C4 HDi HEADACHES (A short BLOG)

[KP]

Probably low demand for them due to the turbos being more popular with the injectors as well....

[Citroenmad]

They don't look at all healty Paul, was it not having running problems for a while before?

All this 'fun' with moderns just makes me want to hold on to the Xantias and XMs as long as possible...

Doesn't it just ... this and the annoyance of other complexity items (DMF failure on my 25K mile C5 ... how that bugs me!!) and so on. Its why my chosen cars are getting ever older

[citroenxm]

Just to wrap this up and close it,

Finished the car Monday. It started on the key again after a week of standing. Had to remove the exhaust Cat Down pipe to get at the lower altinator bolt. However, the good news is afore citroens of old the down pipe is a doddle to remove and refit..

Altinator swapped, and theres NO Altinator belt tensioner!!! REALLY there ISNT!

So, how is it tensioned! Well, it looks like it uses a new formula of what appears to be described as a "Stretch Belt"!!

This is - a 6pk belt, purposly shorter then it should be, tenioned by swinging the altinator into place, but needing to FORCE the altinator into alinement position to get the bolts in... Apparently theres a "Proper"tool for dooing it, mine was useing a long bar, screwing in a bolt into a vacant bolt hole in the altinator bracket..

What this does then is effectatly OVER tightens the belt, but because its called a stretch belt, is designed for all this. This deletes the need for any tensioner pullys auto or manual!!

Car all finished and awaiting MOT. I completely forgot to document this "Stretch Belt" with the altinator setup!

[CitroJim]

Excellent Paul Those stretch belts sound like fun but think of the advantages - no tensioners to give problems!!!

No doubt new problems will arise with them though How long dot hey last before they loose their stretch and need changing I wonder and what happens when they do loose it. Do they just fly off and wreck the cambelt in the process?

[KP]

I'd be more worried about how much strain they put on pulley bearings and how much they can flap about really as they can over stretch and under stretch and are likely to not last as long due to temp variations in this country more than the older solid size belts...

[RichardW]

So it was injectors in the end then - did you fit a replacement set?

Those stretch belts sound like fun but think of the advantages - no tensioners to give problems!!!

No doubt new problems will arise with them though

Lighty posted about trouble he had with one - turned the engine (1.6 HDi 16V) back a bit trying to refit it after a cambelt, and that threw the chain off the exhaust cam, which caused all sorts of mayhem. There's a post about it somewhere.

[CitroJim]

Ahh, so the inlet cam is belt driven as per normal and the exhaust driven by a short chain off the inlet cam then?

Makes sense and saves an awful lot on vernier pulleys and multiple jockeys as needed for a conventional twin cam drive...

Technically it should make is easier (and cheaper) to replace the belt. What's the chain life?

[RichardW]

No change interval specified for the chain AFAIK - but they do have a bit of a habit of stretching and then chewing their way through the cam carrier.... the removal of which requires the removal of the injectors - which can turn into a world of pain! Lighty had to get someone with a hydraulic puller to get the ones out on the car in question(*) - Paul was lucky his came out easily! Link to the thread: http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=40166" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

* god, I really am a sad git - that thread was nearly 18 months ago, yet I can recall it almost word for word. As to what SWMBO said to me 10 minutes ago......

[CitroJim]

Richard, you're the forum's search engine A human Google. We can't do without you!

Interesting on what the chain does when it stretches. One problem replaced with another then. As it ever was

[KP]

Strange that other manufacturers get away with it though.
My m57 diesel variant has a total chain driven system and I've only heard of the 1 failure which is possibly down to poor servicing in the past. Another reason 5-6k oil services are needed on any diesel