Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:27:22 -0400 From: Fred W <Malt_Houndnospamm-me-not*yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Smoking Auxiliary belt (fan belt / serpentine belt)
Everett M. Greene wrote: > Fred W <Malt_Houndnospamm-me-not*yahoo.com> writes: > >>Everett M. Greene wrote: >> >>>NW Fungi <tbissonnospamfier.com> writes: >>> >>>>Fred W wrote: >>>> >>>>>Drew wrote: >>> >>>>>>On a long trip at high speed, once I slowed down I noticed a burning >>>>>>smell from the engine compartment (of my 1997 Saab 900s 2.0i, 160K >>>>>>miles). I opened the bonnet and there was a small amount of smoke >>>>>>coming from the belt (the one that drives the oil, power steering, and >>>>>>AC pumps). The belt seems in good condition though it looks a little >>>>>>"shiny" on the outside face. The inside, ridged, face looks just >>>>>>fine. A mechanic said it was likely to be the tensioner pulley >>>>>>bearings seizing up rather than the belt its self giving up. Sounds >>>>>>like an OK reason to me. Checking the Haynes manual it says the belt >>>>>>should be changed every 15K miles or so - I missed that one along the >>>>>>way. Mine hasn't been done in something like 80K miles. How >>>>>>difficult and expensive is it to replace the pulley bearings and belt >>>>>>do you think? There is a bit of a squeal developing now.) >>>>> >>>>>Quite easy. The worst part is getting access to everything which >>>>>requires removing the right front wheel well liner. I would definitely >>>>>replace the pulleys and the belt. >>>> >>>>I agree, I have a 96 900s and the idler pully froze and caused alot of >>>>smoke, and tore the belt all to %&%%$$%$%! It is easy enuff to fix, but >>>>as Fred said, you do have to pull the right front wheel well liner. >>> >>>I have a 1985 900 which destroyed a belt in the middle >>>of nowhere in Montana prior to 1989. I replaced the belts >>>at the time of the incident and haven't thought about them >>>or done anything about them since. Do they really need to >>>be replaced every 15K miles? >> >>3 things: >> >>1) an 85 C900 is a different animal from a NG900. Did any C900 > > > [Did what?] Sorry. My reply became truncated somehow. I meant to say "Did any C900 even come with serpentine belts?" > > I failed to notice that the OP said NG900. > > >>2) I would replace the belts every 30k miles and check it every 15k per >>the SAAB recomendations / schedule. >> >>3) I would replace the idler and tensioner pulleys at every second belt >>change since the wheel well liner is already off. > > > Off for what? Off to change the belt. It's a serious PITA to attempt to change the belt with the liner still on. I know that it *can* be done. But it will probably be faster to just bite the bullet and pull off the liner. -- -Fred W
