Snapped serpentine belt
 

2008 V8, 112,000 miles.

Just been AA relayed as the serpentine belt went as I accelerated on the dual carriageway, sounded like bits coming off, loss of power steering and charging etc. Stopped asap.

So needs a new belt, (and presumably some other auxilliary parts at the same time?).

AA said suprised as the belts rarely disintigrate like that (bit of a mess), so just wondering if I need to worry about anythig else, or do you think this should just be a straightforward belt replacement, can it cause other damage I need to look for?

Thanks.

Similar happened to mine, probably need a new tensioner pulley. My belt snapped had it replaced and 6 months later it went again. They first thought it was the cover tubing in the belt but then realised it was the tensioner pulley. I had mine serviced at the same time and the total bill was around £400 including the service, the belt, pulley and a new cover.

A few years ago a repaired a 2008 V70 D5 which had snapped it's aux belt 3 (THREE!) times - each time taking the cambelt out. It first went at 108k just a few thousand after the cambelt service, the owner had the head replaced and spent £££. It went again at 120k-ish and this time the head had the hydraulic lifter sockets welded. It went again at 133k and the owner gave up.

I fitted a second hand head and replaced every pulley - crankshaft, tensioner, alternator etc. I sold the car straight away and I know it to be going strong still with over 170k on it (and no more belts).

The point is I've heard of more than one story where aux belts have disintegrated more than once on one engine. Check if the alternator overrun pulley has siezed (assuming the V8 has one)?

Do you get any warning if the alternator pulley or belt tensioner are on the way out?

There was an odd noise from the engine bay this week (I thought it sounded like the timing chain). So booked it in to garage, but this hapened the night before it was due to go in to be checked out.

Once we pulled off the broken belt, the battery charge warning light came on, and a message about the charging system (or similr, as I don't have the car here now).

Upon purchasing a used Volvo, always remove the serpentine belt and inspect all pulleys by hand. Don't wait for problems to happen, this is a 10 minutes check. The alternator one also needs be inspected at the clutch https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Pzmj0jxfw

If parts have been replaced just before the purchase, look carefuly for the brands used and replace any low cost brand with a quality part.

This is even more critical on the D5 engine, just like in the story above. Without exception, a failed serpentine belt on a D5 engine means the end of the engine.

One of the pulleys had disinterated, this was replaced along with the (Volvo) tensioner and of course a new belt. I'm not sure which went first, the belt (therby wrecking the pulley) or the pulley – leading to a tangled belt.
All sorted now though.