Serpentine Belt

[elmo]

I suspect my serpentine belt has snapped.

Going hard out of a roundabout, I got a slight rumble and then the battery light came on.

I've had a look in the engine bay but can see a thing. There was a small strand of what could be debris from the belt on the top of the engine, but that was about it.

Other than the alternator, what does the serpentine belt on the S4 run?

Have the car booked in to a Audi specialist for tomorrow morning and keeping my fingers crossed that it is not the alternator that has seized that has caused the belt to snap in the first place.

I know the front will come off to do the belt, but what else is worth doing at the same time while the front is off? I dare say the tensioners may well be worth doing?

any suggestions?

Cheers.

[xyber]

Just alt and aircon I think? Not 100% but it's on 4 pulleys so it may even be just the alt

Whilst it's off replace the idler and tensioner and you may aswell replace the snub mount aswell

[elmo]

Thanks xyber,

Got the idler roller, the tensioner, the belt and the snub mount all done at the same time. Noticed a small leak in one of the axillary rads from a stone impact, but certainly not a bad leak and not worth doing right at the moment.

Front of the car did have to come off. The belt only runs the alternator, goes around the crank pulley and through the tensioner and idler. Most of the work is removing the front of the car to get to it, but should be good for another 60000 miles.

Cheers

[xyber]

Is the new snub noticeable?

[elmo]

The car definitely feels smoother and quieter to drive. I think the call of a replacement exhaust beckons me to release some of that glorious V8 rumble.

[xyber]

Good, I'm going to get a lightweight pulley early next year so I'm replacing it all aswell. I was going to do it next week when I'm off work but I spotted a private plate I had to have last night haha