auxiliary belt

wijcc · 24 Jun 2009 at 11:55

What is the auxiliary belt, is it the same as the drive belt?
Thanks in advance guys

mjt · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:01

it can be called an aux drive belt, aka fan belt

aux belt drives the A/C, power steering..

Janesy B · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:06

If your new Focus needs it doing and it's the Zetec-SE engine (1.4 or 1.6) then it's an easy job and you can do it yourself for less than £20...

wijcc · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:07

so different from the drive belt?

Conscript · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:08

Janesy B said:
If your new Focus needs it doing and it's the Zetec-SE engine (1.4 or 1.6) then it's an easy job and you can do it yourself for less than £20...

You're a liar.

Janesy B · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:08

Yep

Conscript said:
You're a liar.

Excuse me but I am not

Belt was £16, jack up front end, remove drivers side wheel, remove shield, release tensioner with ring spanner, pull old belt off and route new belt. Simples. If I can do it, anyone can. Granted it was on my Fiesta but it's the same engine and on inspection of my Dad's Focus it looks as easy.

Janesy B · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:10

Double post of fail

Conscript · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:13

Janesy B said:
Excuse me but I am not Belt was £16, jack up front end, remove drivers side wheel, remove shield, release tensioner with ring spanner, pull old belt off and route new belt. Simples. If I can do it, anyone can. Granted it was on my Fiesta but it's the same engine and on inspection of my Dad's Focus it looks as easy.

Just a jest fella

I did the aux belt on my Focus about six months ago. Technically it's easy, and not complicated, but the spring in the tensioner is incredibly strong; It took me ages lying underneath the car with one hand using a spanner trying to slacken off the tensioner while the other hand tried to loop the belt over the pulleys. I was absolutely exhausted by the time I'd done and the air was blue. And Im looking forward to having to do it again soon, due to a whining noise which I think is one of the pulley bearings :mad:

If you can, get someone to help.

Oh, and my belt was 99p on the bay so yeah, it's cheap at least

wijcc · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:15

i have been on the eurocar parts website and I can only find the timing and drive belt?
The drive belt is £8.86 and the timing belt kit is £34.44

Janesy B · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:16

Yeah, the tensioner did try it's best to break my wrist

I got someone to help me remove the belt and feed the new one to me, just remember to take the ring spanner off before starting the engine

What engine does your Focus have wijcc?

Conscript · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:17

Janesy B said:
...just remember to take the ring spanner off before starting the engine

You sound like a man who made that mistake. Also, make sure the ring spanner doesn't slip while under tension. I did that, and after an extremely loud 'TWANG!' found the spanner again lying in next doors front garden

Janesy B · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:19

Haha no, I nearly did but I made sure to check

wijcc · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:19

a 1.6 Zetec SE (FYDA)

Conscript · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:19

wijcc said:
i have been on the eurocar parts website and I can only find the timing and drive belt?
The drive belt is £8.86 and the timing belt kit is £34.44

It's the drive belt you need. You will often find it referred to as the drive belt, the auxiliary belt, fan belt or in some American literature, the serpentine belt. They are all essentially the same thing, a belt which drives all the ancillary components such as water pump, air conditioning and alternator.

The timing belt (or, cambelt) is different. It drives the engine cams, and is much more complicated to replace.

Conscript · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:27

wijcc said:
a 1.6 Zetec SE (FYDA)

This is the kind of thing you need, depending on whether the car has air conditioning.

And here is a decent how-to guide on replacing it, from an American site. The diagram is actually from a 2-litre variant, but it gives you an idea of what you're working with.

wijcc · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:43

Conscript said:
It's the drive belt you need. You will often find it referred to as the drive belt, the auxiliary belt, fan belt or in some American literature, the serpentine belt. They are all essentially the same thing, a belt which drives all the ancillary components such as water pump, air conditioning and alternator.

The timing belt (or, cambelt) is different. It drives the engine cams, and is much more complicated to replace.

sweet thanks mate

cotton_flex · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:45

To add, is this the same as the 'alternator' belt or is that something else as well?

Conscript · 24 Jun 2009 at 12:47

cotton_flex said:
To add, is this the same as the 'alternator' belt or is that something else as well?

On this engine, yup, its the same thing. The belt drives the water pump, the air conditioning compressor, the power steering pump, and the alternator.

dalin80 · 24 Jun 2009 at 13:19

pray it isnt a stretchy belt.

wijcc · 25 Jun 2009 at 22:28

another question, when you guys change the timing belt do you just change the timing belt or use a timing belt kit and change the pullies etc too?