| Anyone got the part number for the water pump/alternator belt to fit a 89 Eunos? I got one from the local dealer but it looks way to short, I cant really check it without removing lots of bits as there is that much stuff in front of it! (2/01) |
| Hey there, I had this problem, thought it was never going to go, anyway: "B6S718381B-9F" Once you get round to installing it, it may seem as if you will never get it on. Trust me you will, it could take a while though, I had to lever mine on with a short flat bladed screwdriver. I lost lots of skin during that job :( (2/01) |
| Just drove 50 miles back from Montrose in dreadful conditions with all manner of problems. First, the wipers slow to a pathetic crawl - even on "fast". The blower seems to have stopped also. Pull over and switch everything off, gently rev. the engine and the rev counter is jerky and not "in time". Eventually it starts to respond as normal. Re-join traffic and crawl along, attempt to raise headlights and the rev counter goes ballistic - swinging right round the clock to the 6/7 o'clock position! We have no horn and the rev counter dips in time with the indicators. Crawl home on sidelights and the charging light starts to come on. At home, multimeter shows 11.1 at idle and 11.8 at 3,000rpm. Is this likely to be simply a slipping alternator belt? It's perished and seems to be "cooked".....but the tension seems o.k. Is it likely to be something more expensive and fiddly to get at? I already have a new belt (ahem) "waiting to go on" but am reluctant to start fiddling before I have an idea if that's all it needs. (2/01) |
| Not sure about what it is but it isn't too much of a job to change the alternator belt. As far as I know you'd hear it if it was slipping, mine started making a whooshy, whiny type noise (vague I know). Change it and see if that makes a difference (unlikely I imagine). (2/01) |
| Easy enough to test if the alternator is charging. With a fully charged battery check the voltage across the battery with a multimeter it should be around 12V. Now run the engine (with no blowers, radio lights etc.) and test again. Should be around 14V and finally test under load by running engine and switch everything on (all should still be around 14V). PS. If you haven't got a multimeter then you should consider buying one. There one of the most useful tools for car work. Halfords do a Gunson one for around 15 which dos temperatures as well as the usual stuff. (I know this as I dropped my last car specific one on new years day and broke it in lots of tiny pieces hence the new one). (2/01) |
| Hmm..it could be the belt, and it may be worth changing it to see if this cures the problem. But it sounds more serious - like a knackered alternator. New ones are hugely expensive - a scrapper should supply a working one at a reasonable price - but the best bet is to get the existing one rebuilt. Look in yellow pages - there are specialists about who will test it and rebuild. (2/01) |
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Normally I would say .. check the belt and then rebuild the alternator through your local auto electrical place .. but on these cars the battery is at the back.. and so there are a couple of earth straps .. so 1. Check volts on battery with engine off .. hope for around 12V 2. Check while running and hope for 13.8 V .. oh dear .. but then check for this voltage off the back of the alternator instead of at the battery.. 3. Check earth strap by the dip stick .. 4. or more likely .. check earth strap by diff under driver from PPF to body. 5. Check battery straps 6. Check alternator wiring... .. and then get a rebuild done on the alternator... (2/01) |
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Convinced my old 89 roadster had started to develope HLA clatter a few months back. Happened to be visiting a mechanic (to get a rear caliper at trade-ish price) and when I started the car he commented that I would need a new alternator belt soon. Now, I trust this guy to do stuff on my car that I would mess up (new clutch and body work) but responded that it was HLA clatter. So we popped the bonent and Pete produced a tin of WD40 and gave the alternator belt a bit of a blasting. Sure enough, the car went dead quiet. A few weeks later on and the noise has come back. Don't think I've heard of this mentioned on the list, so those of you with HLA clatter, try giving the alternator belt a quick blast of WD40 or belt dressing and if it goes away, then you only need to fork out for a new belt. (2/01) |
| I've had this clatter for months. Had assumed it was a noisy waterpump bearing; squirt of wd40 in the area of the water pump quietens things down. The belt itself looks fine. (2/01) |
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My alternator belt snapped coming back from Curborough - the AA replaced it and said it had failed through old age - it certainly looked that way - since then I've been having continuing problems... Specifically the new belt keeps going loose - and there's a squealing noise on start-up - but only at start-up from cold generally and not at other times. When the new belt went on the adjustment on the alternator was already beyond what was the point for the old one. It's now nearly on the limit of adjustment. And the belt looks to have worn... I thought at first that it was the adjustment on the alternator causing the belt to slacken but now I'm thinking the belt is rapidly wearing and thus loosening. Could the squeal on starting, which isn't always there but when it does occurs lasts for between 1 sec and 5 secs, suggest that either the alternator pulley or the water pump pulley is seizing? And thus forcing the belt to slip round it? If so how can I tell - if I take the belt off and rotate the pulleys by hand, how much resistance should I have on each? Is that a relatively easy maintenance item to resolve or does it mean a new pump/alternator? (7/01) |
| Either that or Mr AA put the wrong one on to start with. IIRC there was talk pf there being two belt sizes on the US list. I know the one I got was an absolute tw@t to get on because it was _that_ small. If he tried that one first without any luck then he may have gone for the biger one, which is now too big. Mine was on the lowest adjustment when fitted and hasn't moved from there yet. Just an option (don't want to doubt the AA man, but you never know) (7/01) |
