God Knows Whats Wrong

[Wire_VTS]

I have a 52 Plate VTS with 59k miles on clock. Just took in for 5th year service last Thursday. On the Tuesday of that week it started making a funny squealing noise from the front. Anyway, due for service i had the Cam Belt and Kit Replaced, Fan Belt and Water Pumop done. Anyway, get the car back and it was still making this noise. They said it could be the cams themselves or could be the alternator. £450 down for the service and MOT.

Yesterday the noise its been making just stopped. Strange..... Latter on last night battery light started flashing....and momentary losses of power steering. Stereo and heaters workign fine.

Decide to take car back to garage this morning, on way there i have even less power steering, as i approached the garage, i had abs lights staying on, battery light going on and off....airbag lights staying on, stereo going on and off, heaters going on and off. Arrived at garage and called them over as i had pre rung them. They said give me two mins and i'll be with you, i just said i am not turning car off as it wont start again. So i am waiting with car, 30 secs before mechanic gets there the car dies......he brings out power packs to jump start the car....eventually starts whilst pulling the throttle, then dies....car wont run!

They have said leave the car with them which i have.....if the car was running the car should not have died even if the alternator had gone.....which leads me to believe there is something more sinister wrong....anyone got any ideas....a very worried VTS owner here....

[craig-d]

sounds like alternator i had a ford escort a few years ago that did this to me and i fitted a new alternator and it fine

[Jake86]

It does sound like it's the alternator at fault here... if the alternator's faulty then the car will die, even if it's running. Was the squeeling noise like a loose belt kind of noise? The aux drive belt might be loose and causing the alternator not to charge the battery. Good luck with it anyway mate!:A:

[gd16]

They have said leave the car with them which i have.....if the car was running the car should not have died even if the alternator had gone

Load of crap. All the battery on a car does is help start it - when it's running everything is powered off of the alternator. If the alternator packs in - then everything is run off of the battery, and since the alternator isn't working - the battery has no way of charging, so it just drains the battery until it dies. And if you've driven for a bit with the car running purely off the battery then it'll be dead - hence unable to start the car. Jump starting it with the power pack will give it the power to start, but nothing for the car to power off of (dead alternator and now probably dead battery) - so dies again.

New battery, new alternator (or possibly loose wires or similar)

[stevo67]

New Alternator the sqeeling noise could ave been the bearings in the alternator
an old car of mine did this before the alternator finally packed up.

Steve.

[mickoo]

sounds like the bearing in the alternator like stevo said usualy go if the alternator belt is to tight so there is strain on the bearing dont think you can get replacebent bearings for them ether :S might be wrong

[Wire_VTS]

Rang the garage last night before they shut, its been up on the ramps and found that its the crank shaft pulley. Apparently shattered and bound together by rubber.

Dont know what this does or where situated. New one ordered from Citroen yesterday at a cost of £100 for part. Hopefully be fitted today and back on road tomorrow.... :P

[RCD-Performance]

Load of crap. All the battery on a car does is help start it - when it's running everything is powered off of the alternator. If the alternator packs in - then everything is run off of the battery, and since the alternator isn't working - the battery has no way of charging, so it just drains the battery until it dies. And if you've driven for a bit with the car running purely off the battery then it'll be dead - hence unable to start the car. Jump starting it with the power pack will give it the power to start, but nothing for the car to power off of (dead alternator and now probably dead battery) - so dies again.

New battery, new alternator (or possibly loose wires or similar)

I tend to agree, ALTHOUGH we ran our demo car for around an hour with no alternator belt (as our supplier sent the wrong one) adn the battery was still throwing out 12.2 volts, so half full.

[craig-d]

Rang the garage last night before they shut, its been up on the ramps and found that its the crank shaft pulley. Apparently shattered and bound together by rubber.

Dont know what this does or where situated. New one ordered from Citroen yesterday at a cost of £100 for part. Hopefully be fitted today and back on road tomorrow.... :P

they should have noticed this when doing the cam belt seeing has you take the crank pulley off to change the cam belt plus they make a chattering noise when they go not a squealing noise although it could have put strain on the alternater so thats probably why it was squealing . the pulley goes on the crankshaft after the cambelt is fitted so its the wheel looking thing at the bottom of the engine at the drivers side that runs the alternater belt

[Wire_VTS]

Thanks for that....hopefully if Citroen can get parts across to them today can be done and back on road for weekend...

It is strange that it wasnt picked up when they replaced the cam belt....didnt know they'd need to take it off to do it....

[craig-d]

there ia a timing pinion which the cambelt sits on for the timing and this sits behind the crank pulley

[Wire_VTS]

Just had phone call.... all fixed 146 all in for this. Dont know how good or bad price is but i am just glad i can get my car back at dinner time!

[craig-d]

the part retails at £99 plus v.a.t so thats not a bad price for a main dealer but if i was you i would ask for discount for the inconvenience becase they should have picked this up when doing the cambelt