V-belt gone...now what?
09.05.2025
The good old V-belt has been obsolete in the "new" everyday cars for about thirty years. That's why the author of these lines recently learned that the rather rare sizes are hardly available anymore. Namely, the alternator belt on my Volvo 945 flew off at the weekend. Unfortunately, there was no longer one in the trunk, which I could probably use again and didn't replace it.
It wasn't too bad, thanks to the large battery and the short distance, I was still able to drive home. It was only the generator belt.
On Saturday, I asked two independent parts dealers on my doorstep, and a Volvo dealer who owns a 940 himself. There were no more belts like that in stock anywhere.
"Hardly anyone buys them anymore..."
Well, until the 1980s, almost every experienced driver had a spare belt in the trunk. Trabants or Beetles would have sent their engine skywards particularly quickly without a belt.
In times of the almost eternally durable automatically tensioned V-ribbed belts, however, it seems to have been forgotten that a V-belt has a considerably shorter lifespan and should also be retensioned from time to time.
Put each size of belt found on the vehicle in the boot. This means that the belt will be to hand when you need it. If necessary, a roadside assistance worker can quickly do this. This means that they won't have to tow your car and you'll be ready to continue your journey in minutes. The belt sizes can be most reliably read on the old belt.
If you don't have a replacement belt on board, it can unfortunately happen that your car is immobilized for a few days. Usually when you are at least 200 kilometers from home, with all the associated annoyances.
Not only at the gas station, but also at the parts dealer, the fan belts are now rarities, so our tip: Buy one more next time.
And put it in the car too!
Vehicles:
- Volvo PV, Duett, Amazon, P1800, 140, 164, 200, 66, 300, 400, 700, 940, 960 engine B280 E/F
- Saab 92, 93, 95, 96, Sonett, 99, 90, 900 (-93)
Additional information...
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Product group: V-belt