Running with no auxiliary belt ...

[gfkskoda]

This is a bit of an odd question for insomniacs on the Forum.

The car is a 51 plate Octy 1.9 TDI

I had the aux belt shred today, so no alternator, power steering etc.

I got home from where I was OK (around 35 miles) and as far as I can see, apart from the belt having jumped right off the pulleys and lost a small amount of material off one edge, there is no other damage.

I've recovered the belt and shredded edge aside, it's intact i.e it's still one loop. So no bits floating about where they shouldn't as far as I can see.

Clearly a new belt is needed. It's a Bank Holiday tomorrow and anyway I have to be somewhere, so it's not going to be sorted before next week. It's already booked in at Unit 18 in Milton Keynes (quick plug for Ali - top guy, top work ...)

So my question is this - as I am due to drive to Germany, leaving AM tomorrow (BH Monday), I will have to hire a car. I will have to get to the one hire company office thats open (around a 60 mile round trip). Public transport being what it is, my methods of getting there are limited. How many miles do we think I can drive (given that 35 or so have been done so far) with all the electrical systems (ECU etc) running off the battery?

Is there any further damage that might be done?

Needless to say, research in the normal places has not yielded any kind of an answer at all ...

Thanks in advance, all ...

Edited 28 August, 2016 by gfkskoda

[Quiche]

worth checking the alternator pulley as they're common things to go 

[gfkskoda]

@Quiche - yep, read a bit about that ... thanks for the tip.

 

[mannyo]

I don't think the battery is going to last very long, given you have already driven for 35 miles with an ever depleting battery. I think a 60 mile round trip is pushing the poor battery to the extreme and if its quiet old then I don't think you'll even complete half the journey.

Edited 29 August, 2016 by mannyo

[gfkskoda]

@mannyo

OK thanks - going to plan "B" in that case - or is it "c"?
Local railway station!

Will let you know ...

[StevesTruck]

I think eurocarparts are open today, and what they do, GSF normally do. If it just wants a belt, Halfords could be an option

[gfkskoda]

@StevesTruck et al ...

We went for plan C. Drove (gingerly) to local railway station (12 miles). Mrs drove back (12 mi) while I got train to pick up hire car. She then drove from home to U18 (another 12 mi) ... so I reckon (for anyone else with a similar dilemma in the future) we managed around 90 miles & four starts on "battery only".

Naturally, ICE switched off, Aircon and fan off, minimal use of anything electrical in the car to save any but essential load on battery - I even joined the BMW club and forgot about the existence of indicators ...

Of course, I can't say if it'll start when Ali at U18 needs it to :-)

The battery is in pretty good nick, only 2 years old, so that may have contributed ...

Thanks all for your input, greatly appreciated.

[Liverpool-Lad]

And ensure the aux belt is changed at each cambelt service