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My new ride that I bought on Saturday, (2.0 HDi) has a constant squeak when the engine is running, and I'm assuming it's one of the pulleys. Even when the engine is warm, it's still there.

Any ideas peeps?

Might be needing a new Aux belt?

Timing belt tensioner pulley possibly?

Removing the aux belt and running the engine will narrow it down to one or the other. Could be tensioner, pulley or a knackered belt.

as captain jack has suggested take off the aux belt and start the car , if the noise has gone it's one of the tensioners/pulleys ,with the belt of you should be able to feel any roughness if it's one of the pulleys.
check the crank pulley for metal fillings if there are any it will be knackered and will need changing asap.
i've got a squeaking on mine which doesn't go away with the belt of which is the dual mass flywheel squeaking.

Talking to a guy at work tonight, and he said to find out if it's the aux belt, sprinkle it with talcum powder while it's turning, and if it stops squealing, voila, the culprit has been found.

That's a new one on me, but it sounds like the squeak is at the top of the engine, so I may try it tomorrow.

Quinny wrote:Talking to a guy at work tonight, and he said to find out if it's the aux belt, sprinkle it with talcum powder while it's turning, and if it stops squealing, voila, the culprit has been found.

That's a new one on me, but it sounds like the squeak is at the top of the engine, so I may try it tomorrow.

Or squirt WD40 on it.

I had a noise on my aux belt a few weeks ago, turned out to be the edge of the belt fraying and the loose bits causing the squeak, when I took the belt off the tensioner pulley was badly worn and so was the idler pulley.

Gobsmacked.

Tried the talcum powder trick 5 minutes ago, and no squeak.

Hope the wife doesn't find out though, as I used her Fenjal at about £5 a tin!!!!!

So it looks like a new aux belt is required.

Is there a how to somewhere?

Very easy... here's the video of our resident FarmerPug. You don't need to remove the wheel or the wheel arch but it makes access easier. 2:44 is your relevant section.

Many thanks CJ.

Looks easy enough.

While you've got the belt off give all the pulleys a spin and the PAS pump, alternator and air-con compressor. You can usually feel when a bearing is getting rough by spinning them and it's the perfect opportunity.

Couple of further questions on this.

What size is the allen key that is used to loosen the eccentric pulley?

Do you need to adjust the eccentric pulley, and if so, is it AFTER freeing the belt tension roller and the holding allen key/bolt? (I read of other people just putting a belt on and not altering the eccentric pulley, and letting the tension roller take up the slack with no ill effects afterwards.)

Belt done, and squeak squeak no more.

I'll post pics tomorrow, along with the replacement intercooler.

Just off to pick up something, and then off to bed for the road rally around East Yorkshire tonight.

So as per the instruction video on Youtube from CJ, I whip the old belt off in about 10 minutes, the hardest part being the locating of the allen key in the hole on the auto tensioner, and the belt drops off lovely, Didn't take the wheel off, nor the wheel arch liner, and only one of the bolts in the ecu box would come off, so I'm thinking this is going to be a pig, but it was oh so easy. Then a phone call to my local motor factors on Saturday morning, and he's got a belt in. 15 minutes later, and I'm on my way back home. Lovely.

A pot of tea with my neighbour, (Well there's no point in rushing, is there?) and I'm threading the belt around the pulleys. Once done, it's the turn of the eccentric pulley to be adjusted, and the tensioner released, and ecu back in it's box, and we're done. Probably a total of around 30-45 minutes. Fired up the Quattro, well, the 406 but it sounds better, and peace and harmony have been returned to 406 city. Result, and all for the cost of £14.30.

Piccies time: