1996 C280 Elegance

[affadu15]

Hi there Folks

I am a new member to this site and already have a few problems i need help with. I have literally purchased a 1996 C280 Elegance. Superb car but i seem to have a sqeaky fan belt. I have tried lubricating it and it stops for a while and starts again. Before i bought this car it had been sitting at the dealers for about 5 months. Is this a factor to the fan belt sqeak. Also i cannot switch on the fog lamps without swtiching the high beams on. Is this normal as i am a novice with Mercedes Benz's.

Nice to be a part of this site/Forum

[SLAMMED_C]

Originally posted by affadu15
Hi there Folks

I am a new member to this site and already have a few problems i need help with. I have literally purchased a 1996 C280 Elegance. Superb car but i seem to have a sqeaky fan belt. I have tried lubricating it and it stops for a while and starts again. Before i bought this car it had been sitting at the dealers for about 5 months. Is this a factor to the fan belt sqeak. Also i cannot switch on the fog lamps without swtiching the high beams on. Is this normal as i am a novice with Mercedes Benz's.

Nice to be a part of this site/Forum
what are you using to lubricate your belt?... most likely its just the belt.. Ive gone through a few belts cause they are squeaky...

as for the fog light question.. they should work with the high beams off.. and with the headlight switch turned to on all the way and pulled out all the way.

[affadu15]

Thanks for your reply Slammed_C

I have been using WD40 lubricant. Probably not the best i guess. Any better lubricant you can suggest?

As with the Fog lamps i thought there might be a wrong connection somewhere.

[SLAMMED_C]

how have you been applying the wd40 to the belt.. just spraying it onto the belt?... its most likely a worn/noisey belt.. does the noise go away when the belt gets warm?.. its possible it can be a noisey pulley.. but to me as long as you are putting the wd40 on the belt only.. its the belt.
so swap it out for a new one.

as for the fogs again.. its possibly a wrong connection..
the fog lights come on when you turn on the high beams?... so when do the high beams come on?!!

[affadu15]

I have been putting the WD40 on the the belt which stops the sueak for a while and then comes on again. But the noice does not go away when the belt is warm as i had the car on a motorway (Freeway) yesterday for about a good 3hr drive to the south of England and before the journey i sprayed some WD40 on the belt when i got there it was squeking again.

With Fog lamps when i flah the high beams or when i switch them on in a considerably bark road the fogs then come on. (Funny Huh)

[stox]

Holy......

I thought you were kidding initially. Don't ever ever ever put WD40 on surpentine belt. The only thing worse, I could think of, is to put WD40 on a brake caliper because it is squeaking. DO NOT THINK OF DOING THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! FORGET I MENTIONED IT!!

Seriously, at this point, you need to do the following:

1) Remove the existing belt.

2) Clean all the pulleys to remove all the WD40 residue and the remnants of belt that WD40 has dissolved and deposited on the pulleys.

3) Install new belt.

4) If squeak returns, determine wher it is coming from. You could have a failing pump, alternator, harmonic balancer, etc.

[affadu15]

Thanks STOX,

I will have a go at that tomorrow, because the squek is driving me mad. I did realise the the part where the belt goes round the water pump is where the squeak is coming from.

[K_Sport Driver]

is it a squeak or a squeal that's ongoing? if it's a squeak, then it's the pulley on the accessory/crank, if it's a squeal, then it's the belt on the pulley. wd40 is only serving to make things worse. you probably don't have to take the belts all the way off, but run some soapy water over the belt itself.

run by an auto parts store and pick up some belt squeal spray. as opposed to wd40, it makes the surfaces stickier, and thus, the belt won't slip as much, reducing the squeal. ultimately this won't solve the problem, and your belt is either too big, or your tensioner isn't moved far enough out, and those would have to be changed to solve the problem permanently. hope this augments the other's useful info.

[affadu15]

Thanks for that. Sorry i have been on holiday for a while. i did take the belt off and cleaned the pulleys and replaced the belt but this did not stop. It seems to be comming from the power steering pump or pulley.