V70: Engine Noisy belt when starting...?

[R111RWD]

Hello everyone

Just some quick advise please. When starting the car from cold, with air con on, there is a squeal from a belt. Turning the air con off stops the squeal.

The car had a new air con compressor, belt and re gas in April 2018 at 139k. Car is now on 149k.

Any ideas..? Will take it to the garage when time allows in a few weeks time, but surely it won’t need a new compressor again, or could it be something else?

Thanks :-)

[ferg55]

I'd check the aux belt and tensioner. I can't see why the A/C would cause the aux belt or it's tensioner to squeak, as it operates off its own stretch belt, but it's still worth a check as they commonly fail with severe consequences.

[R111RWD]

Originally Posted by ferg55

I'd check the aux belt and tensioner. I can't see why the A/C would cause the aux belt or it's tensioner to squeak, as it operates off its own stretch belt, but it's still worth a check as they commonly fail with severe consequences.

Thanks for this, I’ll get this checked.

It was replaced in 2015 at 120k along with cambelt, water pump etc. Would it need changing again already?

[Kev0607]

There's two aux belts... The main aux belt that powers your alternator etc that is held in place with the tensioner. The other belt is only for your air conditioning & doesn't have a tensioner.

The recommended aux belt replacement (Both belts) is every 5 years/54,000 miles (Whichever comes first). You had your aux belt & tensioner replaced in 2015 & another belt replaced in 2018. Which belt was replaced in 2018, presumably just the a/c one? Normally, the tensioner is only replaced as part of the timing belt service (10 years or 108k). However, I think its best to change the tensioner too with each set of aux belts (Two belts) every 5 years/54,000 miles for peace of mind, especially knowing its a weak point on these engines. The tensioner itself is a £60 part give or take, so replacing that every five years in addition to both belts isn't too much more of an expense.

Bring it to the garage & get the squeaking noise checked out as soon as possible... If one of these belts fail, it can cause serious engine damage that could cost a fortune in repairs. If the garage say the noise is coming from the aux belt or a/c belt, then get both replaced with a new tensioner for peace of mind... That would be my suggestion.