My aux power belt failed on the M6 on Friday, first day of my holiday. The belt had only been on six weeks as it had been changed with the cam belts at a land rover specialists in Bristol.

The repair garage in Stoke on Trent, not a land rover specialist, called me Saturday morning to say they couldn't get hold of a belt to fit. They had had 3 delivered by then, including one from a local LR dealer. The problem is that the belts were all 8 vee ridges wide and most of the pulleys on my car are 8 wide, but one is only 6. The recently replaced belt had clearly failed because it was running overhanging the high guide ridges on the 6 wide pulley.

The six wide pulley is at the bottom left looking from the front. I think its only present if you have an auto stability system. The dealer couldn't help as they had no 6 vee ridge belts. To salvage the holiday ( a tour of Scotland...) I got the mechanic to strip off two of the vee ridges with a Stanley knife. It seems to be okay just now. I put 300 miles on it yesterday and it's holding ok.

The car is a 2007 2.7TD HSE. I've had it since 2009 and put 30000 miles on it with no probs, so I assume the original belt must have been only 6 wide to start with.

Any ideas? Maybe someone fitted an incorrect part before I got it. It seems strange to have five 8 vee wide pulleys and one only six.

Thanks, Mike.

Just to bring it too a close...

When I got home I ordered a new pulley to replace the offending 6 vee wide one. It was for the adaptive suspension control pump. The only conclusion I can come to is that the incorrect pulley was fitted when the timing belts were changed. I called the garage where the timing belts were fitted and the mechanic could remember the belt didn't fit on the pulley, so he just set it up to overhang the pulley. Why he thought that would be okay I have no idea. I won't be going back there though.

Mike, hope you enjoyed scotland.

that does sound odd, to fit wrong/ill fitting belts doesn't seem right, but who knows..........

Btw which indie was it, just curious as i have used 2 in bristol and wondered if it was one of them

Yeah, Scotland was fabulous. Its made for Range Rover touring!

The independent was Land Rover Services Ltd in Bedminster. Its disappointing, as I thought I had found some good guys who weren't charging rip off prices.

Ah, have used them.

Initial thoughts - same as you - found a local that isn't a rip off.

Due to poor communications mine went in twice when it was supposed to be once, a bit annoying, but price was reasonable and i think everything was done correctly

I expect i will use again if anything requires doing (hopefully not)