Twice a year or every 10,000 km (what comes first).
Status check
Drive belts, sometimes referred to as V-belts or simply fan belts, are located at the front of the engine and play an important role in the operation of the vehicle and its individual components. Due to the nature of the material and operating conditions, drive belts fail after a while, and therefore their condition should be checked and adjusted periodically to prevent serious engine damage.
The number of belts used on a particular vehicle depends on the units and systems installed on it. Drive belts are used to drive the generator, steering pump, water pump and air conditioning compressor. Depending on the location of the pulleys, one belt can drive several components at once.
Shut off the engine, open the hood and look for the various drive belts at the front of the engine. fingers (and using a flashlight if necessary) Walk the length of each strap, feeling for cracks or splits. Also check the belts for wear and polished areas. Each belt must be inspected from both sides, which means that it must be twisted to check the condition of the wrong side.
The tension of the belt is checked by firmly pressing on it with your thumb and determining the degree of its deflection. Measure the deflection with a ruler. The rule of thumb states that if the distance between the centers of the pulleys is from 180 to 280 mm, then the amount of deflection should be 6 mm. If the distance between the centers of the pulleys is between 300 and 400 mm, the deflection should be 13 mm.
Adjustment
If it is necessary to adjust the belt tension in the direction of its increase or decrease, this is done by moving the unit driven by the belt on its mounting bracket. In the event that the belt drives more than one unit, it is usually sufficient to move only one of them to adjust it.
1. Each unit has an adjusting bolt and an axle bolt. To move it on the bracket, you need to slightly loosen both bolts. For some units, the drive belt tension can be adjusted by turning the adjusting bolt after loosening the locking bolt.
2. After both bolts are loosened, move the machine away from the engine to increase belt tension, or towards the engine to loosen it.
3. Fix the machine in the new position and check the belt tension. If no further adjustment is required, tighten both bolts and check the tension again. If nothing has changed, tighten the bolts completely.
It is often necessary to use a lever to move the unit in order to adjust the belt tension. If necessary, be very careful not to damage the machine to be moved or the element used as a fulcrum.
Replacement
To replace the belt, follow the adjustment instructions above, but remove the belt from the pulleys.
In some cases, you will need to remove more than one belt due to the way they are located at the front of the engine. Therefore, and also because belts tend to fail at the same time, it is also best to replace them at the same time. Mark each belt and its corresponding groove on the pulley to properly install new belts.
When buying new belts, it is convenient to take old belts with you so that you can directly compare them in length, width and design.
Check the tension of new belts after several hundred kilometers.