Belt rubbing noise from cold?

[Mittens247]

Recently, I changed the oil and engine filter on my 39000 mile 2018 2.0 TDI 150 CRLB and noticed when I started the engine from cold with the bonnet up a rubbing/whining noise coming from either the auxiliary or timing belt area.

After 5 minutes or so when the engine warms up the sound goes away and the engine sounds normal. Otherwise the car runs fine with good power and fuel economy. Unless a window is down, I don't even notice the noise, so it's obviously been like this for a while

Is this something I should be worried about? Any ideas what it might be? I hadn't planned on getting the timing belt changed for a few years yet.

[Crasher]

I would replace the poly V belt AND whilst it is off, run the engine from cold to see if the noise is there. There seems to be a lot of cars suffering huge engine damage due to the poly V shedding a grove which gets drawn into the cam belt and causes havoc. We pushed a 2014 A1 2L TDI out onto the road last week ready to go for scrap because of this.

[Mittens247]

Recently, I changed the oil and engine filter on my 39000 mile 2018 2.0 TDI 150 CRLB and noticed when I started the engine from cold with the bonnet up a rubbing/whining noise coming from either the auxiliary or timing belt area.

After 5 minutes or so when the engine warms up the sound goes away and the engine sounds normal. Otherwise the car runs fine with good power and fuel economy. Unless a window is down, I don't even notice the noise, so it's obviously been like this for a while

Is this something I should be worried about? Any ideas what it might be? I hadn't planned on getting the timing belt changed for a few years yet.

Thanks @Crasher that sounds like a good idea. Cam belt seems completely enclosed in plastic covers presumably to protect against the scenario you describe?

[Crasher]

Unfortunately a rib of belt can easily get drawn in behind the balancer pulley. The cover has been redesigned to try and stop it but it still happens so I am neurotic about poly v belts, plus many other things! The one we had here I think was put back on after a cam belt chnage as ironically looked very new and genuine. If you reuse a poly V you must mark its DOR or it can fall apart but for us, if it comes off, it goes in the bin.

[Mittens247]

Unfortunately a rib of belt can easily get drawn in behind the balancer pulley. The cover has been redesigned to try and stop it but it still happens so I am neurotic about poly v belts, plus many other things! The one we had here I think was put back on after a cam belt chnage as ironically looked very new and genuine. If you reuse a poly V you must mark its DOR or it can fall apart but for us, if it comes off, it goes in the bin.

Do you have any preferences over brands? Gates, Conti, Dayco or other?

[Crasher]

All three are OE and great

[Mittens247]

Belt bought and guess what the noise has stopped! Guess I will change it anyway!