Aux drive belt on C3 1.2 puretech - is it really that easy?

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Richard_C
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Aux drive belt on C3 1.2 puretech - is it really that easy?

Post by Richard_C »

2015 C3 1.2 puretech non turbo 35k miles

My daughter had her car serviced and there was an 'amber' on the health check saying the aux drive belt would need replacing soon. They wanted £117, so I concluded that there must be a lot of 'bits' to remove to get at it. She has now sent phone photos & video and there is some slight sign of wear, nothing urgent, and no noise from idler or pulley bearings. Loads of space, belt in plain view and from a you tube video it looks like I just need a 13mm 12pt socket to move the idler then swap the belt. She lives far far away and I will be doing the job in a parking space outside her flat so want to be sure I have all the right things with me next time I visit.

Is it really that easy? Looks too simple for anything modern .... even my '67 Hunter needed two spanners for the alternator bolt.
Richard_C

Current: , C4 Picasso 120 BlueHdi, C3 1.2 Auto
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Re: Aux drive belt on C3 1.2 puretech - is it really that easy?

Post by RichardW »

It looks to be... If it's got A/C then it's a spring tensioner, and there are marks on it to show the state of wear (presumably belt stretch):
c3 tensioner.JPG
If no A/C, then it's elastic, so you just cut the old one off, then use an appropriate fitting tool to wind the new one on. The belt is £37 from the dealer, but book time is only 0.3 hours so not sure where they get £117 from!! There is a second belt behind which drives the water pump, maybe it's this one - it's another £14, so the two together, plus an hour's labour might make up to £117. If this needs to be changed, again it's elastic, so cut the old one off, remove the aux belt tensioner, feed the belt behind the crank pulley, then wind it on the WP pulley, again using a suitable tool.
Richard W
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Re: Aux drive belt on C3 1.2 puretech - is it really that easy?

Post by doctle »

I bought the tool to remove/fit a stretch belt. Probably a good investment

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STR2-2pc-Str ... 3f600749e1
Oh buggle
Richard_C
(Donor 2016)
Posts: 535
Joined: 15 Oct 2011, 17:31
Location: Cambridge, England
My Cars: C4 Picasso 1.6 Blue Hdi 120 Manual Excl+ 2016
C3 1.2 Puretech 110 Auto Flair 2017
x 99

Re: Aux drive belt on C3 1.2 puretech - is it really that easy?

Post by Richard_C »

Thanks both, it has AC. I hadn't spotted the water pump belt but photos have now been taken, looks OK but whilst 'in there' I will do both as the car lives so far from home. Tool might be useful, feeling nostalgic for V belts that were so inexpensive and simple you carried a spare in the boot anyway - or a universal spare which you cut to length and joined with a little metal lug thingy.

Hopefully the garage was quoting £117 for both belts, if it was just the main aux drive then they are not to be trusted.
Richard_C

Current: , C4 Picasso 120 BlueHdi, C3 1.2 Auto
Past Citroens: Dyane (x2), 2CV, Visa, BX (x2), Xantia, Xsara Picasso, C3 (x2) C5 X7 Tourer, Synergie 1.9TD, C1
Others: Hillman Hunter, Cortina Mk 1, Maxi, VW Type 2, Granada, SAAB 900, SAAB 9-5, R5 Gordini
doctle
Posts: 947
Joined: 16 Oct 2014, 12:17
Location: Meath Ireland
My Cars: 2008 Laguna 1.5 DCi
x 235

Re: Aux drive belt on C3 1.2 puretech - is it really that easy?

Post by doctle »

I had a Skoda with a stretch belt, i thought I could fit the belt with a putty knife, well I could but I nicked it somewhere and it quickly frayed apart. The plastic tool is fine for occasional use, metal tools are available but more expensive.
Oh buggle
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