2. Drive belts, sometimes called V-belts or simply fan belts, are located at the front of the engine and play a vital role in the operation of the vehicle and its individual components. Due to the nature of the material and operating conditions, drive belts wear out over time and should therefore be checked periodically and the tension adjusted to avoid serious engine damage.
3. Drive belts are used to drive the alternator, steering pump, water pump, and air conditioning compressor. Depending on the arrangement of the pulleys, a single belt can drive several components at once.
4. Turn off the engine, set the manual transmission to neutral. Raise and place the car on stands.
5. Remove the lower engine compartment cover, refer to subsection Removal and installation the lower engine compartment cover.
6. Mark the belt –1– with chalk in a clearly visible place.
7. From the bottom of the engine, use the head to turn the engine by the crankshaft pulley in the direction of rotation, i.e. to the right, so that the chalk marking is visible. In this case, inspect the belt section by section.
Wear of the edges of the ribbed belt
Transverse cracks D on the back side of the belt and delamination of the ribs E of the ribbed belt
Fraying of the side ribs F, cracks H and delamination of the side ribs G
J rib detachment, K cracks
8. With fingers (and using a flashlight if necessary) walk the entire length of the belt, feeling for cracks and delamination. Also check for any abrasions or polished areas. The belt should be inspected from both sides, which means twisting it to check the condition of the reverse side.
9. Belt tension is checked by pressing firmly with your thumb and determining the degree of deflection. Measure the deflection with a ruler. If the distance between the pulley centers is between 180 and 280 mm, the deflection should be 6 mm. If the distance between the pulley centers is between 300 and 400 mm, the deflection should be 13 mm.
10. If one or more of the above damages are present, the V-belt must be replaced with a new one, and refer to the subsections Removal and installation a ribbed V-belt and Removal and installation the V-belt.
11. Replace the engine compartment side cover.
The original version of the article is posted on the website AUDIMANUAL