Hi all,

Looking for a second opinion on my self diagnosis!

My Skoda Fabia vRS (1.9 TDI) has developed the following symptoms:

1) Sqealing / squeaking at low revs. It doesn't change pitch at higher revs, just comes and goes

2) Battery light flickers at low revs or above, say, 50% throttle

So I bought a new drive belt, on the assumption that at 130,000 miles and 6 years old, it was time for a new one anyway. Well, putting that on didn't make any difference (easy to fit - automatic tensioner). So I removed it (no belt at all now) and turned the engine on. No squeaking, it sounded fine, for a diesel. So it must be something connected to the drive belt, right? Had a feel of the various pulleys. Crank pulley was solid, tensioner and air con were both smooth.

The alternator pulley had some play back and forth along its axis, but also a little play radially. It also didn't feel smooth as I rotated it - but then I don't know what it should feel like!

Any ideas? Anything I've missed?

Whilst running spray an oil into the altenater, it may not cure it but it could change the noise and reveal itself as the culprit.

Don't spray oil into an alternator unless you want to risk contaminating the brushes and restricting its ventilation.

The one-way drive pulley has alnmost certainly failed, resulting in the machine not being correctly driven.

rotodiesel.

^^^What he said, there's a one-way clutch on the nose of the alternator. They've been known to fail.

Sealey SX400 tool to aid in it's removal is £20-£30

The pulley itself from ECP or GSF for around £30-£35.

Disturbingly, I've just found NEW (!) 90 amp alternators on eBay for £80 from a place called "Victoria Autoparts".

HTH

J.

Ah, thanks chaps. So I probably don't need to replace the entire alternator then?

apologies for the misdirection, we learn something new every day