Help, help, help – pleeeeeeeeeese.

I have a 2004 Mondeo III 2.0 TDCi.

When I got the car there was a loud rumble coming from the engine which was identified as needing a new alternator fan belt tensioner which as I know is a very involved job requiring the skills of a mechanic.

So I went ahead and purchased a cheap pattern part from someone on Ebay. Unfortunately, after doing the job, the mechanic started the car and the belt came off right away. Serves me right for getting a cheap pattern part.

Never-the-less, I got on to the seller and he said to please try another one from them as they had not had problems with these parts before and perhaps this one might a manufacturing defect. So a few days later, the replacement arrived and the mechanic fitted it. He started the car and excellent, the belt stayed on. Perhaps the 1st one was faulty!

Unfortunately, 2 weeks later, the belt came off again – NOT GOOD.

This time, I got on to the seller and asked for my money back, which he did – Thank you.

This time, I decided to blow it and go for a proper Ford part. I purchased a complete tensioner kit from “Gates”

I got the mechanic to do the job again and everything turned out good. That was almost 3 months ago and been going really well.

HOWEVER, on Saturday I was on my way home from work and all of a sudden the charge light came on in my dash. I thought, no way, why? When I looked under the bonnet (hood for the Americans), confirmed, the belt has come off again. Why?

I spoke to my mechanic and he can’t understand why this is happening. I wish I’d kept the noisy one now. I only changed the thing because it was noisy.

Please, has anyone else experienced this kind of this and if so, perhaps give me some ideas. I'm losing the will to live here!!


Thanks in advance.

 

Bottom pulley worn?

 

Ok, so that is the only pulley that didn't come with the Gates kit and was therefore not changed. But if it is worn, why is it that the belt did not come off before, with the old rattly tensioner?

 

The belt rarely comes off which is strange, it just rattles and some have been really bad still witou belt coming off but you can see if vibrating when the pulley is worn

Its prob the bottom pulley and if you changed all others get it changes ASAP as you really should change all together as it will damage your new tension and pulleys if the bottom one is still badly worm.