Drivebelt and tensioner replacement on a 2008 Mercedes C230 is Thursday’s featured repair, brought to us by a client from Burnaby, BC.
This Mercedes C230 was towed to our shop as the vehicle was undriveable. Our client’s concern was that the power steering had suddenly stopped working. Upon opening the hood the cause of the steering loss was immediately evident as the drivebelt had shredded itself and lay in pieces on the lower frame rail.
Modern vehicle drivebelts are very robust and normally only fail from a seized pulley or broken tensioner. For this vehicle it was a broken tensioner: a fairly common occurrence on many Mercedes cars.
Besides the inconvenience, this is a relatively simple repair: remove the old belt pieces, install a new tensioner and belt, and the car is good to go.
As a vehicle owner it is always important to listen for noises coming from underhood. A failing belt or tensioner is usually accompanied by some screeching noises. Noting these early and having the vehicle inspected right away will usually prevent a breakdown.
The Mercedes C230 is generally a good car: well built and reliable. Even though this car is entry level for a Mercedes it is a very good looking car that is excellent to drive.
For more about the Mercedes C-Class click on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_C-Class
For some excellent information about serpentine drivebelts click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_belt
