Belt dressing spray - where are the belts on an Aveo?

[JPD]

Hi everyone,
I'm running a 2010 Aveo and spotted a can of belt dressing spray on sale - couldn't resist. Okay, so where do I spray it? I think I've identified the timing belt - any experts on here mind pointing out to me how many other belts the aveo has and where they are? greatly appreciated, as always!

[charlieb]

wow scary question.first belt your looking at is your drive belt (runs altinater/air conditioning ect...)your timing belt is hidden under the engine covers.you should not spray belt dressing on the belts, ever! in my opinion.commonly it is used to try to take away a squeak or prolong the life of a belt.if belt is broken replace it.if a belt is squeaking or squeeling like hell belt needs replacing and 1 of the pullys are probly not lined up right.my opinion is leave the can of dressing on the shelf.

[petrified.rabbit]

charlie is right, belt dressing is for the older v belts, and even then they should be replaced.

the only thing i use belt dressing for in the past 10 years, spraying on the "open" sides of pulleys while the old belt is on there right before replacing the belt. Ive done this for two reasons: 1. an attempt at cleaning rust and such off the pullies bfore the new belt goes on. 2. as a cheap test for slippage to avoid a pricey /unavailable tesioner

[JPD]

Thanks for the replies, I thought it was a bit silly to start a new thread to ask about this but I'm glad I did ask before I used the spray! I bought a can of Hardex Belt Dressing spray - $1 on sale at a supermarket - (the company has a website - hardexworld.com) and thought it looked interesting because it claimed on the tin to 'extend belt life' 'prevent drying and cracking' and 'prevent premature wear'. The climate in Thailand is really harsh on rubbers, tires usually need replacing after 2-3 years, so I thought the spray might be useful; guess not.
Thanks for the advice, at least the engine is cover is doing it's job of preventing morons like me messing up the engine!

[aveosam]

Ill post my 2 cents because I recently came across this at work. Most belt manufacturers say belt dressings are a no no. Belt dessings are often advertised to address squealing, but really the problem is misalignment or improper tensioning of the belts.

[JPD]

Ill post my 2 cents because I recently came across this at work. Most belt manufacturers say belt dressings are a no no. Belt dessings are often advertised to address squealing, but really the problem is misalignment or improper tensioning of the belts.

Hi, thank you for the advice, I would never have known that. I since read on wikipedia that 'Breakage of the belt, because of the nature of the high tensile fibers, is uncommon' , so now I know. The spray seemed to make sense because I can see the way the climate over here degrades rubber; even tires with adequate depth on the tread can need replacing. I've noticed most 'tire sprays' that claim to improve the appearance of tires tend to discolor the rubber. I tried Sonax rubber maintenance spray which seems good but even using that every month, my door seals have dried and cracked a little after 2 years.
At least I asked on here before using the dressing spray, thanks for the info.

[jamelar]

Ill post my 2 cents because I recently came across this at work. Most belt manufacturers say belt dressings are a no no. Belt dessings are often advertised to address squealing, but really the problem is misalignment or improper tensioning of the belts.

Some years ago I had a motorhome where the alternator belt (a V-Belt) kept squealing / slipping when idling or when accelerating. All the tightening I could do would not stop it so I tried belt dressing. It worked temporally, but the slipping would return. My neighbor suggested I replace the belt with a good quality Goodyear belt. That fixed the problem as it turned out the belt I replaced was a cheaper "store brand" and would stretch slightly when warmed up.