Auto tensioner lasts how long?

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JohnCKL
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Auto tensioner lasts how long?

Post by JohnCKL »

Seems it lasts only 1-2 years in tropical weather or is the auxiliary belt adjusted too tight? How often do you guys have to change yours when it start knocking into the timing belt cover? Its not cheap either, about 70 pounds or so.
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np
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Post by np »

I had mine changed on my just sold Xantia TD in December 2002 when it started to go.It was still fine when i sold the car a few weeks ago.So its lasted nearly 4 yrs & about 45K miles. :)
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Post by JohnCKL »

It seems to be dependant on the climate. Probably heat and moisture did it in earlier.
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Post by 8304 »

do you get through alternators and cam belt tensioners and other parts with bearings in faster or is it just the tensioner. Perhaps it was just a dodgy one???
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Post by Stewart(oily) »

Mines noisy, the bottom run of the belt is flapping at tickover, mind you when I got the car (98 Xantia TD estate 176K miles) it had the wrong belt fitted which was waaay over tight, I procured alonger one and set the tension as a guess, it could be too tight? will it flap if its too tight?
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Post by f00lzz »

As posted elsewhere: If you purchase a belt from Halfrauds then it is definately the wrong size and will cause premature failure of belt and tensioner!!!!!!!!
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Post by davek-uk »

As far as I know both my aux belt tensioners (auto and eccentric) are original. There is just the start of play in them and I guess they'll be due for replacement at the next belt change. I have replace the cam belt ones though.

The aux drivebelt should be tight - far tighter than a normal 'fan belt'. Basically they should be set with the auto tensioner locked. The tension in the belt should be enough at this stage to be able to remove the lock on the auto tensioner. If your auto tensioner is as strong as mine, that's damn tight! There should be no flapping on the bottom run at all.
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JohnCKL
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Post by JohnCKL »

Alternators and other bearing parts seem fine, just the tensioner and its not just mine but most XTDs I've heard here in Malaysia. We have to buy the originals, there's no supply of copies here that I know of. The belt is locally made and at the correct length 1700. It could be the setting cos when I had a new tensioner and new belt fitted by my mech's apprentice, the belt only lasted 3 months as it was screeching every time the compressor came on. We found out it was worn into the grooves and the white nylon or whatever material inside the belt is exposed causing the screeching sound. Fixed in another new belt stopped the banshee screeching but now I set the belt at a lower tension. Just enough grip that even if rain water wet the belt, it won't slip at the compressor. I set the 13 screw at the adjuster just a quarter way up.
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x 31

Post by Stewart(oily) »

When I bought the car the belt was flapping and noisy, the length was 1736mm I attempted to lock the spring loaded tensioner a la Haynes, no way, everything was in the wrong place, I ended up removing the eccentric tensioner to get the belt off, it was way too tight to go back on (someone had previously damaged the plastic roller levering the too small belt on) a trip to my local factors got me a belt which is 1750mm long, this can be fitted without resort to the dunlop tyre levers but still flaps on the bottom run at low rpms, it flaps less with the A/C on probably due to load, I am thinking of trying a belt of 1745mm to see if it will be any better, does anyone know what length the standard belt should be on a 1998 Xantia TD with the eccentric tensioner?
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Post by jeremy »

Stewart - have a look at the Quinton Hazell catalogue - I think the belt dimensions are coded in their number - QA - R(ibbed)6(number of ribs)1360(length in mm)

http://www2.qha.com/catalogues/QH02.pdf
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x 31

Post by Stewart(oily) »

Thanks Jeremy, from the look of that I need a 1738, that might stop the racket.
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Post by jeremy »

1738 bears a remarkable resemblance to what you started with!
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x 31

Post by Stewart(oily) »

Yes and that was too tight to be fitted, I may try to source a 1740 one and see what happens, failing that I could turn the tickover up to 1500 RPM :evil:
Stewart
BXs since 1993 built 1.9 TZD turbo, got a S2 Xantia estate, brilliant car! 2013, Xantia HDI LX 110 2000 new car with 122,000, l C2 HDI Rusty rocket, C3 Picasso HDI new to me.
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Post by f00lzz »

The belt obtainable from Halfrauds is 1700mm and is too tight.. the correct belt depends on the make of AC compressor.. Two types, one requires a belt of 1735mm and the other I believe is 1745mm. If you ask at your Citroen Stealer or better still your local GSF branch they will easily confirm this for you.... better safe than sorry.
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1997 Xantia 3.0 Exclusive
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davek-uk
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Post by davek-uk »

The belt I had on mine when I brought it was 1740mm. I replaced it with a 1725mm and just last weekend with a 1740mm - both replacements from GSF. From the setting of my eccentric roller (at full distance) I'd say that 1740mm is about as big as you'd want to get.

The auto tensioner is a real sod to get to. I managed to fit a half inch rachet drive with a half inch to half inch adapter (much smaller than a bar) into it; but the spring is damn strong. I broke one of my older and cheaper rachets - I must get a square bar!

It was easier to do with the top mount off, as with the engine dropped a bit there is more room. Unfortunately after doing the cam belt and water pump (SPIT! Damn GSF cheap parts!) I had everything back together before I noticed the aux belt was too loose and had to readjust it with everything in place.
Pug Rifter long (20) - 41mpg - Gutsy for a 1.5!
Xantia 1.9 TD Temp.2 Break (97) - 208K@42mpg - Resting again.
Berlingo Multispace 1.6 16v (51) - 184K@36mpg - My shed! Still runs 15° retarded...
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