156 drive belt - where to buy?

[L4OMEO]

Hi all

Need to replace the drive belt on my 156 2.5 V6 - any recommendations on the cheapest place to source these? Are they interchangeable with other models? How much labour is involved in the work? I'm not doing it, just keeping the mechanic honest ...

Any advice welcome.

Cheers
Rory

[L4OMEO]

Nope, cambelt was done couple of months back - the part which allegedly needs replacing is what the mechanic referred to as the 'drive belt'. Is this a separate belt for ancillaries? 'Scuse my ignorance, I'm no mechanic and new to the V6 (the 24V version anyway).

The mechanic also said the coolant needed replacing, which is slightly surprising since it was replaced when a new waterpump was installed a few weeks back, hence my suspicion. No, this is not my choice of mechanic, but if I want the warranty honoured then a 6-month 'service' is obligatory. I would choose to have all proper work done elsewhere.

I'm about to have a big argument with these guys in the morning so any feedback to make me better informed before then would be appreciated.

Thanks
Rory

[dehne]

there are 3 belts cam belt and 2 accessory belts 1 accessory belt runs altenator air con this is a diy belt the other is on the inner cover if it is anything like the 2.0 ltr they are about 250 this mech sounds very dodge would avoid him at all cost the other option is dont get him to replace it or get a quote from him and others

[Jekyll and Hyde]

there are 3 belts cam belt and 2 accessory belts 1 accessory belt runs altenator air con this is a diy belt the other is on the inner cover if it is anything like the 2.0 ltr they are about 250 this mech sounds very dodge would avoid him at all cost the other option is dont get him to replace it or get a quote from him and others

On the twinspark there are 3 belts, but there are 2 that count as cambelts (one is for the balance shaft, which is supposed to cancel out the vibrations from the pistons going up and down) and one accessory belt (alternator, p/s etc).  Incidentally, the balance shaft belt is often the first to fail in a twinspark, and it then gets caught between the main cambelt and the gears and causes the main belt to slip.

V6's however only have one cambelt and one accessory belt.

[L4OMEO]

Hi guys

Appreciate your feedback.

No, these guys won't be doing anything more to my car than the absolute minimum to sustain the warranty. If I think they're likely to do more harm than good then I'll sacrifice the warranty and be done with them, but if I can get the 3 years of coverage that came with the car then I'll try and do aso. Since the initial sale they have already paid for replacing the cambelt, waterpump and aircon (all jobs beyond their level of expertise, so all work done at Alfa Brisbane), so I guess that'll learn a Holden dealer for selling Alfas 

It sounds like the accessory belt they're referring to, and I have to admit there has been a high-pitched whine from the engine bay which has developed just over the few days prior to the service which may lend credence to their claims of a fraying belt - have heard a similar sound before and a belt was the culprit on that occasion. As I said, it's my lack of experience with the V6 that's encouraged me to ask for opinions from this group, so thanks to you both for your advice, let you know the outcome.

Cheers
Rory

[L4OMEO]

 

I suspect these guys are sick of me being strong - have lodged two complaints with the Office of Fair Trading against the branch of this chain where I originally bought the car (the servicing required by the warranty is now being done at another branch), might post a story on the comedy of errors I've had once these actions have been concluded. Total fiasco.

The drive/accessory belt is $175 installed, which probably isn't too bad. Will see what the full damage is at the end of the day (hopefully it's just financial!)

[L4OMEO]

Credit where it's due - service was performed correctly, a few repairs carried out well, reasonable price for parts and labour. They even made some attempt at washing it, but someone should tell them if you're going to wash a black car it really needs to be done properly or don't bother. Still won't be using them to take care of it but if they can do the basic stuff required by the warranty conditions then I can live with that.

Whine has gone so must have been the accessory belt. Fuelled, oiled, fluided ... all the ingredients for a good weekend of backroad thrashing 

Pity my wife's taking it out of town for her own road trip then 

[John Hanslow]

Try the Qld car Club sposors. I can vouch for Alfamotive who have a post with contact details.

Go with a Alfa Specialists and save money.

Regards.

[L4OMEO]

Naturally I'd prefer to use an Afa specialist, the problem is that it's a condition of the 3-year dealer's warranty that I have 6-monthly services performed by one of their dealerships. I am definitely not using them by choice, and will use an Alfa specialist for any additional work that's required. Unfortunately Alfamotive are a long way from me so they're not a viable option, but I will find an alternative on the North side when there's a need to do so. Hopefully that's not for a while 

Rory

[Jamie alfa]

Could try this guy for parts http://www.aresespares.com.au/

[L4OMEO]

Thanks for that, haven't used them before but have checked their website.

If I know what work needs to be done then I will usually source the parts I need in advance (scheduling a cambelt change is a prime example), but when the mechanic calls to say other bits need replacing there are time constraints in shopping around (particularly interstate). As it turned out this time, the dealer sourced a belt at a reasonable cost so I was happy enough.

Cheers
Rory