Thread: TD6 Belt squeal when cold??

Hi TD6 gurus

I have a horrible screech from the front belt region only on cold start up for about 1 minute. But it only does it occasionally, estimate 1 in 10. It doesn't sound like a belt slip, it sounds a bit nasty.

Belts and everything belt driven is original 2004/195km.

What have others been finding?
Are the idlers worth replacing as well as the belt, are we seeing alternator/PS pump or AC bearing issues?
Will I be able to diagnose a bearing issue once the belts are removed by simple spinning everything?
Or could it be the harmonic balancer?

Many thanks.

OK - TD6 owners beware, apparently this is common and I can see why.

Belt squeal was the AC belt, as mentioned above the pulley arm seizes. My pulley was fine but the arm was seized solid meaning there wasn't enough tension on the belt - the tensioner spring couldn't move the pulley.

I snapped a 16mm socket trying to swing the tensioner pulley - first socket I've broken. Had to fabricate a tool out of some 100x6 flat bar I had. Amazing what will move with a 2 meter long lever. Once the belt was off I could remove the tensioner spring unit from the rear. Then the fun of removing the pulley arm from the AC compressor housing started.

Soaked everything in WD while I went for a replacement 16mm socket. Then with a long breaker bar very slowly moved it back and forth. After about 10mins I could use the standard breaker, then 10-15mins later could use a ring spanner and move it further around. By using a pinchbar on the back of the arm while moving it with the spanner it still wouldn't move.

Another 15mins and much WD I could move it by hand, still really tight but it now very slowly came out with the pinch bar while moving it back and forth.

All up a good 2 hrs to free the pulley arm from the housing.... Coat the new one with marine grease (blue stuff doesn't go hard with water) - 2 new belts - all solved. Surprise was the condition of the belts after 196km/11yrs, they still looked perfect.

So the next time you have the undertray off, put a 16mm socket on the AC tensioner and move it a few times to ensure the water that creeps in won't turn it to a solid mass.