back to my house after work tonight. I dont want to deive it incase it snaps right through . Ive had a quite from a moblile mechanic to come out to my house and do it £58 all in. That reasonable isnt it?

[paul.h]

Could the mechanic fit the belt where the car is now ?

[ValleysC4]

Its at a layby at moment. Im a lorry driver so wont get back to my car till about 5.30. Could be worth phoning them up now i suppose .

[ValleysC4]

All done! He met me there and job done in under ten minutes so happy days and car is home. Only bad news is I asked about oil leak and he said it looks like the head gasket seal(common apparently)he said doesnt need to be done urgently just keep eye on oil level but he reckons £4-500 estimate to do! Ouch!

[paul.h]

Brilliant outcome.

 

The head gasket has a rubber seal in it for the oil way and these perish and leak oil out. As recommended you can probably live with it as long as it is slight and does not leak into the coolant or reduce the oil pressure so the engine becomes noisy.