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And the belt looks to have worn... Seems like the replacement belt is too long. suggest that either the alternator pulley or the water pump pulley is seizing? ... Possible, but not very probable. The squealing is probably due to extra load on the alternator which tries hard to recharge your battery after a cold start and due to a belt not tight enough. how much resistance should I have on each? ... VERY little. Is that a relatively easy maintenance item to resolve or does it mean a new pump/alternator? Depends on what the cause of the problem is. One thing to check is the lower alternator bolt which is rather often left loose after a change. (7/01) |
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A bit more info: The belt IS the correct one according to the book carried by the AA man. It listed a "900" as the correct one - he initially couldn't get this one so tried a "914", but that was clearly too big - eventually the original "900" one was fitted and it seemed fine for about 200 miles - the actual belt reference is Powertrain PCFB900. However I wasn't sure he was tightening the bolts correctly and this was one reason for buying the Veloce manual at Lulworth. I've subsequently tightened the bottom bolt to the torque given (27-38 lbf ft; I set it to 35) - which seems quite low, and the top one as tight as I can get it with a small 1/4" ratchet - since I can't get my 1/2" torque drive in there (should be a very low (?) 14-19 lbf ft). The difficult as always is trying to determine what the correct tension is - but the last time I adjusted it I'm sure it was tighter than standard - but it seemed looser after only a few miles (<20). I'm going to take the belt off completely tomorrow night and check the pulleys - if everything seems OK I'll risk driving to Wroughton on Saturday (I'm only going to watch) - if not it's off to Mr Mazda to sort out... DP suggested oil from the cam cover might be getting on the pulleys - that is a possibility; it's weeping slightly; but having cleaned it up for Lulworth, no more seems to have come out since. (7/01) |
| Daft suggestion but is the alternator stuck/sticking intermittantly. I ask as many years back I snapped a Fan belt returning from a day at the coast. I bought an emergency belt and snapped that too. I got my father to fetch me one and snapped that. I left the car at a nearby garage and the following day we went back to fit another belt and snapped that too. Result was the alternator was jammed solid. Obviously this can't be your problem or i) you'd get no charge in your battery and ii) you'd keep snapping belts. However if there was a bearing problem on the alternator then this could be causing the problem and would certainly damage the belt. As your removing anyway check it turns OK by hand. If theres a lot of resistance then in my experience of other cars (not the 5 though) then this is not normal. Just a thought. (7/01) |
| I replaced my alternator belt a few weeks ago with a replacement from MX5-Parts. I'm at Wroughton tomorrow if you want to have a look at mine to see if there's any difference. But regarding the checking of the pulleys, I remember the water pump was easily moved and the alternator smooth, but with slight resistance. I remember reading some information regarding different types of belt and ensuring the right type is fitted. Some are plain, other ribbed and there's also a type that's sort of tram lined (can't remember what it's called!). The alternator belt I removed and the new one I fitted were both ribbed. (7/01) |
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The alternator belt adjustment doesn't depend on the tightness of the top and bottom bolts (primarily) but on the position of the tensioner device (on top of the alternator) Early cars use an old fashioned v-belt rather than a ribbed one. One problem with these is that the pulleys can open up, so that the belt bottoms in the pulley (Any or all of three). This leads to a) failure and b) loosening. The belt should ride in the "top" of the pulleys. I rather suspect this is happening if the belt is loosening over a short period. Or the belt might be a bit narrower than spec. I wouldn't count on an AA catalogue of fitments for an aftermarket belt range - better to get a proper Mazda belt. (7/01) |
| I think you're on the right track - I went to a local Motor Factor today since Halfords hadn't got one on Wednesday and the "local" Mazda dealer is too far away to get to comfortably over lunch. They've sold me a Goodyear 13AV0900. Now this belt is certainly WIDER than the one the AA supplied (Powertrain PCFB900) - I can tell this since the Goodyear one won't fit into the cardboard sleeve for the AA one without the sleeve distorting. This would explain why the adjustment when the AA one was fitted was further out than the original since the belt is riding lower in the pulleys. (7/01) |
| Well everything appears now to be sorted - I took off the old belt, which did turn out to be considerably narrower as I suspected. The old belt measured 10mm wide and was labelled "10" on the side. I suspect it was originally wider towards the centre and that this has gradually worn off - henc ethe little piles of black dust on the undertray? I checked both water pump and alternator pulleys and they were turning very freely as Werner suggested. I put the new 13mm wide belt on which was a struggle as I seem to recall David Bell suggesting, and it sits nice and high on the pulleys - the top is virtually at the same level as the pulley edge. So everything else back together after tensioning - which is a lot further in than previously as expected - and switch on. Everything appears to be fine. (7/01) |
| Having tested most things am coming to the conclusion that the alternator has died. Have seen references to re-conditioned alternators. Where do I get these? If I have to buy new where is the best place? (1/03) |
| Your best bet is to get your current unit overhauled. Look in Yellow Pages under "Car Electrics". It probably only needs a new rectifier and brushes. If you're in range of Manchester I can quote half a dozen places - Magnum, EMS, Atlas, Stockport Auto Electrics etc. They usually do a rebuild in a day, or will have an exchange one on the shelf or available to order in a day or two. You don't want to know about new ones! :-] (1/03) |